Apex Legends: Review, Gameplay, Guides, Patch Notes, And What We Know

Apex Legends is shaping up to be one of the biggest battle royale games around. It only released early last week and already has amassed quite the following. Of course, if you’ve yet to play the game, you’re probably curious what the hubbub is all about. Lucky for you, we’ve detailed below all the essential information you need to know, which includes our full review, how the game’s microtransactions work, guides, and much more.

What are your thoughts about Apex Legends? Do you think it has what it takes to compete against Fortnite? Let us know in the comments below. Otherwise, be sure to check back often as we update this feature with even more features and guides.

What is Apex Legends?

Apex Legends is a battle royale game that’s focused more on teamwork than its competitors. It pits 20 teams of three players against each other on one huge map. Like other games in the genre, you and your squad enter with no weapons or items and must scavenge everything you need to be the last team standing.

The biggest difference between Apex Legends and others battle royale games is its focus on character roles, which it calls Legends. Currently, there are eight Legends, each with their own unique special abilities and ultimate abilities that charge up over time. As a team, you’re challenged to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your Legend, as well as know how to best use their abilities alongside others to affect your strategy. You can find out more in our breakdown of each character and their respective abilities.

Another unique mechanic comes in the form of the Ping system. With one dedicated button, you can “ping” locations, objects, and other players, drawing attention to them on your teammates’ screens. The system is robust, making it possible to communicate effectively without ever talking to your squad, which is a handy feature for matches where not everyone has a headset.

Review

“Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses. Respawn’s intense focus on team play makes Apex more than just a worthy addition to the genre; it’s an indicator of where battle royale should go in the future,” GameSpot editor Phil Hornshaw writes. Read the full review.

While the game is a great time, Phil did take issue with the how the game’s wins should be a lot cooler–so much so, that he wrote an whole feature about it.

Biggest News

The week since the launch of Apex Legends has yielded a ton of big news. Below you can get caught up on the latest details about the game.

Latest Patch Notes

Speaking of Apex Legends constantly evolving, you can get the specifics on just what’s changing about the game in its latest patch notes. The current patch adds the new Valentine’s Day event, balance changes, bug fixes, and more.

How Do Microtransactions Work?

Like other free-to-play games, Apex Legends has microtransactions. The game has three different types of currency: Apex Coins, Legend Tokens, and Crafting Metals. Apex Coins are the only currency that can be purchased with real money, and they’re used to buy Apex Packs, Legends, and featured items. You can purchase Apex Coins in the following increments:

• 1,000 Apex Coins – $10 / £8
• 2,000 (+ 150 Bonus) Apex Coins – $20 / £16
• 4,000 (+350 Bonus) Apex Coins – $40 / £32
• 6,000 (+750 Bonus) Apex Coins – $60 / £48
• 10,000 (+1500 Bonus) Apex Coins – $100 / £80

For more details on the game’s microtransactions, check out our full explainer.

How the Battle Pass Works

Much like Fortnite, Apex Legends has a Battle Pass, and it works much like the one in Epic’s battle royale game. The first Battle Pass launches in March and will be active for a full season, which lasts about three months. You can refer to the roadmap visual above for more details on subsequent confirmed seasons. However, Respawn has not announced their exact start dates.

Legendary Skins

Apex Legends offers a fair number of ways to customize your appearance via skins for your characters and weapons, poses, and banners. If we’re going off our experiences spent playing Overwatch, the most desirable items are likely the Legendary skins. We’ve rounded up all the ones available now in our comprehensive skins feature; in addition, you can refer to the video above for a taste of what’s available across skins, weapons, banners, and more.

Guides

Playing a new battle royale game is going to come with its own share of growing pains. If you’re struggling to come up on top, we’ve got several guides you can refer to. Below we’ve included links to our beginner’s guide and guns guide. If you’re looking for more tips, be sure to check out our guide roundup.