Apex Legends Beginner's Guide: Picking a Legend, Pinging and Bringing Teammates Back

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1. Visit the Firing Range first In the Firing Range every gun, attachment and item is free, and you can try Legends you have not unlocked. Seeing each gun's recoil and each Legend's abilities before a match makes things much easier.
2. Pick one starter Legend In the first days, start with a Legend whose kit is simple and forgiving. Support and recon Legends that revive quickly or give the team information let you contribute even before you know what to do in a fight.
3. Stay with your squad on the drop In a trio, the jumpmaster picks the landing spot; you can break off, but it is not recommended. The worst case for a new player is landing alone far away and facing two or three opponents by yourself.
4. Know your first-loot priorities Any gun and ammo first, then shields and heals. Grab small items like Shield Cells and Syringes right away; they let you recover within seconds after a fight.
5. Start using pings Use the middle mouse button to ping items, destinations or enemies. It is the fastest way to talk to your team even without voice chat. You can ping an item a teammate marked to claim it.
6. Check the Ring often Open the map with M and see where the next ring will close. Move on time with your squad; staying outside and running at the last moment means passing in front of squads waiting at the edge.
7. Save downed teammates If a teammate goes down, make the area safe first, then revive them with E. If they are eliminated, take their banner from the death box and bring it to the Respawn Beacon shown on the map.
8. Move to Ranked once you are comfortable Ranked matches use a points system and leaving early is penalized. Get comfortable with movement, ring timing and your Legend in regular matches before playing Ranked.

• Learn to slidePressing crouch while sprinting makes you slide. Sliding downhill is very fast and makes you harder to hit when entering or leaving a fight. In Apex, movement matters as much as aim.
• Holster while runningHolstering with 3 makes you run faster. Use it when covering distance in safe areas, and draw your gun again as you approach a possible fight.
• Do not sit on your abilitiesYour tactical recharges quickly; use it often instead of saving it. The ultimate takes longer, so save it for moments that swing a fight, but do not hold it the whole match.
• Reset right after a fightAfter wiping a squad, restore shields and health first, then loot the death boxes. Gunfire attracts other squads, and getting caught looting at half health is common.
• Take shields from enemy death boxesAn opponent's box may have a better-charged shield than yours. Swapping to it saves time compared with using Shield Cells after a fight.
• Do not split from your teamApex is a team game; a squad firing together nearly always wins. Do not drift far from teammates, and especially do not push ahead alone.
• Prefer high groundA player on high ground sees opponents below more easily and exposes less of their body over cover. As the Ring shrinks, try to take hills and upper floors early.
• Watch around you while lootingStaying in a death box or bin menu leaves you exposed. Know what you want and get out fast, or step behind cover to sort your inventory.
• Balance your two gunsCarrying one close-range gun (e.g. shotgun or SMG) and one for mid-to-long range keeps you ready for anything. Two close-range guns leave you helpless in open ground.
• Read direction from soundFootsteps, jump pads and ability sounds reveal enemy positions. Play with headphones and set audio so effects are clear.

• Dropping away from the squad: the lone player usually ends up facing two or three opponents alone in the first fight.
• Never using abilities: the tactical recharges quickly; an unused ability is wasted advantage.
• Looting immediately after a fight: grabbing boxes before recharging shields leaves you exposed to the third squad drawn by the noise.
• Ignoring pings: in a squad without voice chat, pings are the only way to communicate.
• Forgetting a downed teammate: leaving without their banner leaves the squad short for the rest of the match.

This guide was written for version: This guide reflects the live version as of September 2026. Keys are the PC defaults and can be changed in settings; Legends, class perks and the gear system can change every season.

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