The one and only map on Apex Legends right now, Kings Canyon, has served its purpose well by providing players with a variety of environments and excitement. In any battle-royale game, the map is one of the most iconic parts of the experience given to the players by the developers. I have always thought of choosing a location in a battle-royale comparable to selecting a loadout in Call of Duty or Battlefield. After joining a game the first decision one must make, is when he/she is going to jump out of the ship, just like one would pick their loadout at the beginning of a round in CoD. While all of the areas listed below are guaranteed mid-high tier loot, each game is randomized so you won't know 100% until you've made your final decision.
Jumping
In every game of Apex Legends squads are made out of three players, after picking a legend, all players start each round in a huge plane-like vehicle flying over the map. Don't ask me why, but battle-royale tradition states that at least half of the teams (10) must jump out in the first five seconds. To increase chances of survival, make sure the most experienced player on the team is the jumpmaster. The jumpmaster is the person who will decide where on the map the squad will land. Just in case you have an incompetent squadmate, the game gives an option to launch solo, saving you from a dragged out punching contest. All you have to do is press and hold the circle or B button if you are playing on console, and LCTRL for PC players. Now that you are armed with this vital information, where will you land?
SUPPLY SHIP
The Supply Ship is a new feature in the battle-royale genre, it gives the playing field a 3D aspect to it, not only are there enemies on the ground but in the air as well. At the beginning of every match, there is a highlighted location where the Supply Ship is going to land. On many occasions, it is possible to land directly on the Supply Ship, for those times it is not possible, don't feel left out! Catch it later when it lands throughout the game. Remember, by the time you get there, it will probably be looted already. Although, as you can see from the map, it will have some high-tier loot that might be worth the risk.
THUNDERDOME
The Southwest area of the map is one of my favorites and the Thunderdome is one of the reasons why. The loot is impressive, but not so much better than any of the other places; the bonus you receive when landing here is the multitude of buildings in Skull Town which lay ripe for the picking. After you have completed your conquest of the Thunderdome, you can guarantee yourself a route which won't expose you for too long, but be wary, you might run into some hostiles in Skull Town since it is more towards the center of the map.
Airbase
Another area on the fringes of the map, Airbase has, as the name suggests, airplanes, and other smaller buildings. Another great aspect that makes this place so hospitable is the abundance of supply crates near the landing pads. There is always enough loot for the whole squad here, and maybe for another squad as well, so keep an eye out for the competition here. When exiting you can always make it safely to another small town, but you will be open to fire for a few moments while crossing the desert, in any direction you choose to leave from.
Bunker
I have seen other lists and almost none of them even mention Bunker, even though it is one of the most viable and reliable landing locations in the game. About 10 squads (half) will brave the Hot Zone, the other half will land randomly between the rest of the locations listed here and on other lists. Since Bunker is towards the center of the map, pretty big and easily defended, if you are able to be one of the first to drop there, your squad won't need to loot heavily for a while.
Artillery
A large area containing multiple buildings, Artillery will satisfy your every desire. Since the area is enclosed by mountains almost on all sides, this is an incredible location to drop too, if you can get there before other teams. There are two ways to get out moderately safely, both are small paths which will give you a chance to escape in case another team is lucky enough to drop there as well. Just remember, after looting everything in sight to your hearts content, always head to the Cascades!
HOT ZONE
I can't have a list about the best drop zones in Apex Legends and leave out the Hot Zone. I decided to stick it on the bottom of the list because while yes, it offers great opportunity, it also presents a great danger. The area is glorified by a large blue light, and what makes it even more interesting is that some weapons are already fitted with attachments when you pick them up. The majority of the most confident and skilled combatants will try their luck in the Hot Zone and unless you are very assured in your abilities, would require a lot of luck and experience to get out of there alive. The reward is greater, but as the saying goes, with great reward comes great risk.
Note: I have seen Relay posted on lots of other lists, but I don't see its merit any more than another area close to the edge of the map. Plus to get anywhere safe from there, a squad would need to cross open terrain in almost any direction. I understand it is a preferred location to a lot of players but I don't see it being in the top five regarding loot and location.
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Bangmain
Garbage.
Thunderdome. If the ship comes anywhere from the bottom or across the bottom half? Thunderdome is packed. It might be a “battle Royale” but in reality it’s a survival game. Going anywhere this packed is making your win a coin toss, skill or not. You can’t defend a peace keeper with a Mozameme. Next .
Airbase. Same situation, any time the ship is coming anywhere near that half of the map you’ll see people there. If the lobby has any decent players, anyways. next.
Bunker. Do I need to point this out? People. People everywhere. No guarantee of a gun. Pointless spot to drop. Hard pass unless you see nobody going that way or you beat, preferably, as few crews as possible to the ground to loot. Better off literally anywhere else.
Artillery. Same issue as the first two. If it’s close it’s packed, if it’s far away you probably had better choices with tighter loot spawns (less running, more loot).
Hot zone? I can’t even figure out why this is in here. It again puts the odds in the enemies favor and takes more control away from you. This game wants random winners, you should play to avoid as many random encounters as possible.
Here’s 5 better spots from a high level player who ends damn near every game top 3 AT WORST. Win streaks are common and my record is 5 in a row. Not a bad player at all.
Relay. Usually high tier. Generally forgotten about. Super fast to loot once you get the hang of it. Easy walk in to the circle with 3 good loot options along the way. If not? Super strong position to defend. High ground galore. Escape routes. Lots of cover. Enemies have to walk through open ground. Probably my favorite if the drop is right (another animal entirely worthy of it’s own article. Decent drop paths).
Wetlands. Basically the same premise as Relay, not as fortified, though.
Slum lakes. Like normal slums, people avoid them. But in Apex these poop holes actually have some loot. A lot of it. Decent routes of escape. Not the most fun place to fight anymore than one crew.
Runoff. Lots of loot, good chance to kill airbase survivors. Can be high traffic if it’s closer than airbase, but easily recognizable when you see the drop line.
Water treatment. Lots to loot, large enough space to make a gap between enemies. Super good to defend in the final few circles. Often high tier loot. Usually forgotten about and rarely landed in.
You’re welcome.
Layvi Litton
I understand what your saying and that is a great list. I see most of your reasoning lies in the fact that your judging locations by your fear of other players, instead of judging the locations based off of their attributes.
In the end of the day, there is no 100% right answer so wherever you like to drop you should drop, because it’s a video game.