Respawn Entertainment broke into the battle royale scene with their release of Apex Legends in February. The release came out of nowhere and, with the help of popular streamers and a high-quality product, it's quickly built a huge player base across the globe. The game features characters with unique abilities that offer a variation in gameplay from match to match. These characters are the legends from the title of the game and each has vibrant a vibrant personality that makes them feel like real individuals in the world that Respawn created in their first two Titanfall titles. Yes, most people don't know or care to connect the dots, but Apex Legends takes place in the world of Titanfall.
You may have already known a lot of this information, but that doesn't mean you know everything. Often in multiplayer and battle royale games there tend to be a great amount of mechanics, tips, and tricks that aren't necessarily explained, but rather the information is discovered and naturally disseminates throughout the community. Though many of these things aren't necessary to be competitive or have a good time, these things can make the difference between winning once every 10-20 matches, and having the chance to string together winning streaks. Let's take a look at 20 things most Apex Legends players don't realize they're doing wrong. Hopefully, these tips will help you become a champion, and if you're already a great player then maybe it will simply make you a more efficient and consistent player.
20 Don't Use The Mozambique
If you haven't heard the joke around the internet by now, then maybe you do deserve to get into a fight with nothing but a Mozambique by your side. After the community got their hands on Apex Legends and started getting a true feel for the breadth of weapons in the game, the weapon meta quickly became apparent. There was a clear ranking of weapon effectiveness and the Mozambique was clearly at the bottom. In the context of just shotguns, it is easily your #3 option behind both the Peacekeeper and Eva Automatic, and when you then compare it to all weapon types you'll see it quickly sink to the bottom. Try punching someone instead, it may be more effective.
19 Gibraltar Can Make A Difference
Gibraltar is arguably the weakest legend considering the glaring issue of his larger hitbox. He does offer himself and teammates plenty of options for protection, but it's hard to deny the competitive disadvantage you put yourself in when you choose the lovable tank as your main. If you do decide to go this route, make sure to use his abilities to help you swing a fight. Considering he has a larger hitbox, that means distance engagements put you at a disadvantage. In a scenario like this, where you find yourself in open space as a large target, use your ultimate to create a dome of protection. Pair it with a Wraith ultimate, or Bangalore smokes, and you'll be safe and sound.
18 Balloons Can Change Your Fate
After initially gliding to a landing spot at the beginning of the game, many players feel that the rest of the match will take place at ground level with their feet never leaving the ground. Outside of climbing buildings or jumping down small cliffs many players forget about the balloons around the map. These useful traversal machines can help you get to the circle quicker, engage a team in the distance, and let you escape a fight you're likely to lose. Balloons seem to be one of the tools that separate average squads from great ones. If a problem involving distance arises, balloons should be one of the first possible solutions you consider. Always keep them in your sight and mind.
17 Set A Trap With Caustic
Earlier we talked about how Gibraltar's larger hitbox often makes him a low-tier legend and can put you at a competitive disadvantage. Well, Caustic is also a big boy and he suffers from all of the same setbacks. The crazy thing about Caustic is that he's all about zoning and control. At first glance, you might believe that his only usefulness is in holding a building. While that is certainly true that isn't the only viable strategy for a Caustic player. You can set up his gas canisters in areas with small entrances to notify you if someone is following you guys or entering an area you recently searched. He's as good at trapping as he is at intel gathering.
16 You Don't Need To Jump First
When people first hop into the battle royale genre they're full of excitement and adrenaline. They simply want to hop into the action as soon as possible. The problem is that there's a difference between an aggressive drop and an impatient drop. There's nothing wrong with dropping at a hot spot and trying to gather the best loot while taking out loads of other players. If you're dropping into an area with little loot then you may just be putting yourself in an unwinnable situation. As a new player, your focus should be on quality engagements, not just simply being in an engagement. You'll never learn anything from simply being eliminated over and over again.
15 Close The Gap With Pathfinder
Pathfinder can easily be considered one of the most entertaining and charismatic of the legends. Though he's a robot he happens to have one of the funniest sets of dialogue responses and his personality is fantastically designed. His special ability allows him to create a zip-line for his team. He also has a personal grappling hook for faster traversal. Not only can you use the zip-line to ascend in areas where it was previously impossible, but his grapple can also help you win fights. Disorientation is one of the fundamental philosophies of engagement. Grapple near or on your enemy and thrust yourself towards or around them. They'll be confused, and you'll be victorious.
14 Use Your Grenades
First-person shooters can be slightly disorienting to those new to video games or first-person experiences. You'll often see players concentrate a majority of their effort on the gunplay early on and it will become their primary focus. This leads to people forgetting that games often also have grenades. Apex Legends has multiple grenades and you should use them to their full capabilities. The normal frags can be used to finish a retreating team, and the arc star can disorient the enemy and turn a fight completely in your favor. Never forget that you have grenades, and put some effort into becoming familiar with the trajectory of your throws.
13 Sliding Is Beneficial
In the tutorial mission for Apex Legends, the game teaches you how to slide and the benefits you gain from using it. In a game that features a large map with a heavy emphasis on the movement, it's important that you know all of the tricks that can give you the slightest of edges. Sliding at full speed is the fastest way to move in the game. The map itself is also designed in such a way where sliding can be used almost on any piece of terrain. There are very few areas where it is completely flat. Get familiar with sliding to the point where it feels like second nature. You'll quickly find yourself doing it without even thinking about it. Sliding is like breathing in Apex Legends.
12 Be Aggressive With Bloodhound
Bloodhound is a very weird and equally mysterious character. Firstly, he's the game's first and only non-binary character which is a great deal of inclusion for a demographic that is not often represented in games, let alone first-person shooters. Bloodhound is a character you pick if you like being aggressive. He has the ability to track enemy movements and can help track down potential squads to engage with. Once you find a team you want to take down, don't be afraid to activate his ultimate and go full predator mode. Your movement speed can help you flank or even surprise initiate on a team that's none the wiser. He's the ultimate hunter in the world of Titanfall.
11 Fall With Skill
Earlier we talked about how it's not always beneficial to jump out of the ship as soon as humanly possible. Now we're going to talk about how to most effectively get to where you want to land at the beginning of the match. Most people understand that if you tilt towards the ground you'll fall fast, and if you pull back you'll fall slower. Well, in order to traverse far distances you'll need to fall at an effective slant. The most widely used technique is to descend until you reach 145 mph then tilt up and glide flat until your speed falls to around 135 mph. You'll repeat this process until you reach your destination. With some practice, you can smooth out your technique and find a rhythm that works best for you. Effective jumpmasters can almost reach anywhere they want on the map despite where the ship is when they eject.
10 Remember Your Secondary Weapon
In Apex Legends you'll often get into fights where a full magazine will be used and your enemy will still be left standing with a small amount of health. When this happens you're more than likely inclined to reload your weapon and hopefully get your shots off before your enemy does. Heck, you might even decide to run up and try and melee finish your enemy. Often times players forget that you have the ability to carry two weapons and it can be used for the sole purpose of extended engagements. One of the best 1-2 punches is to start a fight with a carbine auto-rifle, and if the fight is extended you quickly swap to a peacekeeper to finish the job.
9 Save Your Team With Bangalore
Bangalore is often referred to as the Soldier 76 of Apex Legends. This is shorthand simply meaning that she's the most friendly character for first-person shooter veterans or newcomers alike. These types of characters often have abilities long tied to the genre that have been seen for decades. Though Bangalore's often prompted as an offensive legend with her ultimate and faster-running speed when getting shot at, she's also a great support legend. Her heavy smokes can help your team escape, re-position, and even aggressively invade a preoccupied area. They also do damage if they hit an enemy just in case you're really desperate in a firefight.
8 Experiment With Weapons
One thing you often see players do wrong is stick to the meta of a game as if it's religious gospel. Though an outlined meta can help you understand which guns are most effective it shouldn't be the end all be all for you. Testing out each weapon and seeing what play-style works for you is where most of the fun is. A gun that one person finds less effective or useful might feel like home when you get it in your hands. Often times it's more important to avoid the bottom-tier weapons, prioritize top-tier, and experiment with everything in between. Just remember that no amount of experimentation will make The Mozambique viable. You've been warned.
7 Get Comfortable With Confrontation
Often times players will land in areas where no one goes and put all of their focus on finding the best loot. This will often be followed by them hiding from squads in hopes of surviving as long as possible only to be outgunned whenever someone spots them or there's no other choice but to engage. The best way to get familiar with confrontation and engagement is to seek it early on. Land in areas where there's plenty of loot and other teams. Seek firefights with other teams as often as possible. Get familiar with fighting other players in different scenarios. As you become more familiar and comfortable with firefights then you can transition to a more medium-paced play style.
6 Trick People With Mirage
Tracer is easily the poster child for Overwatch, and it seems Mirage is her Apex Legends equivalent. He has the biggest personality and quickly becomes a favorite of anyone who boots up Apex Legends. He's built for the type of player who loves deception and trickery. His decoys can be used to fake out campers or people hiding behind walls. Knowing when and where to use your decoy can really help your team survive and become champions. A Bangalore smoke in partnership with a Mirage ultimate is arguably the most disoriented and funhouse-like thing in video games today. Here's to tricking and deceiving your way to victory, Champion.
5 Take Calculated Risks
Newer players often are risk-averse and tend to avoid conflict at all costs. Earlier there was a tip pertaining to engagement and how you should seek it out when you're learning and getting used to Apex Legends. As you continue playing another valuable skill to have is knowing when to take calculated risks. Sometimes it's more beneficial to risk losing and trying something you've never done before as opposed to playing it safe and losing anyway. Creative risks can often be the deciding factor between winning and losing. This skill is also great to have and apply to things in the real world. Life isn't worth living if you don't take a few good risks.
4 Escape With Wraith
Wraith can easily become your best friend and worst nightmare depending on what side of the firefight she's on. Her mobility and evasive maneuvers can often turn the tide of battle and if the fight isn't progressing in your team's favor, a well-placed and timed Wraith ultimate could safely get your team out of harm's way. Also her ultimate is great to use when you're stuck in an awkward situation with the damaging circle. You can help your team get to around a mountain and flip your position to another side of the circle without having to go through an obviously dangerous area with teams pinned down waiting for people to cross their path.
3 Learn The Map
Knowing the battlefield is almost if not more important than knowing your enemy. Understanding where there are escape routes and flank lanes can really set you apart strategically. Not only that but understanding the relationship of landmarks and areas to one another can cut down precious seconds when communicating with your squad. As the hours you log in continue to exponentially grow, so should your understanding of the map and its terrain. The map is pretty large at first glance but Respawn Entertainment did a great job at labeling things. Use all the information you can to create the most seamless and efficient team communication you can.
2 Use Lifeline's Drone When Reviving
Now, this may seem really obvious, but you'd actually be shocked at the amount of Lifeline players who don't know about this. Her healing drone helps speed up the healing process for downed teammates and will also immediately start healing them once they're back on their feet. Healing isn't as fast as you'd think, so having the ability to shave off as much time as possible can make all the difference. Lifeline's healing is so beneficial that it's often seen as a mistake if your squad doesn't include her at all. She's often considered one of the staples and it's easy to understand why. Make sure to drop your drone before revives so you can take full advantage of that healer lifestyle.
1 Find A Crew
If you're the type of person that plays battle royale and other multiplayer shooters than chances are you have a dedicated group of friends that you've been dominating with for years. Unfortunately, everyone doesn't have that and it's completely understandable if that someone is you. Team communication is important, but knowing your teammate's tendencies and play styles can also be a huge advantage. Try and find players that relate to or complement your type of play, but at the very least try and find some people who are fun to play with. Apex Legends is fun when you become Champion, but it's even better.