Apex Legends is adding a permanent solo queue option next week
Though it doesn't sound like the best deal for solo players
Good news for all you Apex Legends fans who've been asking for a solos mode: Respawn Entertainment are about to add a new option that'll let you drop into the battle royale on your lonesome. It arrives on March 9th, alongside the game's Caustic-themed Chaos Theory Collection Event, and a new game mode that adds small pockets of Apex's deadly ring inside the arena's safe zones (well, not-so-safe zones anymore).
Players have been asking for solos in Apex for yonks, though I'm not totally sure this new option is quite what they had in mind. The game is adding a "no-fill" matchmaking option, meaning when you queue for the two normal modes (duos or trios) you have the option to turn matchmaking off. This will throw you into a game where you're on your own against teams of twos or threes.
I honestly don't this is ever an option I'd bother with personally. Apex is designed to be a team game and I like it that way, though I do appreciate the reasons you might want to go it alone - whether it's to challenge yourself, complete a daily mission without being interrupted by a team or maybe to explore the map a bit. At the very least, this option will hopefully stop solo players from running off and abandoning their teammates after getting into a game.
One of the main parts of this event is the Caustic Town Takeover. The gassy Legend has turned the Water Treatment dropzone on Kings Canyon into a festering pit with some very good loot in it. Players will be able to find four gold items locked in cages here, though they'll need to be quick to get them, because the facility will be filling up with toxic liquid.
A new game mode is taking over the regular battle royale mode for now too. It's called Ring Fury, and will mostly play out like any normal Apex match, except pockets of the game's deadly ring will appear in the arena. These ring flares do the same amount of damage as the main ring that's closing in on you, but you'll see a short warning about them on your minimap before they appear. You'll have a little protection from these flares, however, in the form of a heat shield. You can find them in the usual places you find loot, and when deployed they look a little like Gibraltar's dome shield.
Chaos Theory also coincides with the game's Nintendo Switch release. Just like with PlayStation, Xbox and PC, the game will have cross-platform play so you join up with your pals no matter what they're playing on. Unfortunately, there's no cross-platform progression though, so if you pick Apex up on a new platform you'll have to start from scratch.
And, as always with these events, there are loads of new skins and cosmetics you can check out in the in-game store. You can earn some free rewards, like gun skins and charms, by completing event challenges too.
The Chaos Theory Collection Event and Apex Legends Switch version both arrive next week, on March 9th. Check out the patch notes for more info.