Apex Legends Season 31 Legend Bans are coming to Diamond-and-higher Ranked lobbies when Season 31: Cipher launches on 3 November 2026. Before choosing their own Legend, every player votes for one Legend they would like removed from that match. The game draws the ban randomly using percentages based on the votes. More votes increase a Legend’s chance of being removed, but do not guarantee it.
This begins on 3 November 2026, not the current October season. The Banning Phase appears before Legend selection in matches containing Diamond-or-higher players, alongside Drop Zone deployment. Here’s how your vote affects the outcome and what happens if someone votes against your main.
How Apex Legends Season 31 Legend Bans voting works
The Apex Legends Season 31 Legend Bans system adds a Banning Phase before the usual Legend Selection screen. Every player gets one vote for a Legend they would like banned. In Apex Legends Season 31 Legend Bans, once votes are submitted or the timer runs out, the interface reveals each nominated Legend’s percentage chance of being banned.
- Enter a Diamond+ Ranked match using the new Drop Zone format.
- During the pre-match Banning Phase, select one Legend to vote against.
- Wait for the voting timer to expire or for players to finish their votes.
- Review the percentages showing each nominated Legend’s ban probability.
- After the randomised ban selection, choose your playable Legend from the remaining roster.
If a Legend is banned, nobody in that match can select that character. The restriction isn’t limited to the player who proposed the ban, and the final Legend Selection phase excludes banned choices for every squad.
Which lobbies have Apex Legends Season 31 Legend Bans?
Respawn’s October 20 roadmap says the system will be enabled in matches with Diamond+ players. Those matches will also use Drop Zone deployment. The wording matters: the feature is tied to the qualifying lobby, not simply a permanent account setting that a Diamond player can turn on or off.
Apex Legends Season 31 Legend Bans only apply when a qualifying Diamond+ lobby is formed. Lower-ranked matches without those players won’t use the new selection phase. The separate Challenger and Goliath rules change RP entry costs in wide-skill lobbies.
How are ban percentages calculated?
Each vote contributes to a Legend’s displayed chance of being banned. More votes mean a higher probability, but they do not guarantee a ban. Respawn chooses the final banned Legends randomly using those percentages after the vote phase.
Respawn deliberately avoided automatically banning whichever Legend receives the most votes. That would make popular picks disappear too predictably, encouraging players to settle into a new banning meta. Weighted odds allow the same Legend to survive one match but be unavailable in the next.
During voting, watch the percentage beside each nominated Legend to see their chance of being removed. The roadmap doesn’t specify how ties are rounded or how many Legends will be banned; those finer details will become clear in the Season 31 client.
Can you still play your main if somebody votes to ban them?
Yes, if your Legend is not selected by the random ban. One vote against your main increases its chance of being banned, but does not automatically remove it. If the random selection lands elsewhere, your character will remain available in the Legend Selection phase. If your main does get banned, every player must select something else for that match.
The easiest preparation is to get comfortable with at least two other Legends. If your main is banned, you can’t select them by locking in quickly or choosing before a teammate. The restriction applies to every squad in that match.
Why is Respawn introducing Legend Bans?
Respawn wants to disrupt dominant high-level compositions and keep matches from settling into the same Legend selections. Since the rule is initially directed at Diamond+ play, it focuses on the ranks where popular team compositions can be particularly persistent.
The Apex Legends Season 31 Legend Bans change is only one part of the November Ranked update. Challenger and Goliath match labels will alter entry costs for squads whose tier is far above or below the lobby median, and Road to Ranked challenges are being removed in favour of a straightforward Level 20 account requirement.
When do Apex Legends Season 31 Legend Bans launch on 3 November?
The feature is scheduled for 3 November 2026 as part of Season 31: Cipher. Respawn hasn’t provided the exact ban-phase duration or final release-day patch notes in the roadmap. Season 32 in early 2027 will then reorganise Ranked into Open and Pro-Am Leagues, with new Iron, Emerald and Grandmaster tiers.
You can read more in our Challenger and Goliath RP guide and Season 32 rank changes. They cover separate parts of the Ranked overhaul.
For the full set of November changes, including how to unlock Ranked at Account Level 20 after Road to Ranked is removed, read our Apex Legends Season 31 Ranked overview.
Related Guides
Official source: EA’s October 20, 2026 Apex Legends Ranked Roadmap.
