If you’ve scrolled through TikTok clips of crazy outplays or listened to friends scream about their latest ranked win, you’ve probably asked at some point: how can I play Apex Legends and actually have fun, instead of getting eliminated 30 seconds after touching the ground? It’s no secret that this free-to-play battle royale has a steep learning curve, with 20+ unique legends, dozens of weapons, and fast-paced movement that can feel overwhelming for new players. But you don’t need thousands of hours of experience to enjoy the game. This guide walks you through every step of getting started, from downloading the game to surviving your first full match, no prior battle royale experience required.
How Can I Play Apex Legends: First Steps to Get Set Up
Apex Legends is available for free on PC (via Steam or the EA App), PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. There is no upfront cost to download or play the core game, though you can purchase cosmetic skins and battle passes for extra content if you want. The game supports full cross-play, so you can squad up with friends no matter what platform they use. If you're wondering how can I play Apex Legends with friends, it's super easy: just add their EA ID or platform ID to your friends list, send an invite, and you can queue up together immediately.
Before you jump into your first match, take 10 minutes to adjust your settings for the best experience. Always link a valid EA account first so you don’t lose your progress, skins, or rank if you ever switch devices. If you’re playing on controller, keep aim assist turned on by default — it’s designed to help new players land shots more consistently, and even pro players use it. If you’re on PC, prioritize higher frame rates over fancy graphics settings; even 60 FPS will make it much easier to track enemies and react fast than a laggy 30 FPS with maxed-out textures. Turn on damage numbers and hit marker sounds in the settings menu too, so you can easily tell when you’re landing shots on enemies during fights.
Core Gameplay Mechanics You Need to Master Before Your First Match
Apex Legends is a squad-based battle royale by default, with standard modes for 3-person trios and 2-person duos. Solos mode is only available during limited-time events, so most of the time you’ll be playing with at least one teammate. The basic loop is simple: you and your squad drop from a flying dropship onto the map, loot weapons and gear, fight other squads, stay inside the closing safe zone (called the Ring), and try to be the last squad left alive. It sounds straightforward, but there are a few unique mechanics that set Apex apart from other battle royales.
First, every player picks a legend before the match, each with three unique abilities: a passive that’s always active, a tactical ability with a short cooldown, and a powerful ultimate ability that charges over time. New players should stick to simpler legends first before trying more complex ones. Bloodhound or Gibraltar are the best picks for total beginners: Bloodhound’s scan ability shows you exactly where enemies are hiding, so you never get surprised by ambushes, and Gibraltar’s deployable shield gives you extra cover during fights if you mess up your positioning.
When you land, your first priority is to grab gear that keeps you alive. You’ll find armor that ranges from white (100 extra shield health) to red (200 extra shield health), healing items, ammo, and grenades scattered across the map. Don’t waste time looting useless items when you first land — stick to this priority list to get combat-ready as fast as possible:
- Any usable weapon (even a basic P2020 pistol is better than trying to punch fully armed enemies)
- Armor of any rarity (even white armor cuts incoming damage in half compared to no armor at all)
- Ammo that matches your equipped weapons (don’t carry 300 sniper rounds if you only have a shotgun)
- At least 4 shield cells and 2 syringes for quick healing during fights
- Frag grenades, which are perfect for flushing enemies out of cover or finishing off knocked opponents
You’ll also notice the Ring closing every few minutes to push squads closer together. Early ring damage is very low, so you don’t have to panic if you’re a few seconds late getting inside, but later stages of the Ring can take off half your shield in seconds. Always check the map for the next Ring location at least a minute before it closes, so you have time to move without getting caught by other squads waiting to ambush people running into the safe zone.
Beginner-Friendly Strategies to Avoid Dying Immediately After Dropping
The biggest mistake I see new players make is dropping into “hot zones” — high-loot areas like Fragment East on World’s Edge or Capitol City on Olympus — where 5+ other squads land at the same time. You’re almost guaranteed to get eliminated within 2 minutes if you drop here as a new player, and you won’t get a chance to actually practice any mechanics. Instead, tell your jump master to drop you in a quieter, low-traffic area on the edge of the map. You’ll have 2-3 minutes to loot up in peace before you run into any other squads, so you can get full armor and a decent weapon before you have to fight.
Even if you don’t have a microphone to talk to your squad, use the in-game ping system constantly. It’s one of the most well-designed ping systems in any shooter, and you can use it to mark enemies, loot, safe spots, and warnings for your teammates without saying a word. The ping system is far more effective for new players than voice chat, because it gives exact locations instead of vague calls like “there’s a guy over there”. Get in the habit of pinging every enemy you see, even if you think your teammate already noticed them.
Stick close to your squad at all times, and never run off alone to chase a single enemy. You’re 3 times more likely to get eliminated if you’re separated from your team, and you won’t have anyone to revive you if you get knocked. If one of your teammates gets knocked during a fight, don’t rush to revive them immediately. Take out the remaining enemies first, then make sure there are no other squads nearby before you start the revive animation. If you try to revive in the middle of a fight, you’ll both get eliminated before the animation finishes.
You don’t have to learn advanced movement techniques like tap strafing or super gliding to do well as a new player. Just master the basics: slide down hills to move faster, crouch when you’re shooting to make yourself a smaller target, and jump around occasionally during fights to make it harder for enemies to hit you. These small changes will make a huge difference in how long you survive matches, even against more experienced players.
Common Mistakes New Apex Players Make (And How to Fix Them)
Most new players lose their first 20 matches not because they’re bad at aiming, but because they make simple, avoidable mistakes. The first common mistake is forgetting to use your legend abilities. A lot of new players get so focused on shooting that they completely ignore their tactical and ultimate abilities, even when they could turn a losing fight around. Don’t worry about using them perfectly at first. If you’re playing Bloodhound, scan every time you enter a new building or hear enemy footsteps. If you’re playing Gibraltar, throw down your shield whenever your team is taking heavy fire. You’ll learn the best times to use them as you play more.
Another big mistake is looting for too long after you eliminate a squad. Gunfights are loud, and other squads within 200 meters will hear the shots and come to “third party” your team while you’re distracted picking up loot. Always assume there’s another team listening to your fights, so grab only the items you need (better armor, more ammo, a better weapon) within 30 seconds of winning a fight, then move to a nearby safe spot. You can always come back for the rest of the loot later if the area stays quiet.
Many new players also stand out in the open while shooting, instead of using cover. Even if you have the best aim in the lobby, you’ll get taken out immediately if you’re standing in an open field with no protection. Get in the habit of staying behind a wall, rock, or tree at all times. Peek out to shoot a few rounds, then duck back behind cover to reload or heal. You’ll be way harder to hit, and you’ll have time to react if you start taking damage from an unexpected direction.
The last common mistake is reloading too often in the middle of fights. A lot of new players automatically reload after shooting 2 or 3 bullets, even if there are still enemies actively shooting at them. Wait until you’re behind cover and there are no immediate threats before you reload. If you run out of ammo mid-fight, switch to your secondary weapon instead of reloading — it’s way faster, and you can take out the enemy before they have a chance to finish you off.
At the end of the day, no one is good at Apex their first 10 matches. You will get third partied, you will forget to reload, you will accidentally fall off a cliff while trying to slide down a hill, and that’s all part of the fun. You don’t have to win every match to have a good time; even getting a single kill or making it to the top 3 squads is a huge win when you’re just starting out. If you’ve been asking how can I play Apex Legends and not feel completely lost, just follow the tips we covered, take it slow, and don’t get discouraged if you don’t win right away. After a few hours of practice, you’ll find a legend you love, get comfortable with the mechanics, and start pulling off the same crazy outplays you see online.