Apex Legends Season 10, Emergence, has brought a number of changes to the battle royale. There's a new legend by the name of Seer, ranked arenas, and plenty of buffs/nerfs to go around. But what players may not have expected is the return of the classic Kings Canyon map. While Kings Canyon has made some sporadic appearances in the past few seasons for events, Emergence is the first time the map has been put back into quickplay rotation in some time. In case you've forgotten your way around Kings Canyon, we've got a guide to get you back in fighting shape.
Where To Land in Kings Canyon
King's Canyon hasn't been regularly featured in some time, but it’s still gone through some major overhauls. Some areas have been replaced, others destroyed. Of course, after all that there are still some zones that are simply better to drop in than others, even if they look a little different now. Here are the best locations to drop in Kings Canyon for Season 10:
- Skull Salvage: Skull Salvage has taken the place of Skull Town. It’s a huge crater where the town used to be, and features the titular skull hanging from a crane in the middle. In addition to rare loot scattered about the crater, there's nearly always a rare item inside the skull if you can get to it. Skull Salvage was briefly changed back to Skull Town for the Genesis event, so there is the possibility that Respawn will keep it that way for Season 10, but it’s unlikely.
- Crypto's Map Room: Crypto's Map Room is a two-for-one deal. It has rare loot, and a holographic display that briefly pings all player locations and the next ring location on your map. This location will probably be in high demand for drops, but there's a plentiful amount of loot for multiple teams — just make sure yours comes out on top.
- Crash Site: For those who like a little more action when they land, Crash site is the place to be. It's a very long and open, corridor-like area filled to the brim with solid loot. Its shape also allows multiple teams to land and outfit themselves. You’ll also find Artillery and Spotted Lake on either side to rotate through, and Containment in the middle, leaving some wiggle room if your team gets pinned down.
Keep an Eye Out for Other Teams in Firefights
While huge firefights were a common sight in Apex Legends, they’ll be even more plentiful in Emergence. World's Edge is around 1.5 times larger than Kings Canyon, and Olympus has a ton of verticality to it. This means that both of the newer maps feature more space, meaning teams are less likely to run into each other. If you haven't played Kings Canyon in a while, keep in mind that your firefights are far more likely to be interrupted by a third team than on other maps. Plan accordingly to avoid being caught out.
Utilize Machine Guns and Grenades
The smaller map size of Kings Canyon also means smaller engagement areas. This means that close range weapons with a high rate of fire can be used to great effect. The L-Star and Prowler are two machine guns that will no doubt be incredibly useful in Kings Canyon. The small corridors on the map are also perfect for a well-placed grenade, and it may be worth dumping an extra shield or equipment item to load up on frags here.
Mobility, Mobility, Mobility
Because Kings Canyon was the first Apex Legends map, it was designed to be used by the first handful of legends. Back then, Pathfinder was practically the only legend with any real movement options — there wasn’t a jetpack or jump pad in sight. Because of this, nearly every area is accessible to you regardless of your legend. Don't be afraid to try to get on a building's roof to take pot shots from across the map. If it’s a surface, you can most likely get on top of it.
This also bleeds over into how your team should rotate through Kings Canyon. Most areas of the map have at least three accessible options to choose from, even when the circle closes in. Don't be afraid to sprint to a new area if you're taking too much fire. Chances are, you can get there quickly and without a teammate getting left behind.
When Will Kings Canyon Return?
While Kings Canyon is included in Season 10, it's not technically available to play yet. The first week of Emergence will only feature the revamped World's Edge map. After that, World's Edge, Olympus, and Kings Canyon will be regularly rotated throughout the season for quickplay. Competitive will use the World's Edge map for the first split, and Kings Canyon for the second.
Nicolas Perez is a journalist who has played way too much Civilization 5. He's rambling on Twitter @Nic_Perez_.
