Esports Betting / Esports Betting News / Apex Legends has banned over 400,000 accounts since Season 23

Apex Legends has banned over 400,000 accounts since Season 23

Andrew Boggs

Sports Writer

Publish Date: 23/09/2025

Fact checked by: Alyx Tzamantanis

Key Points

Apex Legends reported 416,533 player bans since Season 23, with smarter detection and faster responses.
MIR dropped from 10.2% to 6.1% on PC. Ranked still gets hit hardest.
Respawn’s evolving tools target bots, teamers, and cheats across all platforms.

Apex Legends Anti-Cheat Update – Key Numbers & Stats

Apex Legends dropped its latest anti-cheat dev update on September 2, 2025, and wow, the numbers are something. Since Season 23: From the Rift kicked off back in November 2024, Respawn/EA confirm they have executed 416,533 Apex player bans.

In this article, I’ll walk you through what was announced, go into how those bans stack up season by season, show what changed in Season 23, how Match Infection Rates have trended (especially in Ranked), and what this all means for the future of fairness in Apex. Stick with me to find out more.

Apex Legends has banned over 400,000 accounts since Season 23

The eye watering numbers

In the September 2 anti-cheat update, Respawn laid out updated metrics for how they’ve been handling cheaters. Here’s a snapshot of all those numbers, followed by explanation of some key data points:

➡️ Item	📝 Verified Detail
Total bans since S23 start	416,533 accounts (temp + perm)
Season 23 dates	Nov 5, 2024 → Feb 10, 2025
Seasonal ban breakdown	S23: 115,000 @ launch / 85,000 @ split S24: 51,500 / 47,000 S25: 61,000+ / 57,000
MIR trend (PC)	10.2% peak (S23 split) → 6.1% (S25 launch)
MIR trend (Console)	0.2–0.5% across splits, small fluctuations
Teaming report drop	33% down since February 2025
Bot farm detection	Targeted, automated model in progress
Lifetime bans / monthly avg	6M+ total since 2019; 100,000 bans/month average

❌ Total Bans (TB)

Number of account suspensions, both temporary and permanent, issued through a mix of automated detections and manual reviews. Respawn also clarified that “Total Bans” includes both temporary suspensions and permanent bans, not just full account deletions.

🔍 Match Infection Rate (MIR)

The percentage of matches (typically Ranked) where at least one player had been reported three or more times in the previous 14 days and was later confirmed as cheating.

📃 Reports Per User (RPU)

This tracks how many reports are generated per user, highlighting how frequently players are flagged and offering insight into overall reporting pressure.

The 416,533 Apex player bans figure in context

That total ban count (416,533) spans Seasons 23 → 25. Season 23 started Nov 5, 2024. The split points are typical mid-season checkpoints. The data covers launch halves and split halves for each of those three seasons, across platforms.

Here are how those Apex player bans look by season & half‑season:

Season 23: ~115,000 bans at launch / ~85,000 by the split
Season 24: ~51,500 at launch / ~47,000 at split
Season 25 ("Prodigy"): ~61,000+ at launch / ~57,000 post‑split (so far)

Apex Legends has banned over 400,000 accounts since Season 23Apex Legends has banned over 400,000 accounts

What changed in Season 23

Season 23 was when things properly shifted, causing changes that made even Apex betting sites take notice. Respawn didn’t just swing harder, they got smarter. Here’s what changed behind the scenes:

1️⃣ Adaptive gameplay detection got real

They rolled out a system that watches how you play, not just whether you’ve got cheat software running. It flags sketchy patterns, like superhuman aim or unnatural tracking, based on gameplay indicators. Less about signatures, more about behavior.

2️⃣ New report tools (finally)

You can now flag someone for “Wallhacking/Impossible Gamesense.” It’s a small change, but it lets the system train better by knowing what kind of dodgy stuff people are seeing. More specific reports = better data.

3️⃣ Teaming crackdowns are working

Teaming in Ranked, where solos magically become squads, has always been a pain. Since they tweaked their models earlier this year, teaming reports are down around 33%. That’s a legit improvement.

4️⃣ Bots are on the chopping block

Bot farms farming Ranked matches or rewards are now in Respawn’s sights. They’re working on an automated detection model just for these, so they can clear them out faster and with less false flagging.

5️⃣ Faster bans, fewer ruined games

By catching cheaters quicker, they’re chopping down the number of infected matches. This ties directly into MIR. If someone gets banned early, they can’t ruin five more games before getting caught.

These changes all started in Season 23, and while the total ban numbers were huge, the shape of things has shifted. Newer seasons are getting smarter, not just harsher.

MIR trends & ranked impact

I play a lot of Ranked, so the MIR stats definitely hit home. Match Infection Rate basically tracks how many games had at least one player who got mass reported and then banned. It’s a solid way to measure how many lobbies are getting wrecked. During the Season 23 split, MIR on PC peaked around 10.2%. That’s one in ten matches with a cheater. By Season 25, it dropped to about 6.1%, which is still high but at least moving in the right direction. On consoles, it’s been much lower across the board, around 0.2% to 0.5% most of the time.

Ranked is where it stings the most. MIR is way higher in Ranked than in pubs, and if you’re sitting in Diamond or Master, you’re almost twice as likely to run into someone dodgy compared to the global average. You’ve probably felt it if you’ve been playing lately. Things are getting better down low and in casual modes, but the top still has some work to do.

Apex Legends has banned

Wider anti-cheat posture

This isn’t a one-off. Apex has been swinging hard against cheaters for years. Over 6 million bans since 2019, with an average of 100,000+ each month. They’ve even made platform calls, like blocking Linux and Steam Deck access due to cheat risks. It’s not just about catching cheats in-game anymore, it’s about shutting down the ways they get in.

So the 416k Apex player bans aren’t some sudden crackdown. It’s just the latest step in a long fight that’s only getting sharper.

What’s next

Respawn’s not slowing down. They’re working on in-house detection for cheats like aimbots and anti-recoil gear, less reliance on third-party tools. A proper bot detection model is on the way too, aiming to catch bot farms early before they mess up lobbies. Console tracking’s getting better thanks to new data streams, so bans and MIR stats should reflect all platforms more evenly moving forward.

They’re also refining report categories and gameplay indicators to cut down on false flags. Plus, we’ll be seeing more regular data drops from the devs for transparency.

Steps in the right direction

That 416,533 figure isn’t just for show. It marks a real shift since Season 23. Better detection, wider platform coverage, and better reporting all started landing at once. Ranked still isn’t spotless, especially at the top, but things feel noticeably better. MIR’s dropping, bots are being hunted, and console data’s finally part of the picture.

The cheats keep evolving, but so does the system. And right now, Respawn’s holding the line pretty well.