Press "ESC" to close menu.
Author: Andrey Goloshubov a.k.a. Dallon Avery feat. Legionfarm Pros
In this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about the new game mode featured in the latest big Apex Legends update, which is Season 9, also known as Legacy. Unlike many other reviews and guides that we did in the past, this time we’re trying something new – the better half of this guide will be dedicated to tips and tricks for this game mode, provided to you by REAL pro players, all named and credited in the piece. We’re very proud to share with you our player’s exclusive first looks of the game mode, so if you are wondering how to get better at Apex Legend and its new game mode, in particular, you can find all the best loadouts, legend combos, and strats right here! Enjoy!
Table of contents:
What Is This New Arena Game Mode All About?
A brand new game mode that is here to stay, unlike numerous Apex Legends game modes tied to limited-time events such as the Apex Legends Third Person mode, the Arenas mode is a whole new take that gives a fresh spin on the Apex Legends gameplay.
At the core of each battle in Apex Legends, there’s a firefight between at least two teams of three players. The developers decided to take that concept and create a new game mode representing a pure 3v3 experience. There are multiple rounds to win, but you won’t need to search for loot or anything like that. What you’ll get instead is the new ruleset that creates an abundance of challenges for everyone willing to give it a spin.
There are 2 custom maps for the Arenas and 3 POIs (Points of Interest) that serve as maps for the game mode:
- The Party Crasher map that featured in the Mirage Voyage Town Takeover
- The Phase Runner map – a functioning prototype based on Talos that is much similar to the one on Olympus
- POIs:
The Rules of Arena
The objective in the Apex Arena is to eliminate the enemy team. There are no respawn beacons, so players can’t pick up the banners of fallen allies to revive them. However, it is still possible for downed players to be revived. When players die, they drop all their loot on the ground instead of leaving the death box-like in BR.
Each round starts with players appearing in their spawn locations – an enclosed area that players can’t leave until the match has begun. The 30-second cooldown is given to players to buy abilities, Apex Legends weapons, consumables, upgrades from the shop, and a brand-new Apex Legends HUD with its own features.
After the cooldown is over, the barriers separate the spawning areas from the rest of the arena lift, letting players engage.
On each map, you can always find the following:
As the rounds progress, the weapons found grow in tiers.
The winning condition is the “best of three,” which means that a team must win two rounds more than the enemy team or win three rounds in a row. If the score is 2-2, the game continues until one of the teams wins twice in a row. However, round 9 is always the final one. If by Round 9 there’s no winner squad, the “sudden death” mechanic is enabled where the victor of Round 9 becomes the victor of the game. So, build your Apex Legends strategy accordingly.
The shop that we mentioned earlier and the economy it introduces into this game mode is what separates Arenas from the BR mode the most. All gear and abilities are purchased with Crafting Materials. For the first round, you’re given 550 Materials and lvl 2 body armor and a helmet. The player gets 75 Materials for each kill they make. The materials cap is 3500. Any consumables you buy like grenades, shield and health regen items do not carry over to the next round. Keep that in mind as many Apex Legends tricks you will read about today have to do with these features and mechanics.
As for abilities, they are limited in this game mode. Legends can use their passives and a fixed amount of Tactical uses for free. Additionally, players can purchase extra Tactical ability uses with Materials from the store. The same goes for the Ultimate. Unused ability charges, however, do carry over to the next rounds.
Furthermore, some Ultimate abilities for select Legends can’t be purchased in Round 1 and instead become available for purchasing in rounds 2 or even further. Finally, some Ultimate abilities have been slightly adjusted for the Arenas:
- Lifeline’s Care Package contains 2 Shield Batteries and 1 fully-kitted weapon, instead of its usual contents.
- Valkyrie’s Skyward Dive: the height that you can reach using this ability is severely reduced.
Apex Legends Tips, Tricks and Strategies From Our Pros
And now it’s time to get to the Apex tips themselves and find out how to excel in this mode. To do that, we’ve asked our pros a number of questions, and their answers are going to shock you!
The Best Loadout
The very first question that players will be asking themselves when they try Arenas is what to buy? Or what loadout should they use? Here’s what our players are using:
MiNiTv: R-301 & Peacekeeper (or Wingman) is a very good combo that can get you some points for the other guns.
Jushi: Wingman + EVA-8
Jasssix: Bochek bow with EVA-8, G7 Scout or 30-30 Repeater with Volt SMG or Peacekeeper. Any gun that does a lot of damage in one shot is good at this mode since you have limited resources on a team.
UberBoomer: R99 + Bocek or R99 + any Shotgun are the best options.
M1zery_Dx: Wingman + EVA 8, R99 - EVA 8, Bocek - EVA 8.
Darkin: Depending on your skill level, Wingman + EVA-8 has really good value, Bocek bow + R99 if you are skilled with the bow.
Jayzu: Wingman, for the first few rounds, is a great start. Or Flatline, as it’s super versatile.
Theh1d: Bow and the R301 are great to use.
TTVSuxwellgaming:
- Round 1 - Wingman or Volt
- Round 2 - Volt (Upgraded) or Eva 8 and Bow
- Round 3 - R301 Upgraded and Moz
- Round 4 - Same as above
Diaszq: Alternator first round, then it depends on the map, usually in the second round I go with a Flatline, and later on if I have enough money it’s Flatline + any kind of shotgun. Batteries whenever I can as well.
4Beyond: For the first match, I recommend the Re45 and Eva8. It's cheap and gives you a primary and secondary. Most people just buy 1 expensive weapon but lack a secondary. This is where you get the advantage. 2nd round, Havoc is quite cheap, but you can run Volt and Eva, maybe even upgrade the Volt once and grab an RE-45 with it. Remember to keep an eye on what your teammates are using. This will tell you what you should run. If someone has a ranged weapon, you need to cut the distance with a mid/close range.
Barbalow: Bocek and PK are my favourites.
Szalami1: It's really based on the match and the characters. Mostly I use Bocek and Eva-8, but the first match is Wingman or Volt.
Boozy: First round, I like to run the Spitfire just because it doesn’t need any attachments to be a monster! In later rounds, when you have enough money for upgrades, the 301 is king!
Sarg3d: Flatline, Bow, Wingman, R-301.
ANE District: Round one is an ECO round. You have little to no money, so you want to buy cheap and save as much as you can for round 2. I usually buy the Alternator because it's accurate, hits hard and is one of the cheapest guns you can buy. Once the round starts, I go straight for materials and loot bins for health. This way, if the other team wasted their money on LMGs or assault rifles, we can play slowly and drain their health with the meds we picked up. After round 2, I start buying R301s and upgrade them once. I’ll buy a couple meds, and depending on my legend I'll buy an extra alt or tac and save the remaining money I have for the next round. By now, we have won 2/3 rounds, and now I go all-in with my upgraded weapons. I buy frags, and I buy a second weapon, usually the EVA8 and upgrade it once or twice if I have enough cash.
Best Legends Combination for Arenas
In this part of our pros’ tips for Apex Legends, we’ll talk about the characters themselves. The choice of Legends is as crucial as choosing what weapons to buy. Let’s see what kind of logic our pros are using when picking their chars:
Jushi: Lifeline or Gibby, Octane and Pathfinder.
Jasssix: Lifeline, Gibby, Valkyrie (Octane or Pathfinder). For new players, Bloodhound is a good choice.
UberBoomer: Bloodhound, Gibby + any mobile char or maybe Rampart (resources are severely limited in the early rounds, so her fences can be useful).
M1zery_Dx: There is no best setup. Certain maps favour one or the other legend, but it all comes down to how you play them.
Darkin: Wraith, Pathy, Lifeline.
Jayzu: Lifeline is absolutely essential with her drone. Bloodhound with his ultimate is also very strong.
Theh1d: Gibby/Bloodhound/Wraith or Octane. In this mode there’s a load of characters to work with.
TTVSuxwellgaming: Lifeline, Wraith and Crypto.
Diaszq: Pathfinder/Gibby/Bloodhound.
4Beyond: There is no right or wrong answer for this. My advice is to play what you are best on or more comfortable with. Every legend is quite well-balanced now.
Barbalow: Loba, Gibby are absolutely necessary, in my opinion.
Szalami1: There are a lot of good comps here, some for aggressive play, some for smart circle play, like Rampart-Gibi-Lifeline or Loba-Rampart-Lifeline or Pathfinder-Octane-Bloodhound or Pathfinder-Octane-Valkyrie.
Boozy: Lifeline/Gibby is key! One gets knocked at range, and it's an easy res! The third can be anyone but preferably someone who’s a good pusher! Like for example, Valk, Horizon, Wraith, Path or Octane.
Sarg3d: Path, Wraith, Lifeline
ANE District: Play to YOUR strengths. If you don't know a legend or if they don't match your playstyle, then don't use it. I like to use legends where I can get in and out easily. For example, if I'm playing Wraith, I will buy a portal, start it in an area the opposite team can’t push right away or easily and then I'll TP onto the enemy’s side of the ring and try to pick someone off if for whatever reason I can’t get a knock or the team hurts me badly I can always TP back and heal. As far as a trio that would work well, you will want a mobility character of your choice, like Wraith, Octane, Valk, or Horizon. This gives you the abilities to take new angles like we just talked about. Your second legend will want to be a defensive legend. If someone goes down, you need to be able to hold off that team for pushing because 9/10 times, they will push off a knock to finish the rest of you off. For this, I suggest Gibby (who can bubble and fast res, or Caustic who will keep teams from overextending into a trapped gassed area. This will give you and your downed mate a small period of time to get up and reset for the push that's to come. A 3rd legend is a wild card. Unlike in battle royale, you don't need to plan and post up and hold multiple teams out. Rotating around a massive map is gone! So use this to your advantage. Arenas force you to be aggressive and smart with your pushes. Because of this, you don't need a recon legend to hit beacons, and now you can use your new wild card legend to be either extra aggressive or extra defensive, depending on how you like to play.
Consumables to Buy
We’ve now picked a Legend and chosen our weapons. The last thing left before starting a round is buying consumables. This is what our pros buy:
jushi: battery and gun.
Jasssix: Usually at least one Shield Battery and trying to get 30-30 Repeater with Mozambique, and then I am just upgrading these guns and buying more resources. On legends like Gibby or Lifeline, I am buying a golden backpack and tactical abilities.
UberBoomer: Guns->Shields->Nades.
M1zery_Dx: Economy management depends on the team a lot and how well they control resources around the map, but typically you want to have at least 1 Shield battery, 1 Grenade for each round.
Darkin: Usually stack a Wingman,then Eva 8 or stack a Bocek bow and play like lvl 1/2 attachments R99.
Jayzu: Try to prioritize batteries. They come in very clutch if you don’t manage to get the loot bin before the enemy team.
Theh1d: Going for the guns first, then heals after since at the start of the round there are bins with 2 batteries, 1 Phoenix kit, and 1 medkit. Both sides will race for the meds and crafting mats.
TTVSuxwellgaming:
- Round 1 - extra 2 Cells
- Round 2 - Bat and extra 2 Syringes
- Round 3 - Bat and Med Kit
- Round 4 - 2 Bats, 1 Med Kit
Diaszq: Usually I try to upgrade the weapon I'm using at least once, so I get a sight for it. Consumables --> always at least 1 battery, and extra cells if I'm able to. Depends on the character if I buy abilities.
4Beyond: For the first round, I just buy 2 guns, RE45 and Eva. In the 2nd round, I go for Volt, Wingman, or R301 with 1 shield batt and a few cells. In the 3rd round, it’s Volt, R99, Wingman, PK, and Eva with 2 bats, medkit and cells. For 3rd+ it’s the same as the above but add batts, meds and some nades.
Barbalow: If you have Loba, just buy your ult. There are some bins on the map which provide resources. In case you have a Loba in your team, just buy her ult, and you'll be able to get all the necessary resources for the round. From the Bank to others should buy primary and secondary weapons. I don't think upgrading is always worth it. Personally, I always upgrade it once to have an HCOG scope on them, but then I'm not upgrading it anymore. If I still have money, I'm buying resources as well. By resources, I mean shields and white meds.
Szalami1: It’s based on the money, how much we have. It's very important if someone goes for one weapon only. He/she has to buy more meds and can drop them to their teammates.
Boozy: It depends on the round and how much you have! If you can level up your weapon more than once, take the Spitfire. Then you can upgrade to the 301 when you have enough to upgrade it at least twice. Try to have some nades as well, as there is a lot of hiding behind cover and peeking!
Sarg3d: 2 frag nades, 2 bats, flatline.
ANE District: in the first few rounds, I buy very little, Alternator or Volt to save on cash for the next round, that extra 50-150 cash comes in handy. Round 2, I spend my money on an R99 with an upgrade so I can get a better mag and a sight, pair that with a portal if I'm playing Wraith, then I save whatever remaining cash I have for the next round. Round 3, I start spending my saved cash, 2x upgraded R301 for the attachments and ranged sights. Add a portal back if I've used it, buy an Eva 8 without attachments to save some money for consumables. By round 3, even if the other team lost, they still have a decent amount of money to buy heals and whatever attachments they need. So this is when I will start buying an extra battery or two. Remember how we didn't upgrade the Eva 8? It’s time to use that saved cash for some nades! From here on out, I just repeat my buys from Round 3 if the rounds continue. Whenever I have enough I'll add an upgrade to my R301 or Flatline and EVA8 for extra mag size and attachments.
The Game Plan: Improvise, Adapt, Overcome
Jushi: Take position/crack or knock one/push together.
Jasssix: As a Lifeline player, I am buying her ultimate ability in the first round because you are getting from it more than you can buy (you have a blue gun and 2 shield batteries) and share at least 1 battery with my teammate. Then I am trying to contest Supply bins. Supply bins are very important since they give you consumables for the worth of 700 at least which is a lot. Playing on Lifeline, I am trying to play around with my teammates since I can revive them.
UberBoomer: Take position in the zone and try to knock out resources. If you see that one of the opponents has separated from the squad, then you can push them together. Don’t fight separately, try to focus on one target always.
M1zery_Dx: I prioritize map control over anything, and my playstyle depends on how well the resources are being controlled. If they gain control of the Supply bin, I tend to play more aggressively since I don't want to go back-n-forth while at a disadvantage with heals. A lot depends on the kind of team you have.
Darkin: Always have your Wraith for the middle bin in the zone to get the batteries and cover her while doing so. Even if she takes a lot of damage and gets to heal after, it's all good. Also, always secure at least 1/2 crafting mats.
Jayzu: Always play off of damage done. If there’s significant damage done, always make sure to capitalize off of it and get a good aggressive push.
Theh1d: If we are up against a good team, the game turns into who lasts longer with their meds or who gets knocked first. Based on those, a push will be taken by the knocking team and will result in a fight to determine who wins the round.
TTVSuxwellgaming: Ensure that you take the high ground and also ensure that there is cover. I would always advise one of your teammates that you know they can handle their 1v1 to stay behind with a bow and pop shots at the enemy team to ensure they break shields, then you finish them off. I would also advise going for that extra Crafting materials as it can give you better guns the next round. Also, ensure you loot at least one of the Supply bins and ensure you share heals with your teammates. Stick close together but far enough that you can shoot from different angles cuz enemy teams will soon see that you are not together and try to gang up on one solo, meaning if you're close enough to flank from the back and that turns into a 2v2 rather than a 2v1.
Diaszq: Take position in the zone and try to knock out resources. If you see that one of the opponents has separated from the squad, then you can push him together. Do not fight separately, always try to focus on one target.
4Beyond: The movement character can stay by himself. The rest should stay together. Hold a strong position with a lot of playable areas, basically. The rest is just team calling/fighting/communicating.
Barbalow: Right now, there is no SBMM or Apex Legends Ranked in Arenas. It's pretty much just warming up for me, so I'm just pushing. I think this mode is good for people who are not confident and consistent in fighting scenarios. In this mode, you can get into as many fights as possible. You can basically learn how to fight in Apex. In order to improve your fighting techniques and positioning, you have to push your opponents, move around the covers you have around you. You have to be creative while doing this and use the covers to your advantage. Force them to make a mistake. Don't rush it. Learn how to fight smart and improve aim Apex Legends and positioning techniques.
Szalami1: Even if you play with randoms, and you lose the first round, don't be toxic with them. You don't know them but ruining the motivation always leads to losing the match. Try to be positive with them and give feedback on what they should do. I always rely on my teammates, but when I get the clutch, it's really good if they help where the enemy is, so I can play around. Spend your money wisely, check what your team has and don't go 3 snipers or Boceks!!
Boozy: Stay at mid-range until you knock one, then move in and kill the rest!
Sarg3d: I just try to isolate 1 player, and then it becomes a 2v3.
ANE District: Once a round starts, I prioritize the materials for the next round. I go straight for the cash and try to scoop up a loot bin holding the large heals while my team watches over me and shoots rounds downrange to keep anyone moving in my direction off of me. This allows my team to play slower this first round, where we can pick off and poke DMG to drain the team of their heals this first round. Once we break them enough, we know they only have 2 shield cells round 1, and now we can play a little more aggressively knowing they have burned through their meds. If for whatever reason we lose, it's not the end of the world since we picked up the 200 points from the materials.
Round 2 is the same thing. We go for the big loot bins holding the extra meds. Because the first 2 rounds we start with little cash, you have no money to be sending on health. It's extremely important to get those extra heals because of that. Now that our mobility character has obtained the extra meds for the team alongside the extra 200-400 cash points for round 3, we start to position ourselves and look for openings or miss positioned appoints that we can push and or try to knock.
Come round 3-to victory. This is where if you've been saving your money and getting thirsts from your knocks, you will have an abundance of cash. You can now start buying extra meds and not having to get the risky bins in the middle of the map every round. Now is when you start to play aggressive, deal DMG and keep pressure on that team if you have nades and manage to get a break on an enemy. Start tossing those nades towards him. This will either force him to cancel his meds or knock him, which will keep him out of the fight for an extended period of time (keeping it a 3v2), giving you space and time to move up on the team.
Remember: to ensure victory you must not go down. The moment the team has you at a 2v3, it's going to get increasingly harder to fight back and stand your ground. BUT this goes for them as well. If you manage to get a break of shields on someone, you MUST keep the pressure on that person and the team. Manoeuvre yourself to pick that person off and finish the team.
Homework
Our pros have shared the topics that you should explore on your own and what you must keep in mind to be better in Arenas. Here’s what they suggest:
Jushi: Always practice aim, practice movement. No big difference between Ranked and Arena.
Jasssix: Play as a team always, give your teammates callouts how much dmg you did and where do you see an enemy.
M1zery_Dx: Having good fighting fundamentals is key. At the end of the day, it comes down to how well you understand and play around your:
- Gun setup
- Character abilities
- Positioning
If you have characters that are very mobile - try to gain control of the resources early.
If you have guns that excel at a certain distance - try to play around that distance until you get a substantial advantage to capitalize off that.Pay close attention to what part of the map zone is going to pull to and position your team and yourself around that.If you're looking to become a better player in Apex Legends (not just Arenas), this is a very solid game mode for that. ~~Darkin: Always play with your teammates. Do not overextend and play with all the cover. Heals are limited and expensive. If you dish out way more damage than you took back and the enemy prepared for, you will likely win.
Jayzu: Just be confident and make sure to practice. You’ll get there eventually.
Theh1d: Don't forget your heals are limitless.
TTVSuxwellgaming: Practice makes perfect. Try being aggressive. If that doesn't work, try being passive. It's all about finding that balance, ensuring that you are playing as a team rather than solo. If you solo-q Arenas, I would just follow your teammates. You have a better chance of winning if they are close enough, rather than being on your own and having 2 enemies jump on you.
Diaszq: Be aware of your position, and understand that you alone have a BIG impact on those around. Always be aware of EVERYTHING, especially your teammate's position.
4Beyond: It's a focused team game. You really do need a full squad that is on the same page at all times, making sure everyone knows what they are doing.I suggest finding a team you vibe with, work with each other, try out different ideas, legend comp and tactics to see if they work for you or not. Remember: mistakes must happen to progress further.
Barbalow: Most people would say the economy is key. But its not CS or Valorant. The economy is not that important here. A PRO player needs two weapons, a shield and resources. You do not need attachments to win games. So I would say:
- positioning
- approaching the enemy and making them make a mistake
- once they have made a mistake, turn it to your advantage and use it out. What do I mean by forcing them to make a mistake? Let's say they have a Gibby, and you have a Gibby as well. Make them force their bubble, then you can ult them to force them out of their position. They will be in the Open, and you can get angles completely free on them. While doing this, you already have the position advance. You have the HP advantage. If you knock one, you can play slow and smart. Reset completely as you already have a man advantage.
- team comp
- economy usage
Szalami1: Do not sit on one side of the map. There are canisters you need to collect for +200 Points. 2 players should go inside the circle, and the other one should collect the points around the map if the enemy tries to push, hold or just regroup, but I'm pretty sure they will not have enough points for the next round.
Boozy: Don't underestimate the bins! They are important! And always know where every member of the enemy team is!
Sarg3d: Just try your hardest, improve with your best gun, and best char, you'll learn how to approach fights and the importance of staying together, grabbing flanks or clutches, using a lot of covers... This is overall a great training for 3v3 fights in Battle Royale.
ANE District: This is the best chance you have to practice and learn your legend, don't be afraid to try new things and lose games. It's the losing that builds us as players. Use it as motivation and a learning experience.
Closing Remarks
We hope that this guide was useful for you, and now you feel more confident to jump into Arenas yourself. If you want to gain deeper knowledge about Apex Legends, learn something no ordinary player knows and destroy your enemies just like our pros do, order a “Play with a Pro” session with one of the players that were featured in this article. If you like the approach of one particular player, you can specify their nickname, and we’ll make sure you two will play together and climb those Apex Legends ranks faster! Find out more at !