If you’ve ever had a friend over on a rainy weekend, scrolling through your game library looking for something to play together, you’ve probably asked: can you play 2 player Apex Legends? As someone who’s sunk hundreds of hours into the game both solo and with friends, I’ve dug through every setting, tested every rumored workaround, and talked to dozens of other players to figure out exactly what’s possible. You don’t have to waste an hour scrolling through Reddit threads or messing with broken settings to get answers, because we’re covering everything you need to know right here.
Can You Play 2 Player Apex Legends on Consoles and PC?
Let’s get the most straightforward answer out of the way first: there is no official, native local 2 player or split screen mode for Apex Legends on any platform right now. Respawn Entertainment has not added native local 2 player functionality to Apex Legends as of the latest season update, and the dev team has stated in multiple patch notes and social media posts that split screen is not a top priority at the moment. That might be disappointing to hear at first, but it makes sense when you think about how the game is built.
Apex Legends is built for high-paced, competitive play that requires consistent frame rates and low input lag to be fair for all players. Adding split screen would force the game to render two full instances of the map and all player models at once, which would drop frame rates significantly even on high-end hardware. For a game with a massive ranked and esports scene, that kind of performance hit would make competitive play unbalanced for anyone using split screen, so the devs have chosen to focus on other updates first.
That doesn’t mean you can’t play 2 player Apex Legends at all, though. There are several safe, easy workarounds that let you team up with a friend either on the same local network or across separate devices, with most players reporting little to no issues when they set things up correctly. I’ve used most of these methods myself with my roommate, and we’ve had a blast running duo queues without any major problems.
Workarounds to Play 2 Player Apex Legends With a Friend
All of these workarounds are compliant with Apex’s terms of service, so you don’t have to worry about getting banned for using them. They range from super simple setups that take 30 seconds to more involved options for players who want to play on the same shared screen space.
The crossplay shared lobby method is by far the most popular, and it’s what my roommate and I use 90% of the time. All you need is two separate devices (they don’t have to be the same platform, either) and two separate Apex accounts, both of which are free to make. You don’t even need an active online subscription on most platforms to play Apex, so the only cost is if you don’t have a second controller or device handy.
If you only have one device and one copy of the game, Steam Remote Play is a great option for PC players. Steam Remote Play only requires one account to own a copy of Apex Legends, making it the most cost-effective workaround for PC players. You just send a Remote Play invite to your friend’s Steam account, they can connect to your game instance from their own device, and you both can play together without them needing to download or own the game. You will need a minimum 100Mbps wired local network connection to avoid input lag with remote play options, though, so skip this if you only have spotty WiFi.
Tips for Smooth 2 Player Apex Legends Matches
Even with the right workaround, there are a few small adjustments you can make to ensure your 2 player matches run smoothly and are fun for both people. These tips come from dozens of hours of testing different setups with friends, so they’re all proven to work in real matches.
First, stick to duo queues instead of trios when you’re playing with only one other friend. Queuing for trios with only two people means you’ll get matched with a random third teammate, who probably won’t be happy if you and your friend are only communicating with each other and ignoring their calls. If you really want to play trios, you can use the in-game looking for group tool to find a third player who’s okay with playing with a pre-made duo, but it’s usually easier to just stick to the dedicated duo mode.
Stick to non-ranked casual matches when using workarounds to avoid risking your rank if you run into unexpected lag or performance issues. I learned this the hard way when I tried to play ranked duos with my friend using Steam Remote Play over WiFi a few months ago. The lag spiked halfway through the match, we both missed easy shots, and we lost a ton of RP that took us weeks to earn back. Save ranked matches for when you’re using the separate device shared lobby method, which has zero performance issues.
Prioritize legend combinations that cover both offensive and defensive needs, as you won’t have a third teammate to fill gaps in your loadout. My go-to combo with my roommate is Wraith for offensive repositioning and Lifeline for healing and item resupplies, but you can mix and match based on your playstyle. Avoid picking two legends that fill the same role, like two assault legends with no healing or support options, because you’ll have no way to recover if one of you gets knocked early in a fight.
It’s also a good idea to adjust your in-game communication settings even if you’re sitting right next to each other. Turn down the in-game music and turn up teammate voice audio if you’re using separate headsets, so you can still hear in-game callouts from each other over the sound of gunfire. I also keep a small whiteboard next to my setup to jot down enemy positions if we’re not using mics, which sounds silly but works surprisingly well.
Common 2 Player Apex Legends Mistakes to Avoid
There are a lot of bad tips floating around online about 2 player Apex Legends play, and some of them can get your account banned or ruin your whole play session. I’ve made almost all of these mistakes myself, so you don’t have to.
First, don’t waste your time downloading third-party split screen tools that claim to add local split screen to Apex. Most of these tools are loaded with malware, and even the ones that work will trigger Apex’s Easy Anti-Cheat system, because they modify the game’s core files to force split screen rendering. Never use unvetted third-party split screen tools for Apex Legends, as they can trigger Easy Anti-Cheat bans that are almost impossible to appeal. It’s not worth losing an account you’ve spent years grinding on just to play split screen for a few hours.
Second, don’t try to log into the same Apex account on two devices at the same time to play together. The game will automatically kick you out of one instance, and you might even trigger a temporary account security lock that will prevent you from logging in for 24 hours. It takes two minutes to make a second free Apex account, so just make a new account for your friend if they don’t already have one. You can even link the new account to the same platform account if you’re playing on console, so you don’t have to make a whole new profile.
Third, don’t assume that newer consoles have hidden split screen support. A lot of fake gaming blogs claim that PS5 and Xbox Series X have split screen support for Apex, but that’s not true. I’ve tested every single display and game setting on both consoles, and there is no hidden toggle for split screen anywhere. The only way to play 2 player on console is to use the shared lobby method with two separate consoles, or use remote play to stream to a second screen.
Finally, don’t forget to have fun. It’s easy to get caught up in winning matches when you’re playing with a friend, but the point of 2 player play is to spend time together, not to grind for ranks or unlocks. If you’re getting frustrated with lag or bad matches, switch to a custom lobby and mess around with silly loadouts or practice movement tricks for a while. Some of my favorite Apex memories are from messing around in custom lobbies with friends, not from winning ranked matches.
So if you were wondering can you play 2 player Apex Legends, the short answer is that there’s no official native mode yet, but the workarounds we covered make it easy to team up with a friend no matter what platform you play on. Respawn might add split screen support in a future season if there’s enough player demand, but for now, these methods work perfectly for casual co-op play with friends. Next time you have a friend over, skip the boring party games and jump into a few duo matches – you won’t regret it.