When is Solos returning to Apex Legends?

Keep your eyes on the horizon.
Image via Respawn Entertainment

It’s hard to believe Apex Legends is three and a half years old. In those three-plus years, players have been treated to a variety of modes that stretched the core tenants of battle royale in new and interesting ways, from the ring flares of the Chaos Theory event to the self-heal zones of Flashpoint during the Aftermarket event.

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One limited-time mode players have consistently asked to see again is Solos. As the name implies, Solos allowed players to take on the game’s battle royale by themselves. The appeal is obvious: no annoying squadmates slurping up your ammo and no teammates quitting the match as soon as they’re downed means fewer distractions on your way to the top.

Solos hasn’t been seen in Apex in a long time, leaving many players wondering if the mode will ever make a triumphant return.

Could Apex’s Solos mode return to the battle royale?

Developer Respawn introduced Apex’s solo mode with the launch of the Iron Crown Collection event in August 2019. It was an instant hit across the game’s fan base. The mode wasn’t without its flaws, however, and many fans realized the benefits of teaming up with each other to gain advantages over their opponents, which defeated the purpose of going solo.

Following the rise of these “teamers,” Respawn said the company remained undecided on whether the game mode would be a permanent addition to the game or just another event-exclusive game mode. In the 1.16 patch notes, the Apex developer mentioned it was collecting feedback and monitoring “healthy matchmaking” before deciding if the game mode would return.  

But unfortunately for fans of the solo mode, it’s unlikely the single-player format will be brought back to the game—not permanently, at least.

In the patch notes for The Old Ways event, Respawn said Solos doesn’t fit the company’s vision for the game and that it hindered Apex’s intended playstyle.

“When we introduced Solos as a limited-time mode last year we saw it actually negatively impacted the game, especially when it came to new player retention,” Respawn said. “We’ve also purposely designed Legends and their abilities to compliment teamplay and squad composition, but when played Solo some Legend abilities become useless.”

Solos’ return isn’t completely off the table, however. Respawn said it’s “actively exploring” ways to bring the mode back. As of season 14, Solos hasn’t been in the game since that initial Iron Crown event, so it appears as though the company has yet to come to a definitive decision on its inclusion.

Related: Why Apex Legends doesn’t need a permanent Solos mode

Apex Legends Mobile, however, welcomed its own solos mode with open arms in October 2022, signaling a potential return of the mode for players on the PC and console version of the game. Apex‘s mobile game introduced Gun Run ahead of its PC-and-console counterpart, meaning there could be reason to believe the solos mode will follow a similar path: mobile first, PC and console second.

Only time will tell if solos is on the battle royale’s horizon. It’s now just a game of wait and see.


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Rachel Samples
Managing Editor. In 2018, Rachel graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor’s in Rhetoric and Writing and first entered the esports industry in the same year. Her favorite games include fast-paced FPS titles, deckbuilders, and the entire Mass Effect franchise. Need any calibrations?
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Emily Morrow
Emily is a staff writer covering Apex Legends, Overwatch, Pokemon, and general gaming for Dot Esports. Her other bylines include Digital Trends, Screen Rant, and GameSpew. She also works as a narrative designer in games. Get in touch with her on Twitter @thepokeflute.