Games
Jump into Respawn's new shooter with confidence thanks to our handy guide to every type of of opponent you'll face off against in the massively popular battle royale game.
Apex Legends came out of nowhere and immediately staked its claim as the battle royale game to beat. With a fairly relaxed connection to Respawn's excellent Titanfall series, and a handful of brand new innovations, it quickly attracted 25,000,000 players and shattered a number of industry records.
This many players means a lot of archetypes, and so you'll find yourself running into the same personalities over and over. Chances are if you haven't played with these people, you're one of them. Here are the 10 player types to look out for in Apex Legends.
1. The Eager Beaver
Player trait: Keen as mustard
Usually found: Charging off into the fray
When you're nominated Jump Master, you take it seriously. You examine the map, watch the other squads jump, and select your spot with the careful consideration of a master tactician. You want to get the spot just right: a couple of supply cases scattered around, some cover, maybe a little elevation. You know what your squad needs, and that's how you prioritise.
Not the Eager Beaver, who'll slam the button down the moment the map comes into focus, and drop you wherever. No weapon pick-ups? Surrounded by other squads? Miles from the Circle? Oh, well. At least you're out of that claustrophobic dropship.
2. The Maverick
Player trait: Lone wolf
Usually found: Wherever their squad isn't
Squads are everything in Apex Legends. Your squad is your greatest defence and most powerful offence. You're a singular unit, a gestalt entity forged in the flames of battle, and when one of you is in need, all are in need. You have each others' backs when the gunsmoke gets thick, and you never leave a fallen comrade behind. At least, that's the idea.
The Maverick, though, doesn't need no squad. The Maverick can do it all alone. They don't need you, they don't want you around, and their greatest wish is that Respawn finally drops that solo mode, so they can get on with winning without you holding them back.
3. The Springbok
Player trait: Bouncy
Usually found: Bouncing
This particular archetype is not wholly exclusive to Apex Legends, but you'll definitely have seen them in the field. The Springbok is never on the ground. They leap everywhere, possibly to present a more difficult target to get a bead on, possibly because they just love cardio.
It's either moderately annoying or incredibly annoying, depending on whether or not you're trying to shoot them at the time. And when you corner them in a tight spot, it's like trying to play whack-a-mole when the moles are on pogo-sticks. It's a legitimate tactic, they'll argue. Yeah? Well so are grenades.
4. The Champion
Player trait: Preternatural skill
Usually found: Being much better than you
You'll know when this player is in your game, because you'll never hear a new kill leader announced. The Champion has already mastered the map, they know every nuance of every character, and all the weapons. They know hiding spots, player exploits, tricks, and techniques.
They seem to move like lightning, dodging your shots with even greater finesse than the Springbok. They don't even bother to celebrate a victory. You're nothing to them, an insignificant footnote in the tale of their glory, and they want you to know it.
5. The Casual
Player trait: Confusion
Usually found: Playing Fortnite
Let's be honest and fair: if you're coming to Apex Legends from Fortnite or PUBG, you might not expect all the abilities and tactics. In fact, newcomers such as The Casual might even be forgiven for forgetting that each Legend has special abilities. Which is why they never use them. Ever. Need a pick-me-up, but Lifeline is just ignoring you? Desperate for a shield right now, but Gibraltar is too busy hiding behind cover? Probably The Casual, then.
We know we said you could forgive them, but forgiveness isn't the same as mercy. Should the opportunity arise, punish them accordingly.
6. The Hoarder
Player trait: Greed
Usually found: Waist-deep in a supply case
There's a lot of loot to gather in Apex Legends. Guns are really only the tip of the iceberg, as the map is littered with supply cases and gear, including body armour, knock-down shields, scopes and weapon mods, ammo, and throwables. The Hoarder wants all of it.
If you're in a squad with a Hoarder lucky enough to snag a backpack early on, you can forget about picking up anything useful. They'll hoover up mods and ammo as quickly as possible, making sure they're fully stacked out, even if you're still running around with a throwing star and a prayer. Then, they'll be so weighed-down by their greed that they'll be shot down in minutes.
7. The Lazarus
Player trait: Is dead
Usually found: Being dead
Apex Legends is unique among Battle Royales in that death doesn't necessarily mean game over. If your squad is skilled enough, they can either revive you, or get your banner to the nearest res-station and bring you back, sans gear but ready to fight again.
The Lazarus lives (or dies) for this. They'll be shot down in every encounter, either selflessly or senselessly soaking up the bullets, while you use their sacrifice as a tactical advantage. Let them die, kill their killers, and res them later. Or at least, that's what they'll tell you they planned all along. The truth is, they're just lousy.
8. The Teamster
Player trait: Super-helpful
Usually found: Doing the legwork
If you find yourself with a true Teamster in your Squad, you've just struck gold. Usually they'll be running Lifeline, and their goal will be your comfort. The Teamster is an incredibly rare beast that will continuously pass on the good gear because "you'd make better use of it", and is always on hand to revive you or heal you.
They call out properly, they never leave you alone in a firefight and will always, always risk everything to get you back on your feet. And even if you all wipe without a single kill to your names, you'll get a message shortly after congratulating you on a "GG!". Bless them.
9. The Panic-Pinger
Player trait: Over-excited
Usually found: Hammering the shoulder buttons
"Ping! Helmet here, level 2!" "Ping! Enemy spotted!" "Ping! Supply case here!" Ping! Ping! Ping!
Don't get us wrong, the call-out system is another thing that sets Apex Legends apart from its contemporaries. It's an incredibly intuitive system that ensures that even mic-less squads of random can prevail. But by all that is holy, we're sure some people just use it to troll us. They ping everything, repeatedly, even things that aren't there. Things that don't exist. A branch blowing in the wind, a puddle, an odd-shaped cloud. Ping! Ping! Ping!
10. The Bossy Boots
Player trait: Forthright. Let's say forthright.
Usually found: Telling you noobs what's what
Of course, there's a darker side to the call-outs, because they allow you to make... suggestions, to your teammates. This begins on the dropship, where you'll be repeatedly told, "That's a good place to land." But it extends to the battlefield, too.
Go this way, they'll demand. Explore over here. Follow me. And off they'll run, leaving you alone because your remaining squadmate is as much use as a chocolate grill-pan or, worse, already latched onto ol' Bossy Boots. We hate to say it but your choices are limited: ignore them, follow them, or start pinging random landmarks like a crazy person.
