Apex Legends: 26 Useful Tips & Tricks You Might Not Know About (Yet!)

For a game that was released within days of the initial announcement, Apex Legends has a surprising amount of depth and detail. This isn’t an early-access game — this is a fully-functioning free-to-play FPS available right now on PC, PS4 & Xbox One. And the thriving early-game community has been working hard to share some knowledge about the many, many systems this game employs.

Whether it’s tips covering the various Ultimates, or info to help you use the ingenious ping system to communicate better with random allies, there’s a lot going on in Apex Legends. The developers have been pretty clear that they’ve removed wall-running, but did you know you can wall-climb by holding a few buttons?

There’s so much more, including some details I didn’t put on the list proper. The battery graphic on sights actually drains over time. You still earn Survival XP, even when you’re dead — that’s right, you’ll earn it for spectating, and get some extra XP if your team places well at the end of the round. Dropping a ping on an item will mark it on your minimap. And there’s a whole lot more that you’ll want to know about, including the Legendary KO Shield, which will actually auto-revive you from a downed state once. Get all the tips, features, and just plain stuff we didn’t know about until recently in the full guide below.

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Useful Tips & Tricks You Might Not Know About (Yet!) | Beginner’s Guide

As you drop, look for a big blue pillar in the distance — that’s a hot zone. A fully-upgraded gun is waiting here if you can survive.
You can clamber up walls when you hold the [Jump] button. A wall might look too tall, but you can gain extra climbing height as long as you’re holding down that jump.
Hold [Triangle / Y / Weapon Switch] to holster your weapon. You’ll run faster and climb higher.
See the balloons in the air? Interact to launch yourself and travel across the map fast. Glide down and then up to gain more distance.
Wraith’s portals can be used by allies and enemies. Watch out if you’re making a quick escape.
Wraith’s portals are extremely useful on high terrain — drop off a bridge or high wall, then teleport back up. Now you can instantly change elevations.
Even when you’re downed, you can still use Wraith’s portals. You can still open and close doors, too!
Bloodhunter can sense Mirage when he uses his decoy / invisibility ultimate. Unlike Wraith, Mirage can still be damaged while he’s invisible.
Artillery Ultimates are deadly to allies. Wait for the bombardment to stop before charging in!
Lifeline’s Ultimate drops a Blue Droppod with high quality defensive gear — never weapons.
Check your map to see Blue Droppods anywhere on the map. You’ll always find Purple Loot inside!
You can respond to ping markers. Point at a ping, and hold to open the ping wheel — you can reply with “agree”, “disagree”, or “I can’t”.
You can interrupt Execution animations by shooting the players using the lengthy execution animation. Punish them for showing off!
Select your weapon in the ping wheel to automatically request the type of ammo you need.
A flash appears next to your teammate icon when they’re shooting.
You don’t need to personally have a dead player’s banner to use the Respawn Beacon. If a teammate is carrying the banner, anyone can use the beacon.
Planning on respawning a dead teammate? Don’t loot their stuff! They’ll respawn with an empty inventory!
Gold Loot has the same stats as Purple Loot — except, Gold Loot gains bonus perks.
Gold Helmets charge your Tactical / Ultimate Skills faster.
Gold Armor recharges your shields after an execution.
Gold Backpacks speed up health / shield consumable use.
Gold KO Shields give you a one-time use self-revive. This is one of the best items in the game.
Using Pathfinder’s grappling hook works just like in Titanfall — you’ll swing in the direction you look.
When you collect a new gun, all the compatible attachments will automatically transfer to your new weapon.
Melee attack will knock open doors. Or you can just open them, but this is cooler. And it blasts the door open, so if someone keeps trying to close it, this will thwart their plans.
See the color of the crate left behind by dead enemies? That shows the rarity of the gear they’re carrying. Loot Purple / Gold stuff first!