I had to take a break from playing ranked mode on Apex Legends this evening to write this post.

I had been planning to work my way up to Platinum level over the next couple of days but there are a few things teammates are doing that are really annoying me.

For this reason, here are a few mistakes you could be making that could lead to early losses in ranked mode. If you're the kind of person doing this, stop. You're not only hindering your own progress, but you're holding your teammates back, too.

#1. Looting

Looting is part of the fun on Apex. It's a thrill to land into an area and not know what you might find. Those few seconds as you scramble for a weapon are either joyous or frustrating, but it's what keeps us clicking that play button even when we lose.

Having said that, there are many people who develop a poor habit of looting far too much. This is even more important in ranked mode.

One of the issues with looting is that you're not getting involved in any of the fights. You're missing out on points for kills. Not only that, but people wandering around the map can easily stumble across you looking for that perfect weapon that may never arrive and blast you straight back to the main menu.

The best way to approach this game is to loot whatever you can from the first place you land and then get to fighting. The rest of your loot should ideally come from the crates of your fallen enemies. Don't worry about finding your favourite weapon because you may not have the time to find it before you die.

Looting too much can frustrate your teammates who want to get into the action. This often leads to the team splitting up and, well, in ranked mode you're toast if this happens.

Loot then shoot.

#2. Storm Chasers

Unless you're playing your first game of ranked mode, you should already be aware that the storm's damage has been increased massively. You can survive running in the first storm for a while but you're done for after that.

For some reason, a lot of players like to take far too long before moving towards the next ring. This leaves you exposed to not only the storm but also other teams looking to pick you off as you frantically try to run away.

If you get downed by the 2nd storm onward, you may as well give up because there is no chance of you being revived or your teammate collecting your banner. It simply does too much damage.

Move quickly.

#3. Fighting a Losing Battle

There are some situations that you should run away from. Trying to shoot an enemy from a long distance with a pistol as they smash you to bits with a sniper rifle isn't a fight you're going to win.

By continuing to engage the enemy, you're forcing your teammates to stick around with you to try to help. This is pointless because you're not in a position to actually do any significant damage.

If you don't have the upper hand then you should not engage the enemy. Either reposition and wait to ambush them as they make their way across the map or move on and live to fight another fight.

#4. Not Pinging

The ping system is there for a reason. If your teammates aren't using a mic then you should be communicating through pings.

It's easy to direct your team to the location of an enemy. This information is vital and can give you the upper hand. By refusing to divulge this information, your team can quickly become confused as to what they should be focusing on when a fight starts.

As good as you may be, you're stronger with all three of you concentrating on a specific target. Be a good teammate.