If you’ve ever chased an enemy Octane across World’s Edge and wondered why you can’t catch up even when you’re holding forward the whole time, you’ve probably asked yourself do all apex legends run the same speed. It’s one of the most common questions new and intermediate players ask, because movement is the single most important skill to master if you want to climb ranks and win more fights. I’ve put over 1,200 hours into Apex since launch, tested movement stats across every character in the firing range and in ranked matches, so I can break down exactly what affects your run speed, which characters have modifiers, and how you can use that info to your advantage.
Do All Apex Legends Run the Same Speed? Base Movement Stats Breakdown
The short answer to the core question is most legends share the same base walking and running speed of 299 units per second (UPS) when they’re not holding any weapons or using abilities. That’s the standard baseline Respawn uses for all non-ability movement across the roster, so you won’t see a difference between a Wraith and a Gibraltar running empty across the map at base level. I tested this myself last month in the firing range by marking two spots 100 meters apart, timing each legend’s run with a stopwatch, and every single one clocked in at 3.34 seconds, which works out exactly to 299 UPS. I ran the test 3 times per legend to eliminate any human error, and the only times I got a different result were when I accidentally triggered an ability mid-run.
A lot of players assume larger legends are slower, but that’s almost entirely a visual trick. Gibraltar, Newcastle, and Caustic have larger hitboxes and character models, which create the illusion that they’re moving slower even when they’re covering the exact same distance as smaller legends. A few seasons back, Respawn tested a permanent 5% speed penalty for large hitbox legends to balance their extra defensive perks, but they removed it after community feedback made it clear the penalty made those characters unplayable in high-level ranked. Now, no legend has a permanent negative speed modifier attached to their base kit.
Weapons and Gear That Change Your Run Speed
The biggest immediate change to your run speed doesn’t come from your legend pick, it comes from what you’re holding in your hands. Respawn built in movement penalties for heavier weapons, which is why you’ll feel slower when you’re carrying a Kraber vs. a P2020. The penalty only applies when you have the weapon pulled out, so you don’t have to drop your heavy weapons to run faster, just swap to a lighter secondary. I’ve seen dozens of new players drop their sniper rifles when running from the ring, which is a huge mistake that leaves them without long range firepower for no reason.
The standard movement penalties for each weapon type are:
- Sniper rifles and LMGs: Apply a 10% movement speed penalty, dropping your base run speed to ~270 UPS when held out
- Assault rifles and shotguns: Apply a 5% movement speed penalty, dropping your base run speed to ~284 UPS when held out
- SMGs, pistols, and melee weapons: Apply no movement speed penalty, so you’ll move at full 299 UPS when holding these
Non-weapon gear can also impact your speed temporarily. Using a mobile respawn beacon or heat shield while moving will drop your speed by 20% for as long as you have the item equipped, so don’t pull those out unless you’re already in a safe spot or you have a teammate covering you. If you’re trying to outrun the ring, always swap to your melee or pistol first, then pop heals or deploy utility once you’re far enough ahead of the closing circle.
Legend Abilities That Alter Movement Speed
While base run speed is the same across all legends, a handful of characters have abilities that permanently or temporarily boost their movement speed, which is where most of the confusion around speed differences comes from. These boosts are all tied to their active or passive kits, so they only apply when the ability is triggered, not all the time.
The most notable speed boosting abilities belong to Octane, who gets a 10% passive speed boost when he takes damage, plus a 30% speed boost for 6 seconds when he uses his stim. I main Octane in ranked, and I regularly use the stim boost to close gaps on teams that are holding high ground, or to outrun third parties when we’re low on heals. The difference between 299 UPS and 389 UPS with stim is massive, and it’s easy to catch players off guard who don’t expect you to close a 20 meter gap in 2 seconds. Revenant, when in his Shadow Form from his ultimate, has a 15% higher base movement speed that lasts for the full duration of the ability, making him one of the fastest legends in the game when his ult is active.
Other legends with temporary speed boosts include Bangalore, who gets a 30% speed boost for 2 seconds when she takes damage, Horizon, who gets a 10% speed boost while standing in her gravity lift, and Wraith, who moves 20% faster while phasing. None of these affect base run speed, but they can make it feel like certain legends are inherently faster if you only ever see them when their abilities are active.
Movement Tech That Boosts Your Speed Regardless of Legend Pick
Even if you’re playing a legend with no movement abilities, you can use common movement tech to go faster than the base 299 UPS, no matter which character you pick. These tricks take a bit of practice, but they work for every legend on the roster, so you don’t have to main a movement character to move fast around the map.
The most basic speed boosting tech is sliding, which you trigger by sprinting and crouching at the same time. Sliding downhill gives you an even bigger speed boost, and you can reach up to 400 UPS if you slide down a steep slope like the ones near Capitol City on Olympus. One common mistake I see new players make is sliding on flat ground for too long. After the first second of the slide, your speed drops below base run speed, so you want to jump out of the slide right before that happens to maintain your momentum. Chaining short slides together on flat ground will give you a 5-10% higher average speed than just running straight, and it makes you a harder target to hit too.
Other accessible movement tech includes tap strafing, which lets you change direction mid-slide without losing speed, and super gliding, which you trigger by jumping at the exact end of a slide to get a horizontal and vertical speed boost. Wall bouncing lets you maintain speed while jumping off walls, which is perfect for getting out of tight spots when you’re cornered by a team. I recommend spending 10 minutes in the firing range every time you log on practicing these tricks, because messing up a slide or super glide in a ranked match can leave you exposed to enemy fire.
When you strip away abilities, held weapons, and movement tech, do all apex legends run the same speed? Yes, every legend has the same base run speed of 299 UPS, so you don’t have to worry about picking a “slow” character just because they have a larger hitbox. The differences you see in matches come down to weapon choice, ability usage, and how well you can pull off movement tech to boost your speed beyond the baseline. If you want to get better at movement, start small by swapping to your pistol every time you run long distances, then work your way up to more complex tech like super glides and tap strafes. Small changes to how you manage your movement will make a way bigger difference in your win rate than picking a specific legend for their speed boost.