How to play Apex Legends™ as a beginner

Updated 3 weeks ago3 min read

Overview

Read our Apex Legends beginner’s guide for essential game info and tips on how to play.

Table of Contents

What's Apex Legends?

Apex Legends is a free-to-play† Battle Royale shooter. You play as a Legend and fight against other teams in the Apex Games.  

How to play Apex Legends

Who are the Legends? 

Legends are the playable characters in Apex Legends. When you start playing Apex Legends, three Legends are unlocked: Bangalore, Lifeline, and Wraith. You can unlock four more Legends (Bloodhound, Gibraltar, Pathfinder, and one more of your choice) by completing the Welcome Pass.

Who’s the best Apex Legend?

No Legend is the best. Legends are equally matched in the Ring, but they belong to different classes with different strengths and weaknesses. To play at your best, find a class and a Legend that matches your playstyle.

How to unlock Legends

You can unlock or get new Legends in the store. You need 12,000 Legend Tokens to unlock a new Legend or 750 Apex Coins to get one. The only way to get Legend Tokens is by leveling up. 
There are five currencies in Apex Legends: Apex Coins, Crafting Metals, Legend Tokens, Heirloom Shards, and Exotic Shards.You can use different currencies for things like getting items from the Apex Store, crafting things like skins and weapons, and customizing your weapons. Learn more about Apex Legends currencies.

Where to start with Apex Legends

Welcome Pass

When you first start playing Apex Legends, you get access to the Welcome Pass, where you complete Welcome Challenges to earn rewards. You can complete Welcome Challenges in the standard game mode or play against bots in Bot Royale.  As you progress through the Welcome Pass, you’ll unlock additional Legends: Bloodhound, Gibraltar, and Pathfinder. After completing the Welcome Pass, you’ll get 12,000 Legends Tokens which can be used to unlock a Legend of your choice. 

Bot Royale

Want to learn the basics of how to play? Bot Royale lets you play against squads of bots on a smaller map while you learn how the game works.You can play alone or with a squad. If you want to play in a team, you can join a squad of bots or play with a premade squad.You’ll gain XP until you reach Level 10. You can’t earn badges in Bot Royale.

Core vs Freestyle: how to choose a game mode

There are two main ways you can play Apex Legends:
  • Core modes, like Ranked and Unranked, for competitive play 
  • Freestyle modes, like Wildcard and Mixtape, which are more relaxed and experimental.
Check out our game modes guide for more info on Wildcard and what to expect from modes like Ranked.

Apex Legends tips for beginners

Ready to jump in? Here’s what you need to know as an Apex Legends beginner.Need help picking the best settings for your game on PC? Check out our guide for PC players.
These tips are based on Core modes of the game. If you’re not ready to head straight into Ranked, try playing Unranked to learn the basics.

1. Prepare for the drop. 

When you start a match, your squad will be assigned a certain Point of Interest (POI) to drop into. POI assignments spread teams across the map, letting everybody grab some loot to get started.
  • Try to drop close, but not directly on top of, your team. You want to be close enough that if there are enemies nearby, you can take them on together.
  • Don’t search the exact same spots for loot. In big buildings, take different rooms. 
  • Watch for other players and let your team know if they’re close. You can slightly adjust your landing to stay out of their way.
  • Get to know maps over time so you know the best spots to loot. 

2. Communicate with your squad.

Apex Legends has an efficient ping system that lets you share important information quickly without needing to type or use a microphone. To access the ping system, hold down the mouse wheel on PC or the right bumper on console. Use ping to:
  • alert your team to enemy positions
  • tell your team about loot locations
  • guide your team in your direction.
An Apex Legends player using the ping wheel to mark Looting This Area while looting in-game.

3. Fill up your inventory and swap it often.

While you play, keep stocking up on loot from the ground, Supply Bins, or eliminated player bins. Look out for:
  • weapons and matching ammo 
    • Remember, your ammo has to match the type of weapon you have. Pick up ammo that matches your weapon’s color. 
  • weapon attachments 
  • shield cells and shield batteries which restore your shields
  • syringes and med kits that restore your health
  • bigger backpacks that let you pick up even more items.
These will help keep you prepared and safe from incoming damage, enhance your performance, and recover your health as you go. For more info on items and match terms, check out our guide of key Apex Legends terms. Apex Legends ammo types next to their symbols. The image shows Light, Heavy, Energy, Shotgun, and Sniper ammo.

4. Keep your health up and shield charged.

Always make sure you stock up on:
  • med kits to restore health
  • shield cells to restore your shields 
  • a knockdown shield to protect yourself and block damage for a temporary amount of time. 
    • Remember, you can only use knockdown shields when you’re knocked down. You can use them to help your teammates revive you. 
If you’re knocked out and don’t get revived in time, you can respawn until round 4 of the Ring closing if one of your squadmates is in play. There’s a timer that shows when you’ll respawn near a safe teammate. 

5. Learn to move fast.

Apex Legends is a fast-moving game, and you want to be able to get around the map as quickly as possible.Make sure to:
  • holster your weapon while running, especially if it’s to get into the Ring
  • slide down any hills or declines
  • sprint, not walk
  • use launch pads and zip lines to get around the map faster.

6. Always have grenades on hand. 

If you’re following tip #3, your inventory should already be bursting at the seams, but make sure you always have at least one grenade on hand. Grenades can be used strategically to:
  • get enemies out of cover
  • deal damage from afar
  • buy time if you need to retreat or gain high ground.
An Apex Legends player in a match selects a Thermite Grenade. They can choose to equip the grenade or cancel their choice.

7. Stick with your squad and stay in the Ring.

While it can be tempting to wander off and explore all there is to see on the map, stick as close to your squad as possible. This prevents other teams from ambushing you in a location where you won’t be able to ping for help.If you fall behind, check the map to find your team and use a Zip Up Balloon to jet pack closer to them. This is also effective if the Ring is closing in and you’re too far away to sprint there.

8. Who’s the best Apex Legend for beginners? 

If you’re a beginner, focus on playing two or three of your favorites to get the hang of their abilities and hone your skills. This also ensures that if another player chooses the Legend you want, you have a few other go-to options you’re familiar with.Not sure who to pick? These are our picks for the best Legends to play as a beginner:
Ready to try out different Legends? Find out more about the Legends, their abilities, and their class perks in our guide.†Applicable platform account and platform subscription (sold separately) may be required. Persistent internet connection and EA Account required. Age restrictions apply. Includes in-game purchases.
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