If you’ve ever queued for Apex Legends only to find your regular squad is offline, you’ve probably asked can you solo in apex legends. Unlike many other battle royales that have dedicated solo queues, Respawn’s fast-paced shooter is built around 3-person squad play by default, but that doesn’t mean flying alone is impossible. I’ve spent hundreds of matches running solo across all ranks, and I’m breaking down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and how to set yourself up for success when you don’t have teammates to back you up.
Can You Solo in Apex Legends Officially and Unofficially?
Right now, there is no permanent dedicated solo queue for standard Apex Legends play, but Respawn regularly adds limited-time modes (LTMs) that let you queue as a single player against other lone players. These LTMs are the easiest way to test lone play, since you won’t be at a numbers disadvantage against full squads. If you’re testing whether can you solo in apex legends for the first time, starting with limited time solo modes is the easiest way to get used to lone play without being outnumbered.
Outside of these LTMs, most solo players choose to queue into standard trio matches and either ignore their random teammates or play separately from them. This is a far bigger challenge, as you’ll be going up against coordinated 3-person squads that can revive each other, share loot, and cover each other’s flanks. You will almost always be at a numbers disadvantage when playing solo unofficially, so you have to adjust your playstyle to compensate instead of playing like you would with a squad.
Best Character Picks for Solo Apex Legends Play
One of the biggest mistakes new players make when testing can you solo in apex legends is picking a legend that’s designed for squad play. Legends that focus on supporting teammates, like Lifeline or Newcastle, have abilities that are far less useful when you don’t have anyone to heal or revive. For solo play, you want to prioritize legends that give you personal mobility, escape options, or area control to even the playing field against multiple enemies.
- Pathfinder: His grapple and zip line abilities let you reposition fast to escape bad fights or catch enemies off guard, and his scan beacons reveal the next ring so you never get caught out of position.
- Wraith: Her void walk lets you escape focused fire when you get caught by a full squad, and her portal gives you a guaranteed escape route if a fight goes sideways.
- Caustic: His gas traps let you lock down buildings and chokepoints, evening the playing field when multiple enemies try to push you at once.
Mobility legends are almost always the safest pick for new solo players, because they let you choose exactly when to engage and when to run away. If you prefer a more defensive playstyle, Caustic or Wattson are great picks for holding down small buildings in the final circle, where you can force squads to push you into your traps.
Combat and Loot Tips for Lone Apex Legends Players
When you’re playing solo, loot prioritization is way more important than when you’re with a squad. You don’t have teammates to carry extra ammo, heals, or attachments for you, so every slot in your inventory counts. Prioritize shield cells and syringes over extra ammo for guns you don’t use, because you’ll need to heal quickly after every fight if you don’t have a teammate to draw fire for you. Many players like to track their most successful solo loadouts and share their go-to setups with friends between matches, and if you want to save and share your favorite loadout combinations easily, Share Slots makes it simple to store and access your go-to gear sets without having to write them down manually.
If you’re wondering can you solo in apex legends and actually get kills, third partying is the best way to do it without taking on a full healthy squad. Wait for two squads to fight each other until most of them are down, then move in to pick off the remaining low-health players. Never push a squad that knows you’re alone, they will almost always swarm you and you won’t have backup to cover your retreat.
Always keep at least one escape option open during every fight, whether that’s a door behind you, a zip line, or a legend ability that lets you get away fast. Don’t get cornered in small rooms without an exit, because even one grenade can take you out before you have time to react. For loadouts, stick to one close-range gun like an R-99 or Mastiff, and one mid-range gun like a R-301 or Flatline, so you’re prepared for any fight scenario.
How to Rank Up While Playing Solo in Apex Legends
Ranking up solo is significantly harder than ranking up with a coordinated squad, but it’s absolutely possible if you adjust your priorities. In ranked play, you get far more RP for high placement than you do for kills, so playing passive is almost always the smarter strategy for lone players. You don’t need to get kills to rank up solo, playing passive and avoiding fights until the final circle is a perfectly valid strategy that will net you consistent RP over time.
Avoid hot drops like Fragment East or Capitol City when playing solo ranked, because you’ll be fighting 5 other squads as soon as you land, and you can’t win a 1v6 fight no matter how good you are. Drop on the edge of the map, loot up quickly, and rotate into the ring early to claim a good defensive position before other squads arrive. If you get matched with random teammates who are communicating and playing smart, you can choose to team up with them to make ranking up easier, but if they’re running off alone and feeding, it’s okay to split off and play your own game.
Be patient, and don’t get discouraged if you die early a few times in a row. Even the best solo players only win around 5% of their matches, so losing is normal. Focus on small wins, like making it to the top 10 or picking off one enemy per match, and you’ll slowly climb the ranks over time.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you solo in apex legends is a resounding yes, as long as you adjust your playstyle to account for the lack of teammates. You don't have to stick to squad play if your friends are offline, and you can have just as much fun (and even pick up wins) when you're flying alone. Just remember to pick a legend that supports lone play, prioritize survival over kills, and always keep an escape route open, and you'll be dominating solo matches in no time.