Like most long-time Apex players, I’ve had plenty of nights where my usual squad is offline, busy, or just not in the mood to grind ranked. It’s in those moments that the same question always pops into my head: can you play solo in Apex Legends? After hundreds of hours playing alone across every mode and map, I’ve put together everything you need to know to have a great time playing Apex without a pre-made team, whether you’re here to practice your aim or just relax on your own schedule.
Can You Play Solo in Apex Legends Official Modes?
The short answer is yes, but not as a permanent standard mode right now. Respawn Entertainment first tested official solos mode back in 2019, and it’s returned as a limited-time offering during major events like anniversary celebrations, Halloween Monsters Within, and other themed updates ever since. In official solos mode, every player drops alone, there are no teammate revives or respawn banners, and the last player standing takes the win. It’s easily one of the most requested permanent additions to the game, but don’t expect it to join the regular mode rotation any time soon.
Respawn has repeatedly stated that permanent solos are not on the immediate roadmap, and for good reason. Almost every Legend’s ability kit is designed for team play, from Lifeline’s care packages and revive drones to Gibraltar’s team-wide dome shield. Permanent solos would require massive balance changes that would break the standard trios and duos experience most players know and love. If you’re dead set on playing official solos, your best bet is to follow official Apex social channels to catch announcements about upcoming limited-time events where it will be available.
How to Play Solo Even When Official Solos Are Offline
You don’t have to wait for a limited-time event to play Apex alone. Most players who regularly play solo queue for standard trios or duos modes, and either play alongside random teammates or choose to play independently for the whole match. If you don’t want to deal with random teammates at all, you can also queue for casual modes like Team Deathmatch, Control, or Gun Run, where team performance matters less and individual skill gets more room to shine.
If you do choose to queue for trios alone, you don’t have to stick with your random teammates if you don’t want to. Plenty of solo players drop separately, loot on their own, and only team up if their randoms are friendly and playing well. No rule says you have to follow your squad to a hot drop if you know you’ll get wiped before you find a blue shield. Prioritize mobility over support abilities when queuing solo for trios, since you won’t have a team to back you up if you get caught out of position. Legends like Wraith, Octane, and Horizon are perfect for solo play, as their movement abilities let you escape bad fights and reposition whenever you need to.
There are a few simple rules you can follow to make solo queue trios a far smoother experience:
- Drop in low-traffic loot areas first to gear up without getting third-partied before you find a weapon
- Turn off auto-ping if you don’t want your teammates to follow you to your chosen drop spot
- Carry extra shield cells and health kits, as you won’t have a support teammate to resupply you mid-fight
Pros and Cons of Playing Apex Legends Solo
Playing solo isn’t for everyone, but it has a ton of benefits that make it worth trying at least a few times. First off, you get full control over every part of your match. You can drop wherever you want, take fights whenever you feel ready, and rotate whenever the ring calls for it, no arguments or negotiations required. You also won’t get stuck carrying a squad of new players who drop straight into Fragment East and die 10 seconds into the match if you don’t want to. Playing solo is one of the fastest ways to improve your mechanical skill in Apex Legends, since you can’t rely on your teammates to win fights for you. You’ll learn how to aim better, track enemies, and get out of bad spots far faster when you’re the only one you can count on.
That said, solo play does have some pretty big downsides. If you’re queuing for trios alone, you’ll almost always be outnumbered if you run into a full pre-made squad. You won’t have anyone to revive you if you get knocked, and you can get third-partied far easier when you don’t have teammates to watch your back. Ranked play can also be far more frustrating when playing solo, as random teammates might throw your ranked points away with reckless plays, even if you play perfectly the whole match. You’ll never have to worry about toxic teammates blaming you for a lost fight when you play alone, but you also won’t have anyone to celebrate a surprise win with either.
Tips to Win More Matches When Playing Solo
If you want to get more wins and fewer frustrating early exits when playing alone, there are a few simple changes you can make to your playstyle. First, stop dropping into hot zones unless you’re only there to practice aim. Hot zones have 10+ teams dropping at once, and you’ll almost always get caught in a crossfire before you can even pick up a second weapon. Drop into medium-traffic areas like Lava Fissure on World’s Edge or Command Center on Storm Point instead, where you can get full gear before you have to fight anyone.
Always keep an eye on the ring timer when playing solo, as you won’t have teammates to remind you to rotate. It’s easy to get caught up looting or finishing a fight and realize the ring is closing in with no safe path out. Try to start rotating 30 seconds before the ring starts closing, even if you haven’t finished looting a death box. You can always find more loot later, but you can’t get back a match you lost to ring damage.
You should also adjust your weapon loadout to work better for solo play. Skip high-skill, high-reward weapons like the Kraber or Wingman unless you’re extremely confident in your aim. Stick to consistent, easy-to-use weapons like the R-301 Carbine, Flatline, or R-99 SMG, which don’t require perfect accuracy to take down enemies quickly. Carry at least six shield cells and four med kits at all times, since you won’t have a support legend to give you extra healing items mid-fight. You don’t want to run out of shields in the middle of a 1v3 because you only packed two cells.
Finally, don’t be afraid to run away from fights. Most players get cocky after taking down one member of a squad, and end up getting wiped by the other two. If you knock one enemy and hear two more pushing your position, reposition to a better spot or leave the area entirely. You don’t get extra points for taking every fight you see, and playing smart will get you far more wins than playing reckless ever will.
At the end of the day, the question of can you play solo in Apex Legends has a very clear yes, no matter what mode you prefer. Whether you’re waiting for the next official solos limited-time event, queueing for trios alone to practice your aim, or grinding Team Deathmatch to unlock a new Legend skin, playing alone can be just as fun as playing with a full squad. Next time your friends are busy and you’re itching to drop into the Outlands, don’t hesitate to hit that queue button alone. You might be surprised how many wins you can pick up when you’re only playing for yourself.