If you’ve ever grown tired of the chaos of 3-team battle royales and sweaty ranked lobbies, you’ve probably wondered does Apex Legends have PvE content you can enjoy without fighting other players. Many casual players prefer PvE modes to test new legends, grind for rewards, or just unwind after a long session of getting third-partied by random squads. We’ve dug through every permanent and limited-time mode Respawn has released to give you a complete breakdown of all Apex PvE content, past, present, and even what might be coming down the line.
Does Apex Legends Have PvE Modes That Are Permanent?
The short answer is yes, but permanent PvE content is fairly limited as of the latest season. The core permanent PvE offering is the Firing Range, which lets you test every weapon, legend ability, and attachment against AI dummies of varying difficulty. You can turn on aggressive dummies that will attack you on sight, which is a great way to practice aim, movement, and ability combos without the pressure of a real match. Many players don’t know that the Firing Range also has a hidden PvE Gauntlet challenge where you fight waves of increasingly tough dummies to beat a personal time record, with exclusive badge rewards for clearing it in under a certain time. The other permanent PvE mode is the onboarding training mission all new players complete when they first launch the game, which walks you through basic movement, shooting, and ability use against AI combatants. But if you’re looking for more structured, story-driven PvE, you’ll have to wait for limited-time events, which is where most of Apex’s PvE content lives.
Popular Limited-Time Apex Legends PvE Events
Respawn drops PvE limited-time events roughly two to three times a year, usually tied to major seasonal updates or holiday events. These events often have unique storylines, exclusive skins, and battle pass progression rewards that you can’t earn anywhere else. Some of the most beloved PvE events in Apex history include:
- Shadowfall (Fight or Fright): A Halloween-themed event where 45 players drop into King’s Canyon, with 1 player starting as a fast, powerful Shadow that turns eliminated players into more Shadows. The final 10 remaining players become a squad that has to escape to a dropship to win, fighting off hordes of AI and player-controlled Shadows.
- The Broken Ghost Quest: A season-long PvE quest line from Season 5 where players completed weekly missions to collect artifact fragments, fighting off AI-controlled IMC troops and wildlife to unlock story chapters about the legends’ hunt for a mysterious artifact.
- Monsters Within PvE LTM: A limited mode where squads fought waves of giant, aggressive Prowlers and Spiders across World’s Edge, with boss fights against a massive Goliath prowler that rewarded rare loot and exclusive badges for clearing all waves.
Tips for Beating Apex Legends PvE Challenges
PvE challenges can be surprisingly tough, especially higher difficulty waves or boss fights that require coordinated squad play. We’ve run dozens of these events and picked up a few tricks that make clearing even the hardest PvE content a breeze. First, pick legends that have abilities that work well against large groups of AI, rather than ones built for 1v1 player fights. Caustic and Wattson are top picks for area denial, since their gas traps and electrical fences can slow down and damage large hordes of enemies all at once. Bangalore’s smoke can give your squad cover to heal or revive teammates when you’re swarmed, and Gibraltar’s dome shield is perfect for blocking boss projectiles. You don’t need to carry meta PvP weapons for PvE, either. LMGs like the Spitfire and Devotion are far better for taking out large groups of enemies fast, since they have high ammo capacity and steady damage output. Shotguns are great for close-quarters boss fights, especially the Peacekeeper or Mastiff, which can chunk boss health bars in just a few shots. Also, don’t ignore the in-game event challenges that give you bonus perks for PvE matches. Many events let you unlock passive buffs like extra health, faster reload speed, or higher damage against AI that make clearing waves way easier, so prioritize completing those challenges first before you tackle higher difficulty runs.
Will Apex Legends Add More Permanent PvE Content In The Future?
Respawn has hinted multiple times over the years that they’re interested in adding more permanent PvE content to Apex Legends, but they haven’t announced any firm release dates as of now. The biggest hint came from a 2023 developer interview where the team mentioned they’re testing a story-driven PvE campaign mode that would follow the overarching lore of the Outlands, with playable story missions that you can complete solo or with a squad. Leaks from reliable Apex data miners have also found references to a permanent PvE horde mode in the game’s files, with different difficulty tiers, reward tracks, and custom loadout options. But don’t get your hopes up for a full PvE release anytime soon. Respawn has stated that their top priority is keeping the core battle royale mode fresh with new seasons, maps, and legends, so any permanent PvE content will likely be rolled out in small chunks first, rather than a full standalone mode. For now, the best way to enjoy PvE in Apex is to keep an eye out for limited-time event announcements, and make the most of the Firing Range’s PvE features when you want to practice or unwind. If you really want more PvE content, you can also submit feedback to Respawn via their official social media channels – the team regularly takes player feedback into account when planning future content updates.
At the end of the day, if you were asking does Apex Legends have PvE content, you’ll be happy to know there’s plenty to enjoy even if most of it is tied to limited-time events. Whether you’re grinding the Firing Range Gauntlet for a new badge, fighting off hordes of Shadows during Fight or Fright, or completing weekly quest missions for exclusive lore, there’s something for every type of PvE fan in Apex. Just keep an eye on the in-game news tab to make sure you don’t miss the next PvE event drop, and you’ll never run out of new content to play when you need a break from the battle royale grind.