Apex Legends‘ maps are an ever-evolving feature in the battle royale. Both Kings Canyon and World’s Edge have seen significant changes as the seasons have gone by—and the numerous map updates make no season the same.
Apex‘s fifth season, Fortune’s Favor, drastically changed the landscape of Kings Canyon by nuking the popular Skull Town from orbit, leaving behind nothing but a hanging Leviathan skull and memories. The latest season also changed the northeastern side of the map to develop two new points of interest in the region.
With all the map updates, ring patterns, and randomized drop spots, it’s hard to keep track of the best landing spots. Here’s what’s in every section of Kings Canyon so you can figure out where to land—and which way to go next.
Northwest: Runoff, The Pit, Slum Lakes, Containment, The Bunker
This part of the map has been fairly unchanged since the season two map updates. Runoff, The Pit, and Slum Lakes are huddled together and each has a considerable amount of loot at players’ disposal. Rotating from Runoff or Lakes to the Pit yields good gear and puts players close to the center of the map, opening up a wide range of choices for the next rounds.
Containment and Bunker are closer to the center, but the two areas don’t seem to have as much gear as the rest of the POIs in the region. The houses around the river that runs through the middle of Kings Canyon are a good option to supplement the missing gear and ammo.
If you’re looking to land in the northwestern part of the map, the trio of Runoff, The Pit, and Slum Lakes tend to make for safer drop spots, in spite of their distance. Bunker usually offers more combat, but the proximity to the center of the map and the loot around the POI also make it a viable spot.
Southwest: Airbase, Gauntlet, Salvage, Market
Players who dropped into Kings Canyon in the earlier seasons will notice an important difference on this side of the map. Skull Town, one of the most popular drop spots in Apex, is no longer a part of the arena. The Thunderdome shared Skull Town’s fate and the old area is now a giant area known as the Broken Coast. It houses the new POI, Salvage.
Salvage is located between The Gauntlet and Market. The recently-created bay houses a crane propping up the Leviathan skull that gave Skull Town its name. Landing there can yield some good loot, assuming you can get your hands on the popular drop zone. A Loot Bunker sits at the far end of the coast, close to Water Treatment, with the promise of epic loot and a free ult charge. From that POI, players can rotate to Market, Gauntlet/Airbase, or Water Treatment.
With the destruction of Skull Town and the Thunderdome, The Gauntlet has become even more isolated. Players who want to drop into the spot may consider jumping into Airbase instead. The POI is still as loot-heavy as it was and allows for more rotation options toward the north and west of the map. Market is also its usual self, with promising loot and a privileged location near the center of the map. It offers a series of choices on where to go next, too.
The southwestern side of the map lost two POIs with season five, but it’s still filled with viable drop spots. Airbase is filled with loot, which makes it a popular drop zone. Salvage is the flavor of the month for the time being and it’s hard to drop safely there. But that might make it a good choice for players who like to drop with their guns blazing.
Northeast: Artillery, Capacitor, The Rig
The northeastern side of the map got an extreme makeover with Apex‘s fifth season. Relay and Wetlands gave way to The Rig and Capacitor, two new POIs that aim to revitalize the area.
The Rig took Relay’s place at the edge of the map and placed a supersized crane on Kings Canyon—and not much is left from the original structure. Players can still see a part of the river that used to run through the POI as they move toward Capacitor and the area offers a few rotation choices. Capacitor, however, is bound to be the preferred path due to its abundance of loot and connections to the rest of the map.
Capacitor is more closed than its predecessor, Wetlands, and makes for an industrial area that favors close-to-mid range engagements, instead of the former open forest that grew over the map. Loot isn’t lacking in the POI and it’s hard to resist the allure of the Charge Towers. These glowing yellow pylons instantly fill up the ultimate of all nearby legends.
Artillery is still as viable as ever. The wide base contains enough loot to outfit a squad or two and the tunnels near it allow players to rotate toward the river at the center of the map or move to the nearby watchtower for some extra loot.
All POIs can serve as a good landing spot and have plenty of loot. Choosing between them usually depends on the dropship’s path and how many squads are willing to make the trek to that side of the map.
Southeast: Water Treatment, The Cage, Labs, Hydro Dam, Repulsor, Swamps
The Southeast region of the map houses plenty of POIs and gives players a wealth of landing spots to choose from. But the region is unchanged since Apex‘s second season.
Landing on Hydro Dam or Repulsor yields a reliable amount of loot scattered across both POIs and will give squads more than enough to start engaging their enemies. The passage in Hydro offers a surefire path to the center of the map, but players can opt to walk toward Labs, Swamps, or The Cage instead.
Swamps has the advantage of being surrounded by POIs on all sides, which makes it a good landing spot for players who want to walk a bit more. The houses in the area have a consistent amount of gear and it offers plenty of rotation options to nearby areas, such as Capacitor in the northwest, Labs in the west, and Hydro Dam in the southwest.
Labs has more loot than the Cage, but it’s usually a more populated drop zone depending on the dropship’s path. Both POIs make a good pit-stop location as players move across the map and each opens a wide array of location choices for the rest of the match.
Hydro and Repulsor offer room for close-quarters and long-range combat. Fights across the two POIs are usually an interesting endeavor. Players who look for more remote landing zones can also consider Swamps, while Labs and The Cage are closer to the center of the arena.
