Apex Legends Beginner's Guide

New to Apex Legends in Season 31? How the game works, which modes to play first, how to pick a Legend and the habits that win fights.

Updated 31 October 2026Checked for patch Season 30: Marked4 sources
Image: Apex Legends / YouTube

Apex Legends is a free-to-play Battle Royale from Respawn Entertainment. Squads of three drop onto a map, loot weapons and gear, and fight until one team is left. Every player picks a Legend with unique abilities. Season 31: Cipher starts on November 3, 2026 – a good time to jump in.

Step 1: Learn the basics without pressure

Start with these modes before you jump into a full lobby:

TrainingA short tutorial where Bloodhound and Pathfinder walk you through the basics as Lifeline.
Firing RangeTry every gun and Legend against dummies, with no pressure.
Bot RoyaleA full Battle Royale where bots fill the squads not taken by players – perfect for your first matches.
MixtapeTeam Deathmatch, Control and Gun Run on small maps. Great for practising aim, since you respawn.

Step 2: Pick your first Legend

There are 28 Legends in five classes. See the full list on our Legends page.

  • Support Legends like Lifeline and Gibraltar help you stay alive while you learn.
  • Assault Legends like Bangalore have straightforward kits for fighting.
  • Recon Legends like Bloodhound show you where enemies are – very useful for new players.

Stick with one Legend for a while. Knowing your kit well matters more than picking the "best" Legend.

Step 3: How a match works

Pick a drop spotThe jumpmaster chooses where the squad lands. Quieter areas give you time to loot.
Armor and shieldsYour body shield is your extra health. Shield Cells and Shield Batteries recharge it, Syringes and Med Kits heal you.
Watch the ringThe ring closes during the match. Getting caught outside hurts more and more each round.
Revive and respawnPick up knocked teammates. If they die, grab their banner and bring it to a Respawn Beacon.
Ping everythingThe ping system lets you mark enemies, loot and places without a microphone.
Level up your LegendDuring a match your Legend levels up and you pick upgrades for their abilities.

Step 4: Habits that win fights

Stick with your squadMost fights are won by the team that fights together. Don't run off alone.
Use cover and healBreak line of sight before you heal. Shields first, then health.
Learn two gunsAn R-301 Carbine or Alternator plus a shotgun or marksman rifle covers most fights.
Ranked laterGet comfortable in normal matches first. Season 31 adds Legend bans in Diamond Ranked and above.

Keep up with changes

Apex changes every season and often in between. Our latest patch notes and the cinematics are good places to catch up on the game and its story.

Our Apex Legends articles on this

Reference page written by AI (Claude) and checked against the sources above. Games change with every patch – the patch this page was last checked for is shown at the top.