If you’ve ever had a teammate leave 30 seconds into a drop, or feed into an obvious third party because they weren’t paying attention, you’ve probably wondered can you do solo in Apex Legends. Most of the game’s permanent modes are built for trios or duos, but there’s a huge community of players who prefer to go it alone, no teammates to rely on or hold them back. I’ve spent over 400 hours testing solo play across World’s Edge, Storm Point, and every other map Respawn has released, so I’m breaking down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and how to make your solo runs both fun and successful.
Can You Do Solo in Apex Legends Officially and Unofficially?
Let’s get the most basic question out of the way first. There is no permanent standalone solo mode in Apex Legends as of current updates, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play alone. Respawn has run limited-time solo modes multiple times over the years, usually for anniversary events or special seasonal celebrations, where every player drops alone and fights to be the last one standing. Those modes are fair, balanced, and perfect if you want a level playing field for solo play, but they only come around a few times a year.
For most players, the go-to way to play solo is to queue into trio or duo modes with the “fill teammates” option turned off. That means you’ll drop alone against full squads of 2 or 3 players, which is way more challenging, but also way more rewarding when you pull off a win. Roughly 90% of regular solo Apex players use this no-fill method, since it’s available 24/7 regardless of ongoing events. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s the closest thing to permanent solo play we have right now.
Best Character Picks for Solo Apex Legends Play
Your legend choice makes a huge difference when you’re playing alone, since you can’t rely on teammate abilities to cover your weaknesses. You want to pick legends that have strong escape or intel abilities, since those are the two things you’ll need most when you don’t have backup. Wraith is the most picked solo character for a reason: her low profile hitbox and escape abilities make her nearly unkillable if you play her correctly. Her phase shift lets you get out of almost any bad situation, from being pinned down by a full squad to getting caught in the open by a third party, and her portals let you reposition across long distances or escape the ring if you get caught out.
If you prefer a more aggressive playstyle, Bloodhound is another great pick. Their tactical scan lets you see enemies through walls for a few seconds, so you don’t have to guess if a building is occupied before you push in, and their ultimate boosts your movement speed and highlights all nearby enemies, perfect for cleaning up messy third party fights. Ash is another top tier solo pick, with a phase dash that lets you close gaps or escape in seconds, and a death mark ability that shows you the location of any squad that just won a fight, so you can third party them at the perfect time.
Avoid support legends like Lifeline, Newcastle, or Loba unless you’re extremely experienced with them. Their abilities are built around supporting teammates, so you’ll be wasting half their kit when you play alone. If you’re a new solo player, start with Bloodhound first. Their scans take almost all the guesswork out of locating enemies, which is one of the hardest parts of playing solo when you don’t have teammates to call out positions.
Core Strategies to Win Solo Against Full Squads
Playing solo against full squads is a completely different game than playing with a team. You can’t take fair fights, you can’t push every squad you see, and you have to play smarter, not harder, if you want to win. I’ve tested dozens of strategies over my hundreds of solo games, and these are the four rules I follow every single drop to get consistent top 5 finishes and wins:
One of the biggest mistakes new solo players make is trying to fight like they would with a team, taking on full squads head-on and expecting to win. I used to do this all the time when I first started playing solo, and I’d get wiped within 10 seconds almost every time. Once I started playing more passively, only taking fights I knew I could win, my win rate jumped by almost 12% in a single month.
You also want to keep your looting fast. Don’t spend 10 minutes rummaging through every corner of a POI. Grab your core loadout: a reliable assault rifle or SMG, a close-range option like a shotgun, full shields, and enough meds to last two fights, then move to high ground near the next ring. Most fights happen around ring edges, so positioning there lets you pick off players rotating in before they can get set up.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Playing Solo Apex Legends
Even if you follow all the core strategies, there are a few common mistakes that can end your run before you even get to the final ring. The first mistake is looting too slow. Limit your looting time to 90 seconds per POI maximum, unless you’re completely sure there are no other players nearby. You don’t have teammates watching your back, so every second you spend grabbing extra attachments you don’t need is a second someone could be sneaking up behind you.
Another mistake is hoarding your abilities for “perfect” moments. When you’re solo, your abilities are your only backup, so don’t save them for some hypothetical perfect fight. Use Wraith’s phase shift to reposition mid-fight, use Bloodhound’s scan before you enter a building, use Ash’s phase dash to escape if a fight goes south. They recharge fast enough that you’ll have them back when you actually need them.
A lot of new solo players also ignore audio cues, which is a huge mistake. Apex has some of the best audio in any battle royale, and when you’re solo, you don’t have teammates talking over your comms. You can hear footsteps from 50 meters away, tell when someone is reloading around a corner, and even hear when someone uses a healing item, all without seeing them. I once won a whole game just by listening to footsteps around the final ring, picking off players one by one before they even knew I was there.
The last big mistake is forgetting to check your surroundings regularly. It’s easy to focus on the fight in front of you, or the death box you’re looting, but when you’re solo, there could be two other squads watching the same fight waiting to third party. Even if you’re focused on looting a death box, take half a second to look around before you start grabbing items. It only takes a second, and it can save you from getting shot in the back by a sneaking player.
At the end of the day, can you do solo in Apex Legends? Absolutely. You don’t need a permanent official solo mode to have a great time playing alone, as long as you adjust your playstyle to fit the no-fill squad format. It’s definitely harder than playing with a coordinated team, and you’re going to die a lot at first while you get used to the learning curve. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get a win for your first 20 or 30 runs. Start with small goals, like getting to the top 10, then getting 2 kills per game, then working your way up to wins. I still have games where I die within the first 2 minutes because I push a squad I shouldn’t have, but every once in a while I pull off a win against three full squads, and that feeling makes all the bad runs worth it. If you’re tired of dealing with random teammates throwing your games, give solo play a shot, you might be surprised how much fun you have.