Apex Legends is a free-to-play battle royale shooter game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. Set in the Titanfall universe, Apex Legends was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in February 2019.

The game takes place 30 years after the events of Titanfall 2. Players assume the role of a Legend, a unique character with special abilities. In the main battle royale mode, 20 three-player squads land on an island and compete to be the last team standing. Players scavenge for weapons and equipment as a playzone constricts the map over time. Eliminated players can be revived by teammates before time runs out.

Apex Legends incorporates elements of hero shooters by using Legends with unique abilities. The game also features innovative gameplay mechanics like the Jumpmaster, Ping and Respawning systems. This creates deeper team coordination compared to other battle royale titles. There is no single player campaign, but Apex does have lore told through animated Shorts and comic books.

What makes Apex Legends unique?

There are several key features that set Apex Legends apart in the battle royale genre:

Hero Shooter Elements: The different playable Legends give Apex a hero shooter element, with each Legend having a unique tactical, passive and ultimate ability. This encourages team synergy and coordination.
Revive System: Downed teammates can be revived, allowing teams multiple chances in a match instead of a single life per player.
Respawning: Eliminated teammates can be respawned by activating Respawn Beacons found on the map. This innovative mechanic promotes staying together as a squad.
Ping System: Players can ping locations, enemies, weapons and more through an in-game communication system. This enables tactical teamwork without voice chat.
Jumpmaster: One player can guide their squad’s drop location at the start and launch together from the dropship. This jumpmaster role facilitates organized drops.
Care Packages: Unique loot items can be acquired from periodically dropping Care Packages to create focal points for action.

Why is Apex Legends so popular?

Since its surprise launch, Apex Legends has been one of the most popular battle royale games due to:

Extremely polished core gameplay with fluid movement and gunplay.
Innovative mechanics like Respawning and the Ping system that facilitate organized teamplay.
A cast of unique Legends with diverse abilities that add complexity and strategy.
Regular updates including new weapons, Legends, maps, modes, events and balance changes.
Engaging lore told through cinematics, comics and character interactions.
Thriving esports scene with several major tournaments and leagues.
Availability on multiple platforms like PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
Outstanding community engagement from the developers at Respawn Entertainment.

With a high skill ceiling, great optimization and a fun team-based experience, Apex Legends has cemented itself as a leading contender in the competitive battle royale genre. Its growing lore and esports presence provide engaging content beyond just the core gameplay.

Overview of the game’s mechanics

At its core, Apex Legends incorporates the standard battle royale format of 20 teams of 3 players competing to be the last team standing. Here are some key gameplay mechanics:

Looting System

Players start with no weapons or items. Gear must be looted from supply bins, buildings and deathboxes.
Better loot tends to be concentrated in high risk areas like Hot Zones.
Loot rarity ranges from Common to Legendary. Higher rarity items have improved stats and perks.

Health Items

Health bars consist of armor (shields) and base health. Shields recharge after not taking damage for a few seconds.
Consumables like shield cells/batteries and health items restore lost health/shields.
Unique boost items provide buffs and fast health regeneration.

The Ring & Map Changes

A circular ring constricts the map over time, damaging players outside it. This forces engagement.
Some matches have Dynamic Ring movement instead of set zones.
Map elements like Explosive Holds and Phase Runners provide unique gameplay.

Respawning

Eliminated squadmates drop a banner that can be collected to activate a Respawn Beacon and return them to the match.

Finishers

Unique animations that fully eliminate a downed enemy in dramatic fashion. Provide full shield restoration.

Different game modes

Apex Legends has added limited-time modes and permanent ranked modes to spice up the core battle royale experience:

Battle Royale

The core mode where 20 squads of 3 battle to be the Apex Champions.
Available as Trios (teams of 3) or Duos (teams of 2) modes.

Arenas

Permanent 3v3 mode with rounds, economy and no respawns. Teams duel until one is eliminated.
Tests fundamental combat skills like aiming and movement.

Ranked Leagues

Competitive ladder system with tiered ranks across two splits per season.
Features cosmetic rewards and new challenges compared to casual play.

Limited-Time Modes

Special limited-run variants like Always Be Closing, Winter Express and Control spicing up the gameplay.
Provide novel experiences and a breath of fresh air.

How to play Apex Legends effectively

Here are some tips to excel at Apex Legends:

Master movement

Traversal and positioning is crucial. Slide, climb, crouch and use Legends’ mobility skills.
Use high ground, cover and flanking maneuvers strategically in battle.

Improve your aim

Having great aim with the various weapons is a key fundamental skill. Go to the Firing Range to practice.
Learn to strafe, control sprays, lead shots and aim while sliding.

Loot quickly

Optimization of the looting phase is important to get geared up faster than other teams.
Ping good loot for your squad and learn optimal looting routes on each map.

Communicate with your team

Effective callouts, positioning and focus fire with your teammates is crucial to winning engagements.
Use Apex’s stellar Ping system liberally for non-verbal communication.

Leverage your Legend’s abilities

Learn how to fully utilize your chosen Legend’s unique tactical, passive and ultimate in coordination with your squad.
Different Legends enable different playstyles and strategies.

Analyze and learn from mistakes

Review your matches to see where you can improve combat skills, positioning, game sense and teamwork.
Staying positive and not repeating mistakes is key to improvement.

With immaculate movement skills, great aim, smart communication, optimal looting and good game sense, you’ll be annihilating opponents and racking up wins in no time.

Characters

Introduction to the different Legends

Apex Legends has a diverse cast of 20 playable characters called Legends, each with their own backstory and unique abilities. The Legends are categorized into classes:

Offensive

Excelling at mobility and initiating engagements.

Bangalore: Professional Soldier – Smoke Launcher and Rolling Thunder ultimate.
Mad Maggie: Warlord – Riot Drill and Wrecking Ball ultimate.
Octane: Adrenaline Junkie – Stim and Launch Pad ultimate.
Revenant: Synthetic Nightmare – Silence and Death Totem ultimate.
Wraith: Interdimensional Skirmisher – Voidwalk and Dimensional Rift ultimate.

Defensive

Area denial and fortification abilities.

Caustic: Toxic Trapper – Nox Gas Trap and Nox Gas Grenade ultimate.
Gibraltar: Shielded Fortress – Gun Shield and Defensive Bombardment ultimate.
Newcastle: Heroic Protector – Mobile Shield and Castle Wall ultimate.
Rampart: Modder – Amped Cover and Emplaced Minigun ultimate.
Wattson: Static Defender – Perimeter Security and Interception Pylon ultimate.

Recon

Information gathering and tracking power.

Bloodhound: Technological Tracker – Eye of the Allfather and Beast of the Hunt ultimate.
Crypto: Surveillance Expert – Surveillance Drone and Drone EMP ultimate.
Pathfinder: Forward Scout – Grappling Hook and Zipline Gun ultimate.
Seer: Ambush Artist – Focus of Attention and Exhibit ultimate.
Valkyrie: Winged Avenger – Jetpack and Skyward Dive ultimate.

Support

Enhancing their team and disrupting enemies.

Loba: Translocating Thief – Burglary’s Best Friend and Black Market Boutique ultimate.
Lifeline: Combat Medic – Heal Drone and Care Package ultimate.
Mirage: Holographic Trickster – Psyche Out and Life of the Party ultimate.

Each Legend’s unique abilities

Let’s take a closer look at how each Legend’s tactical, passive and ultimate ability gives them a distinct style of play:

Bloodhound

Tactical – Eye of the Allfather: Briefly reveals enemies, traps, and clues through structures and terrain.
Passive – Tracker: See tracks left behind by enemies and detect them when they are nearby.
Ultimate – Beast of the Hunt: Gain increased speed and highlight enemies for you and your team to see. Perfect for aggressive pushes.

Gibraltar

Tactical – Dome of Protection: Throw down a dome shield that blocks incoming fire. Can heal inside.
Passive – Gun Shield: Aims down sights to extend a frontal shield absorbing damage.
Ultimate – Defensive Bombardment: Call in a concentrated mortar strike on a marked position. Devastating area denial.

Lifeline

Tactical – Heal Drone: Deploy a drone that heals nearby teammates over time. Can revive knocked down teammates.
Passive – Combat Medic: Revive knocked down teammates faster while protected by a shield wall. Heal items used 25% faster.
Ultimate – Care Package: Call in a drop pod full of high quality defensive gear. Helps the team with upgraded armor and meds.

Pathfinder

Tactical – Grappling Hook: Shoot out a grappling hook to quickly gain high ground or reposition. Has lots of skill potential.
Passive – Insider Knowledge: Scan survey beacons to reduce zipline ult cooldown and reveal the next circle location.
Ultimate – Zipline Gun: Create a zipline allowing you and your squad to traverse great distances and heights.

How to choose the right Legend for your playstyle

Picking the Legend that matches your playstyle and meshes with your squad’s composition is key:

Aggressive?

Legends like Bangalore, Wraith, Octane and Revenant have great abilities to start engagements and push opponents.

Supportive?

Lifeline, Loba, Gibraltar and Newcastle have skills focused on assisting their team.

Recon?

Bloodhound, Crypto, Seer and Valkyrie are great for scouting enemies and revealing the next ring location.

area control?

Caustic, Wattson, Rampart excel at fortifying locations and denying enemies access.

Balanced Team Comp?

Ideally you want a mix of abilities like mobility, scouting, damage and crowd control for a well-rounded squad.

Try out all the Legends to get a feel for their unique styles to find one that suits you. Just make sure your team doesn’t lack essential abilities for success. Mastering movement with your Legend and creatively using their kit is tremendously satisfying. Their voice lines and lore are also charming!

Overview of the different weapon types

Apex Legends features a diverse arsenal of over 30 weapons that fall into distinct categories and rarity tiers. Here’s a quick overview of each weapon type:

Assault Rifles

Versatile, automatic rifles effective at medium range.

Havoc – Energy ammo AR with horizontal recoil. Can use Selectfire for charge beam.
Hemlok – Heavy ammo burst or single fire AR. Great damage output.
R-301 Carbine – Light ammo AR with easy handling. A popular, reliable choice.
Flatline – Heavy ammo AR with hard-hitting rounds. Has predictable recoil.
VK-47 Flatline – Similar to the Flatline but uses lighter ammo.

Submachine Guns (SMGs)

Close quarters shredders with high fire rate.

Prowler – Heavy ammo SMG with massive DPS. Can toggle full auto.
R-99 – Light ammo SMG with fastest fire rate. Requires recoil control.
Volt – Energy ammo SMG with good stability and reload speed.
C.A.R – Light ammo SMG/AR hybrid. Very flexible combat option.

Light Machine Guns (LMGs)

Big magazines suited for suppressive fire.

Devotion – Energy ammo LMG. Slows fire rate over time. Can use Turbocharger.
L-STAR – Overheats instead of reloads. No bullet drop.
Rampage – Heavy ammo LMG with high damage per shot. Can be charged up.
Spitfire – Heavy ammo LMG with large magazine. Easy to use.

Sniper Rifles

Long range powerhouses with precision optics.

Charge Rifle – Hitscan damage beam. Good for poking and maintaining pressure.
Longbow – Heavy ammo with high damage per shot. Can equip skullpiercer.
Kraber – Unique .50 cal sniper. Only found in care packages. Downs in one headshot.
Sentinel – Energized cells amp damage for a short time. Can temporarily disable vehicles.

Shotguns

Dominate in close quarters with these high burst damage weapons.

Eva-8 – Automatic light ammo shotgun. Great with shotgun bolts.
Mastiff – Heavy ammo shotgun firing horizontal spread. Slow fire rate.
Mozambique – Light ammo triple burst shotgun pistol. Good entry weapon.
Peacekeeper – Powerful heavy ammo pump shotgun. Tight spread.

Pistols

Lightweight but weaker sidearms.

P2020 – Common light pistol with fast fire rate.
RE-45 – Light ammo full auto pistol. Good damage output.
Wingman – Heavy ammo revolver with high damage per shot. Rewards accuracy.

How to find and attach weapon mods

Hop ups and attachments found while looting can enhance your weapons in different ways:

Barrel Stabilizers reduce recoil with better rarity tiers.
Stocks enhance recoil control, weapon swapping and aim down sight strafing.
Magazines increase ammo capacity, allowing sustained fire.
Sights provide magnification for better range engagement.
Hop ups like the Skullpiercer, Hammerpoint Rounds and Turbocharger give unique bonuses.
Boosted Loaders decreases tactical and ultimate ability recharge times.

Prioritize finding and equipping attachments for your weapons whenever possible. Visit crafters to upgrade some attachments like magazines and sights for reduced material cost. Players can even purchase a weak loadout gun off drop to use while looting for a better primary weapon.

How to use different weapons effectively

Here are some tips to master the various weapon types in Apex Legends:

Assault Rifles – Control recoil with barrel mods and use optics for versatile medium range performance.
SMGs – Hipfire at very close quarters and equip extended mags to shred room and hallway fights.
LMGs – Rev up and prefire the Devotion or equip a Turbocharger. Use amped covers to control LMGs.
Snipers – Position high and use long range optics. Lead shots to account for bullet travel time. Use cover between shots.
Shotguns – Get up close then aim for upper chest and neck for maximum pellet hits. Equip shotgun bolts.
Wingman – Flick precisely for headshots and make every heavy ammo round count.

With good movement, quick looting, smart positioning and aiming for the head when possible, you’ll soon be eliminating opponents with ease using any weapon. Perfect your loadouts and have a diverse arsenal ready for every engagement.

Maps

Introduction to the different maps

Apex Legends currently has 5 main battle royale maps that showcase a variety of environments and layouts:

Kings Canyon

The original Apex map set on an island with military facilities and native wildlife. Featured zones like Skull Town and Thunderdome.

World’s Edge

Rocky planet map with fuel depots, lava, and a large city. Popular POIs like Fragment East/West, Sorting Factory and Lava City.

Olympus

Futuristic city in the clouds hovering over an alien planet. Bright, clean aesthetic with many wide open spaces.

Storm Point

Lush alien tropical island teeming with dangerous wildlife and extreme weather. Most vertical map.

Broken Moon

Lunar map ravaged by fissures releasing toxic gasses. Features levitating rocks and alien ruins.

Key features of each map

Each Apex map provides unique gameplay and strategy:

Kings Canyon

Dense map with lots of CQC fights. Emphasizes movement and aim mechanics.
Iconic map with nostalgic appeal as the original playground for many players.

World’s Edge

Lava and ice make for deadly map hazards. Thermal vision sights help spot enemies.
Fragment East/West is notoriously action-packed. Tests combat under pressure.

Olympus

Traversing the open cityscape relies heavily on mobility Legends like Valkyrie, Pathfinder and Octane.
Phase Runners offer rapid rotations across the map’s large distances.

Storm Point

Dangerous prowlers encourage map awareness. Careful positioning is key.
Gravity Cannons provide vertical redeployment options. Help reach Storm Point’s many mountains.

Broken Moon

Toxic gasses limit where you can safely rotate and take fights.
Low gravity zones alter movement and projectile trajectories in firefights.

How to learn the maps and use them to your advantage

Here are some tips to master Apex’s diverse maps:

Drop at a variety of locations to experience the whole map and find favorite landing spots.
Pay attention to terrain details, building layouts and climbable objects to optimize your movement.
Learn the location of important landmarks like Respawn Beacons, Survey Beacons and Gravity Cannons.
Study zone pull patterns and typical endgame rings to position yourself well as matches progress.
Analyze final ring locations to find strong positions and potential chokepoints to hold.
Use your environment strategically in battle like high ground for elevation advantages or doors for cover.
Coordinate with your team to make the most of mobility options like Valkyrie’s ultimate, Pathfinder’s Zipline and Octane’s Jump Pads.

With extensive experience across all the maps, you’ll be able to expertly navigate their terrain, predict enemy movements, outmaneuver opponents and gain the upper hand in any location or phase of the match. Map knowledge is extremely valuable, so drop in and explore!

Tips and Strategies

General tips for playing Apex Legends

Here are some essential tips to improve at Apex Legends:

Fine tune your settings – Adjust sensitivity, FOV, controls and video settings for optimal performance.
Pick suitable hardware – Use proper peripherals like gaming mice, keyboards and headsets tailored for shooters.
Practice fundamentals – Hone your movement, aim, positioning, looting speed, situational awareness and other core skills.
Stick with your squad – Stay close to teammates and combine efforts to win fights. Don’t run off alone.
Use cover wisely – Employ door blocking, crouching, high ground and other methods of breaking line of sight.
Heal and shield up – Take time to recharge shields and health between engagements where possible. Know when to back off and recover.
Ping frequently – Provide constant comms to your team through the stellar Ping system. Mark enemies, locations, loot and intentions.
Think strategically – Assess the battlefield, consider positioning, circle pull and make tactical decisions. Have an escape plan if fights go south.
Review and improve – Watch gameplay recordings to analyze mistakes and learn from losses. Focus on growth.

Strategies for different game modes

Each Apex Legends mode requires adjusting your strategy:

Battle Royale Tips

Drop somewhere with sufficient loot for your squad but avoid extremely crowded hot drops when starting out.
Gear up fast then try catching isolated squads rotating into the ring early game.
Take smart 3v3 fights and disengage quickly if losing control to avoid getting third partied.
Claim good positioning as zones close, preferably high ground for the final circles. Watch your back and flanks.

Arenas Tips

Coordinate legend selection and weapon buys with your team.
Identify enemy playstyles each round and counter them. Flank campers. Prepare for rushers.
If losing a round, try ecoing to save materials and get a strong purchase next round.
Use grenades to flush enemies from cover or zone control areas. Time them well.

Ranked Strategies

Play for placement by surviving longer into matches to maximize RP gains. Take 3v3s but avoid hot drops.
Know when to retreat and recover RP rather than overcommitting. Remaining squads and kill RP values dynamically change.
With good loot and positioning, taking fights can gain more RP. But calculate risks vs rewards properly.

How to improve your gameplay skills

Dedicated practice and analysis are key to improving at Apex:

Warm up in Firing Range practicing movement drills, recoil control and flicking between targets. Try different weapons.
Review recordings of your matches to learn from deaths and mistakes. How could you have positioned or acted better?
Watch skilled streamers and pros play. Observe their movement patterns, positioning choices and combat techniques.
Hot drop often to improve fighting under pressure, even in chaotic situations. The best way to polish combat skills.
Play lines and areas outside your comfort zone. Become adaptable and well rounded.
Refine communication and team chemistry over time with regular teammates you build synergy with. Coordinate better.
Maintain good mentality. Stay positive, focused, review errors objectively and believe in your ability to improve.

Pushing yourself against better opponents, analyzing matches and dedicated training will sharpen your skills over time. Staying motivated and focused on growth rather than just wins is essential.

Advanced Techniques

Apex Legends has a high skill ceiling with tons of advanced techniques to master. Here are some key examples:

Movement techniques

Smooth movement separates average players from elite level competitors.

Slide Jumping

Sprint, slide then jump to chain together slides to build and maintain momentum.
Lets you move faster while making yourself harder to hit. Do it seamlessly and repeatedly.

Strafe Jumping

Jump repeatedly left and right while keeping crosshairs centered and firing on targets.
Makes tracking you more difficult while maintaining accuracy on your own shots.

Wall Bouncing

Jump into a slide against a wall to kick off and redirect your momentum.
Changes direction rapidly while maintaining speed to disorient opponents.

Ledge Boosts

Slide jump into an object like a loot tick to propel yourself upwards and forwards.
Launches you into the air both vertically and horizontally for big momentum shifts.

Zipline Jumping

Jump repeatedly while attached to a zipline to oscillate up and down rapidly giving a difficult target.
Lets you juke incoming fire and be evasive even when limited to the zipline path.

Redirecting

Use slides, melee and abilities to adjust your momentum around corners and objects mid-slide.
Essential to smooth chained movement for quickly dodging fire or turning unexpected corners.

Tap Strafing

Rapidly tap movement keys to force sudden direction changes while maintaining momentum.
Extremely disorienting for opponents to track. Needs high actions per minute so easiest on PC.

With immense skill, you can chain all these techniques together seamlessly to maximize speed and evasiveness during engagements.

Aiming techniques

Precision gunplay is what ultimately wins firefights.

Recoil Control

Learn recoil patterns of all weapons and counteract it by pulling down and opposite to recoil direction.
Keep bursts tight on target, especially for weapons with upwards recoil like the R99.

Pre-Firing

Begin firing right before rounding corners or entering doors to gain a timing advantage.
Eliminates reaction times for quicker kills on ready enemies.

Flicking

Make rapid but precise aim adjustments by quickly flicking your view onto targets.
Essential skill for tracking strafing enemies and aiming with shotguns.

Leading Shots

Aim and fire slightly ahead of moving targets to account for bullet travel time.
Necessary technique to hit distant strafing enemies, especially with projectile weapons.

Fast Target Swapping

Quickly switch between different targets during a hectic teamfight without losing accuracy.
Cycle through different threats in the battle efficiently.

Hipfiring

Fire accurately from the hip at close ranges where you don’t have time to ADS.
Mobility remains high while firing and preserves your field of view.

Dedicated practice in the firing range will let you laser enemies with pinpoint accuracy even during intense fights.

Team communication strategies

Coordination and comms are vital parts of competing at the highest level:

Shotcalling

Having a designated team leader calling plays helps organize pushes, positioning and strategy.
Clear and concise shotcalling improves team cohesion.

Target Focus

Calling out focusing fire on individual targets with high damage-per-mag weapons can quickly isolated threats.
Eliminating enemies quicker wins many close range skirmishes.

Ability Chaining

Combining abilities from multiple legends to open up innovative strategies.
Examples: Horizon ult + Fuse ult. Bloodhound scan + Bangalore smoke. etc.

Rotations

Planning early rotations and map positioning to gain advantages.
Move together into better ground or to isolate and gatekeep teams.

Disengaging

Recognizing when a fight is lost and quickly coordinating your retreat.
Prevents getting wiped and preserves RP. Live to take better fights.

Adaptability

Adjusting strategies and playstyles from match to match or even round to round.
Change comps and loadouts to counter opponents.

Clear communication, organized shotcalling, comboing abilities and quickly adapting will help your squad reach its full potential.

Apex Legends has cemented itself as one of the premier battle royale shooters due to its polished gameplay, innovative mechanics and thriving esports scene. The diverse maps, weapons and legends provide tons of variety and depth across matches.

At its core, Apex emphasizes movement, positioning and teamwork more than just mechanical aiming skills. Learning how to slide jump effectively, use cover and high ground judiciously, and coordinate pushes with your squad is essential to success. The ping system facilitates great teamwork even without voice chat.

Each match provides new challenges, circles and opponents to adapt to. Consistent practice, learning from mistakes and a positive mindset focused on improvement rather than just winning is key to honing your skills. Heros like Wraith, Lifeline and Pathfinder are great choices to start with for their abilities to evade, heal and reposition.

With the developers constantly releasing new limited-time modes, legends, weaponry and other content, Apex Legends continues to evolve. The meta is always shifting with patches adjusting the balance frequently so staying adaptable is wise. Sign up for the competitive Ranked Leagues to test your abilities against the best.

For battle royale fans, especially those fond of high mobility heroes, Apex Legends is an absolute blast. The gunplay feels fantastic and movement is buttery smooth. Squad up with some friends and dive in to experience one of the most polished BRs for yourself!