Apex Legends orientation match glitch and how to fix it – Our top strategies explained

Apex Legends orientation match glitch and how to fix it – Our top strategies explained
Finlay Cattanach Updated on by

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Want to fix the Apex Legends orientation match glitch? Though previously a pretty rare issue, the orientation match bug has recently reared its head in the community again. If you’re looking to fix it as fast as possible, you’re in the right place.

Here, we’re going to explain what the Apex Legends orientation match glitch is and share our top solutions on how to fix it. Hopefully you won’t need to download Apex Legends again with the suggestions below.

What is the orientation match glitch in Apex Legends?

The orientation match glitch is a bug which hard-locks players out of queuing into matches by incorrectly informing them they need to complete their orientation (tutorial) matches first. This would be bad enough if it weren’t for the fact that the glitch prevents players from then connecting to the orientation match it claims they need to complete. Because it thinks you’ve yet to finish this tutorial game, you’ll find yourself unable to enter regular matchmaking.

Usually this bug is quite uncommon, though it attacked en mass on December 19, 2023, hitting large numbers of players. This locked people out of most game modes, including Duos, Trios, Ranked, and limited time modes like the Revenant Uprising LTM.

How to fix the orientation match glitch in Apex Legends

Here are the top three strategies you can try out to fix the orientation match glitch in Apex Legends. Keep in mind that none of these methods are 100% guaranteed fixes, but they are the best solutions available at the moment.

  • Check the Apex servers status
  • Make repeated login attempts
  • Verify and repair game files
Apex Legends orientation match glitch and how to fix it explained: The server list for Apex.
Image by VideoGamer

Checking the Apex Legends servers

The most common cause of the glitch is server-side issues in-game. Most commonly of all this will occur when a new update or patch releases, or a major in-game event launches like the Season 20 release date.

Your best first bet is to check the current server status. Head to https://twitter.com/EAHelp. If there are ongoing problems, this will usually be the first place that Respawn and EA let you know about it. Unfortunately that’s all that you can do for this method. If you don’t have the patience to wait though, or the problem persists, try the next two.

Apex Legends orientation match glitch and how to fix it explained: EA Help's Twitter feed, centered on a retweet about the glitch from Respawn.
Image by VideoGamer

Repeated logins

If you encounter the glitch again, leave the game open for a few minutes, then try queuing into a different server. This will sometimes be enough to circumvent the problem, though it might mean more lag or higher ping as a tradeoff.

You can also try logging out and then logging back into your EA or Origin account when booting up the game. If this still isn’t having an effect, give the last option a go.

Apex Legends orientation match glitch and how to fix it explained: A screenshot of the Properties tab of Apex Legends on Steam, highlighted on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
Image by VideoGamer

Verify and repair the game files

If the servers are up and relogging isn’t having an effect, your last best option is to check that your game files are intact and uncorrupted. To do this, take the following steps:

  • Find Apex Legends in your Steam or Origin library.
  • Right click on the game and select “Properties”.
  • Navigate to “Local Files” and select “Verify Integrity of Game Files”
  • Your device will then check and verify all the game data files. If it finds anything out of the ordinary it will let you know and give you the option to “Repair Game Files”.

If even this doesn’t work then unfortunately your next best option is to try reinstalling the game fresh.

That covers all we’ve got on the Apex Legends orientation match glitch. Hopefully you’ll have fixed the problem and won’t have to install the game anew. But in unfortunate the event that you’re now sat down waiting for the new download to finish, why not check out some of our other Apex reading? Whether you want to know the Apex voice actors cast, who made Apex Legends, or are just curious about our picks for the best guns in Apex and best Legends in Apex, we can help you out.

Apex Legends Orientation match glitch FAQ

Can the Orientation match glitch in Apex Legends be fixed?

While there is no guaranteed method, there are several viable soloutions to fix the glitch in most cases?

What should I do if none of the soloutions to fix the Apex Legends Orientation match glitch work?

If no solution has worked to fix your game, either reinstall the game fresh or contact EA support.