Update (21/2/19): Added Havoc Rifle.
Update (19/2/19): Additional tips on map traversal and weaponry.
Update (12/2/19): We’ve updated this guide with more survival and tactical tips for you Legends out there. Have fun and may the Allfather bless you.
Update (9/2/19): Added detailed microtransactions guide. Yes, you can play this game free-of-charge; don’t worry.

Enjoyed PUBG but wished it was more fast-paced and had that Respawn Entertainment sci-fi team-based touch? Then you should play the heck out of Apex Legends: it’s free, it’s pretty fun, and it’s a lovely twist to the battle royale mechanic.

Here’s a quick guide to get you started.

Learn to Combo Moves

Octane

Pick Your Favourite Legend

There are 8 legends to pick from, each with their own different team skills and loadouts. Just go with your heart and pick whoever looks the coolest. If you want to play support, pick Lifeline.

If you are a camper who likes to sneak up and ambush people, just pick Bloodhound and share the buff with your compatriots. At the very least, play all of them before making your final choice.

Pick Legends To Complement Your Team

Since this battle royale game is team-based, you may want to pick a hero to complement the current team setup. Think about good ability combos; perhaps having the defense-oriented Gibraltar can help keep your pal’s Lifeline alive a little longer.

Plan Your Group Drop-In

When you start a game, you’re tossed into a squad with two other players. Usually when that happens, the game randomly assigns jumpmaster duties to one person; he/she determines which place to start at on the map. Of course, you can pass the dubious task to another if you don’t want to be jumpmaster.

You can also split up from your jumpmaster and jump to another spot alone, but do this only if you know your way around. Lone teammates die faster when picked apart.

Figure Out The Best Drop-In Points

So far, The Bunker, The Pit, and the Airbase (northwest side of the map) are the best spots if you want good loot for the fight. Conversely, you might want to avoid those spots and opt for the Cascades or Hydro Dam since you’re more likely to find more enemies at the aforementioned northwest spots.

Sort Out Weapon Types

In Apex Legends, there are a ton of guns to keep track off. If you’re familiar with Titanfall 2, you’re in luck: all of them are from that awesome game. If you’re still overwhelmed, just be sure to figure out weapon types instead of specific weapons. It’s always good to have a shotgun or pistol handy, regardless of what model you’re holding.

Know Your Loot Currency

There are three types of currencies in Apex Legends.

• Crafting Material: you can find these in loot crates. These are used to unlock character skins. You get loot crates when you level up.
• Legend Tokens: you can get these by winning and completing matches. These help you unlock new weapons and store-exclusive weapon skins.
• Apex Coins: you can only get these by spending real money. If you’re impatient, you can opt for this. Otherwise, you should just focus on the former two currencies.

Scroll to the bottom for a gist on Apex Legends’ microtransactions.

Be On The Move

Apex Legends’ fast movement system means you have to be on the run and always ziplining from one hiding spot to another asap. Crouching while sprinting allows you to slide; use this so that you can get around faster and also to reduce your hitbox when in a gunfight. Slide on a slope to gain extra speed.

Communicate Well

Apex Legends has a bunch of nifty communication tools in case you’re not in the mood to talk. Here’s a breakdown:

• Pressing the Middle Mouse Button/R1/Right Bumper lets you mark a location.
• Double-tapping it allows you to mark a location where you’ve spotted an enemy.
• You can say “yes” to a player suggestion by tapping the same button once when hovering over another player. Tap twice to say “no”.
• Tapping the button when over an item will let you mark it for your team.

Get A Balloon Boost

Get around faster with the launchpad balloon. Several launchpads/balloons are placed throughout the map and you can use these contraptions as quick methods of getting across the landscape, or to make quick getaways. Launching yourselves at the top of the balloon triggers your rocket boost momentarily – just like during exfil. You can also use these to reposition quickly if you find yourself in a hot drop.

But be warned – you will leave yourself vulnerable to enemy fire. It’s akin to using a zip line – just be aware of your surroundings.

Use The Following Weapons

These are more of our preferred weapons which somehow doubles up as the most powerful ones you can get while scrounging. Note: We purposely left out the Kraber sniper rifle and the Mastiff shotgun as they are only obtainable via supply drops.

Without further ado, here are our highly recommended weapons:

1. R-301 Carbine. Ammo type: Light. 

Super stable when shooting – it’s like you’re using a laser weapon which rewards great aimers. The high firing rate helps a ton in shredding out your enemies and their shields enabling quick kills as well. The light ammo is the most ubiquitous in the map so you won’t have much issues in stocking them up.

2. Wingman Hand Cannon. Ammo type: Heavy 

Another rewarding weapon. The Wingman deals 45 bodyshot damage and double of that for headshots. While the standard magazine is pretty small at six, you can upgrade it all the way to 12 which allows you to outgun enemies using an AR.

3.  Peacekeeper Shotgun. Ammo type: Shotgun 

Much more forgiving compared to the Wingman due to its spread, the Peacekeeper rewards sharpshooters with its choke attachment which focuses the pellets into a narrower spread, thus dealing a slug-like damage effect. Extremely deadly up close when in the right hands.

Bonus: Don’t bother picking the following up unless you’re extremely desperate: Mozambique (HA!), Hemlok, Re-45 pistol. These weapons have a mixture of low damage, small magazine, high recoil and overall, most unrewarding weapons in the game so far.

Havoc Rifle: this new weapon in the latest 21 February update uses energy ammo. It is similar to the light machine gun Devotion but with some quirks.

While it uses full auto firing by default, using the Selectfire Receiver mode will make it fire single-shot energy beams like a souped-up sniper rifle. The best part? It’s a hitscan attack, meaning that it has no travel time. The Turbocharger mod will remove the rev-up time for the Havoc, enabling it to fire at top speed by default.

Sliders Rule

Always we mean ALWAYS slide whenever you can. Not only does it improve your speed tremendously, it significantly reduces your profile making you a harder target to hit. An extra tip would be to press the jump button at the end of each slide for that added boost in momentum.

Hoard Items. Even If You Don’t Need Them.

Ok this is a bit on the devious yet strategic side of things. Say you’ve settled with your two guns – one using a heavy ammo and the other, shotgun ammo – and came across a loot spot with tons of weapon which you have no interest in using. Do you leave them alone, or do you snap up the ammo?

Sacrificing an inventory slot to hoard unused bullets may be a gamechanger in a game where ammunition are at the premium. Ever found yourself scrounging for bullets to only dump that favored gun because you were unable to find adequate amounts of lead?

Stick Together

Unlike other battle royale games, Apex Legends puts extra emphasis on squad battles so even if you’re solo-queuing, you will be paired with two other players and this newly minted squad will most likely go head on against other pre-formed squads. Ditch that lone-wolf attitude – no matter how enticing that option to jump out of the drop ship solo -as there’s almost zero percent chance of you winning the game on your own.

Land A.S.A.P By Maximizing Your Drop Speed

As all battle royale games go, it’s a race to the surface at the start of each new round. Whether it’s at the far edge of the map or right underneath the drop ship, hitting the ground the soonest will give you that extra edge against the others – the first dude with the gun will rule the landing area. Take note of the speed indicator on the left side of your screen which shows how fast you are dropping. Pushing your thumbstick forward (W on PC) will accelerate your descent while pulling it back to level your character more horizontally will make them glide further at reduced speeds.

Know Your Guns – And their Recoil

Each gun in Apex Legends come with a pre-determined recoil pattern which once mastered, will play a huge role in the outcomes of a firefight. Head to the practice range to get a better feel of your favorite gun’s recoil so you can counter them effectively especially for weapons with high rate of fire. With ammunition being at a premium in this game, you don’t want to waste a magazine onto a nearby tree, would you?

Know The Visual Cues

As each round progresses, there will be random, public drops in the game which goes alongside requested drops from other players. Take note that public drops will appear with blue rings in your mini map so if you see a requested drop within your vicinity without any blue ring indicator on your map – that’s an enemy Lifeline calling an ult for their squad.

 Learn Wraith’s Portal Tricks

Wraith’s Moira-like portal movements can be a squad saver especially when you realize that the fight is tilting against your favor. Did you know that you can teleport a downed squad member out of the danger zone or even move through the portal while reviving a teammate?

Apex Legends Microtransaction Guide

Let’s answer all your questions about this game’s F2P system.

Yes, this game is free.

For the price of nothing,  you get to play six of the eight characters. To unlock the other two -Caustic and Mirage- you have to spend either 12,000 Legend Tokens (per character), or spend 1,500 Apex Coins for both. The latter is the equivalent of US$15, so technically you’re paying US$15 for the full game.

Yes, the microtransactions are cosmetic and come in loot boxes.

The game’s microtransactions and rewards system are centered around loot boxes called Apex packs. An Apex pack contains one or more of the following: Crafting Metals materials, character skins, weapon skins, banners, poses, quips, and finishers. You need Crafting Metals to build the other aforementioned items.

All these microtransaction items are cosmetic, so they won’t be affecting gameplay at all.

Yes, the item rarities are tiered.

Every loot box includes three items with the following odds:

• Rare or better: 100%
• Epic or better: 24.8%
• Legendary: 7.4%

Best of all, if you win a particular epic or legendary item, it won’t show up as a duplicate in your next loot box. Aside: you can earn up to 45 loot boxes for leveling all the way to the player cap of 100. After that, you’ll have to spend Apex Coins/real money for future loot boxes. Nothing’s free in life, eh?

Yes, there’s a breakdown of Apex Coins.

Here it is:

• 1,000 Apex Coins: US$9.99
• 2,150 Apex Coins: US$19.99
• 4,350 Apex Coins: US$39.99
• 6,700 Apex Coins: US$59.99
• 11,500 Apex Coins: US$99.99

And no, before you ask, you can’t earn Apex Coins through normal play. You have to spend real money for it.

Yes, Apex Legends will have a season pass.

Starting March, this game will feature a 3-month long seasonal battle pass that will reward players with season-specific cosmetic items as they rank it up through playing the game. There’s no word on how much the pass will cost though, but it will guarantee players with special seasonal rewards provided they pay the money upfront.

It should be noted that Apex Legends is a free game, so paying for guaranteed rewards for a season pass is anything but egregious.

That’s all we have; it’s a brand-new game, so expect to see more updates to this feature as time goes by. You may even see a protip video or two. So don’t dawdle: go out there and have some battle royale fun!

Update (12/2/19): We’ve updated this guide to include character breakdowns and small insights to their abilities as well as streamers for you to learn from

Apex Legends’ Character Guide

Bloodhound

Bloodhound is your tracker guy. He’s a great addition to the team as he provides valuable intel on an enemy position during close quarter combat, which happens very often in Apex Legends

Passive: Tracker
Tactical: Eye of the Allfather
Ult: Beast of the Hunt

His passive, Tracker, allows Bloodhound to see tracks and traces left by enemies, such as footsteps, used bullets and bleedings so you can gauge the threat level of the surrounding area. Eye of the Allfather sounds tacky, but this is his main skill to detect enemies in the surrounding area.

This ability can make you see through walls, so it’s a built-in wallhack. A legit one, though. His ult, Beast of the Hunt lasts for 30 seconds, causes him to move faster, allowing rush strats, while giving him unobstructed vision and tracking. This could be used in conjunction with Bangalore’s smoke.

Gibraltar

The tank of the squad. Perfect for open fights as he can pop up a makeshift cover for a few precious seconds of healing, or he can carpet the battlefield with lethal mortar strikes, causing enemies to run and break formation.

Passive: Gun Shield
Tactical: Dome of Protection
Ult: Defensive Bombardment

His passive, Gun Shield, activates when aiming down sight. The body shield block shots aimed to the upper body, so his legs are still open to shots. This is great to use with a sniper rifle to return fire in a firefight, as this ability reduces the chances of flinching. Dome of Protection is a shield dome in which anyone can move through, but all shots are blocked from both ways.

His ult, Defensive Bombardment, calls upon a rain of mortar to the area he throws a smoke at. This can be used offensively or defensively according to the situation and creativity. One defensive strat when reviving teammates during an opponent’s rush is to plop down the ult at your downed teammate and immediately pop a Dome of Protection, so your squad is invulnerable to the ult but still discouraging any opponents from rushing to make the kill.

Lifeline

The combat medic. Indispensable to a squad and forgiving to new players.

Passive: Combat Medic
Tactical: D.O.C. Heal Drone
Ult: Care Package

Her passive, Combat Medic, is a great passive, especially in heated battles. She revives allies quicker while protected by a barrier. The passive also allows her to heal herself 25% quicker. The D.O.C. Heal Drone automatically heals yourself and allies over time.

Her ult, Care Package, calls down a care package filled with high-tier defensive items, are invaluable to a team. Players usually keep a few Ultimate Accelerant on her to boost her ult gauge. Her care package unit can also be used as a makeshift cover in dire situations but be careful when calling your ult, experienced players can differentiate between a drop and Lifeline’s care package.

Pathfinder

The mobility master of the squad. He can set up his ziplines for flank routes or gain access to normally inaccessible vantage points.

Passive: Insider Knowledge
Tactical: Grappling Hook
Ult: Zipline Gun

He can hack survey beacons thanks to his passive, Insider Knowledge, for the team to know the location of the next circle. This is useful for teams who want to get the advantage of staying in the circle a few steps ahead of the enemies.

His tactical, Grappling Hook, is great for mobility, either in moving around or in CQB. Pathfinder’s ult, the Zipline Gun, allows him to set up a zip line that anyone can ride. His potential is only limited by your creativity.

Wraith

The slippery skirmisher. Probably the hardest to kill due to her escaping abilities.

Passive: Voices from the Void
Tactical: Into the Void
Ult: Dimensional Rift

Voices from the Void is her early warning system. The passive warns her if someone is nearby. Yes, you can listen to footsteps, but the passive also warns if there are motionless enemies in the area waiting for you. The best part of her passive is that it warns the players if somebody has Wraith in their crosshairs, and you can warn your other teammates too!

Into the Void allows her to avoid damage while being phased. This ability also boosts her speed slightly. Be warned though, enemies can track you even if you disappear as it leaves a trail. Her ult, Dimensional Rift, is a tactical ult in which she links two portal for 60 seconds, allowing anyone to pass between them. This can be used to create flank or escape routes or even create disorientating fights.

Bangalore

The versatile soldier. She can move faster under fire, create clouds of smoke for cover and call down an artillery strike

Passive: Double Time
Tactical: Smoke Launcher
Ult: Rolling Thunder

Her passive, Double Time, causes her to run faster when shot at, perfect to reposition for a better shot or to rush in. Players of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive would be familiar with her tactical ability, Smoke Launcher, as it creates a smoke useful for distraction or as use for cover.

Her ult, Rolling Thunder, calls down upon an artillery strike which falls down in a straight line where she dropped the ult from. The artillery shells explode after some time, both damaging and suppressing enemies, causing them to have a blurred vision as well as slowed movement. This is great to flush enemies out of cover, or to force enemies to reposition around the battlefield.

Caustic

The area-denial expert. His deadly fumes can be used to push areas or to trap enemies and damage them enough to swoop in for the kill.

Passive: Nox Vision
Tactical: Nox Gas Trap
Ult: Nox Gas Grenade

His passive works in tandem with both of his skills, allowing him to see his enemies whenever they are trapped in their smoke. Nox Gas Trap creates a canister which is activated if an enemy steps to close or when shot at. This can be used to block off doors too. Plus, the gas goes through walls and doors, so you can pull this off.

His ult, Nox Gas Grenade, blankets an area with toxic fumes, effectively damaging and slowing down enemies.

Mirage

The trickster. Perfect to play mind games with your opponents.

Passive: Encore!
Tactical: Psyche Out
Ult: Vanishing Act

His passive, Encore!, causes Mirage to go invisible for five seconds while dropping a holo-decoy to confuse enemies. This can work well especially if you have a gold Knockdown Shield so you can self-revive while the enemy is busy shooting the decoy. Psyche Out allows Mirage to send a decoy out. This decoy runs in a straight line and can fish out the enemy fire, revealing their rough location.

His ult, Vanishing Act, creates an army of decoys, while Mirage goes invisible. This creates a confusing fight and would buy you a few seconds to escape or to close in to your befuddled enemy.

Streamers to Watch and Learn From

StoneMountain64

His quirky yet informative style could teach you a few ways on the battlefield

WackyJacky101

He was once nicknamed the ‘the PUBG Professor’ as he analysed each weapon, recoil pattern and scope accuracy. He’s now making his way into the world of Apex Legends, so keep an eye out his guides and tips. He also posts his gameplay videos which, as the name suggests, are wacky.

Shroud

What would be a streamers list without including the king of streamers, Shroud. He has a talent in battle royale games and you could pickup some of his strategies and playstyle to step up your survival game.

RockyNoHands

If you think the game is impossible, then check this guy out. He’s the epitome of possible. If he can, you CAN!

Valkia

His unabridged guides are useful for new players as well as experienced players. Visit his channel to check out more guides and tips to dominate the Apex Arena.