In Season 9, we saw the introduction of an Arenas mode to Apex Legends. Players have had a few months to adjust to the new game mode, and it’s clear that Arenas require a very different skillset from the Battle Royale. The same can be said of the Legends you should be picking; not every Legend was built to thrive in the Arena. However, the opposite is true as well. There are a select few Legends that have a true home in Arenas, and they feel so much better in Arenas than the traditional BR mode. So, who are the most OP Arena Legends in Apex?

Our first category of the most OP Arena Legends in Apex are those that specialize in hard-carrying games. Their kits are oriented around doing the most they can for both their team and themselves. These Legends want to be in your face, and their kits supplement that playstyle. If you want to hard carry Arena games and rank up ASAP, these three Legends should be your go-to picks.

Rampart isn’t that great in BR, but her kit works exceptionally well in Arenas. She can always have her hands on an LMG to take advantage of her Passive, and her Tactical shields are excellent for holding a position. Rampart may not be what you’d think of as an aggressive Legend, but the best offense can often be a good defense. Not only does Rampart do well in the fight thanks to her Passive LMG buff, her shields also allow her teammates to be more aggressive than they’d normally be able to.

Taking a position and holding it can zone the enemy off of care packages and other supplies scattered around the map. In a setting where Rampart gets the exact loot she wants, she thrives. If you’re trying to learn Rampart for the sake of playing her in Arenas, I’d recommend buying the L-Star in early rounds. Arenas removes the ammo pool problem, and her Passive makes even the base L-star an absolute monster.

Lifeline isn’t typically thought of as an aggressive character, but she functions that way in Arenas. Sure, she’s a support character by role, but she can carry because of how fast she can heal her teammates. Rather than needing to spend time out of the fight to revive a teammate, she can easily revive them with her drone. Lifeline’s Tactical also helps with Arenas’ sparse healing economy, and she’ll often help you win a war of attrition. 

Her entire kit is oriented around keeping herself in the fight while supporting her team. If your mechanics are good enough, Lifeline can allow you to carry the game and keep your team in top shape all at the same time. However, if you aren’t too confident in your mechanical skill, Lifeline can very easily fill a more supportive role. She’s great for learning the mode.

While Valkyrie’s kit does well in BR, it shines in Arenas. Positioning is a lot more important on smaller maps, and Valkyrie’s vertical movement can help her secure important positions. Her Tactical is a great zoning ability, and the slow on-hit is great for chasing down fleeing opponents. Valkyrie’s ult is the star of the show here, though. It allows for hail-mary plays if your team is behind, and, with some good coordination from your teammates, Valkyrie’s ultimate allows you to surround your opponent and stack the odds in your favor. It can also be used to secure meds early on and position exactly where you want to on the map.

Valkyrie’s at her best when you plan things in advance. She gives the player tools that allow proactivity and planning, while simultaneously giving her a way out of and into fights with her jetpack. If you master Valkyrie’s kit, she can be an absolute menace on any Arenas map.

The second category of most OP Arena legends in Apex is all about utility. Repositioning your allies and disengaging from fights is the main goal with these Legends, and, although they require a bit more coordination and skill than the previous Legends on this list, the results are satisfying. Carrying is one thing, but being able to enable your teammates can feel so OP These three Legends have given me some of my best moments in Apex Arenas.

It’s hard to know when to go in and when to retreat, but Horizon’s abilities allow you to do both. Her Tactical can be used to ferry teammates on top of buildings and scaffolding, or it can be used in narrow doorways to deny access from your enemies. Her Ultimate is powerful in similar ways, as it can be used to make finishing weakened enemies easy or to aid in a hasty escape.

Horizon toes the line between being aggressive and more utility-oriented in a similar way that Valkyrie does, but Horizon’s kit comes with a few cautions. Teammates can often get thrown off by your Tactical, and they don’t have the advantage of Horizon’s Passive to make landings a bit more smooth. You can certainly use Horizon’s kit in an aggressive way, but she’s much better at helping her teammates and screwing with the enemy team.

If there’s a wildcard on this list, it’s Loba. You rarely see her in casual Arenas matches, and her value in the Arenas isn’t immediately apparent. Her passive is basically non-existent in this mode, and her Tactical ability doesn’t provide much as a combat ability. On paper, Loba sounds subpar in this mode.

However, her ultimate is what makes her one of the most OP Legends for Apex Arenas. As the rounds go on, care packages and meds become more and more important. Having the ability to access all the powerful tools on the map without putting yourself in danger is an invaluable asset. If you’re ok with giving up a strong early game and the fighting prowess other Legends provide, Loba’s the pick for you.

Gibraltar is likely the easiest Legend to pick up on this list. His abilities are easy to get the hang of, and they’re all very potent. Gibby’s Passive Arm Shield gives him a buffer that makes it much easier for new players to win gunfights, and his Tactical bubble shield will always be strong. Gibraltar’s ultimate is a bit expensive, but it’s very strong and can come through in clutch moments.

Gibraltar is also one of the best Legends in Battle Royale, meaning that many players coming to Arenas from Apex’s premier game mode will already have experience with this character. There’s no shame in learning the mode on a Legend like Gibraltar so you can learn how everything works before trying out some more niche picks.

While Arena is a mix-up to Apex’s formula, some of BR’s most OP Legends maintain their strength in Arenas. The reveal meta is alive and well in Arena, meaning that Bloodhound, Crypto, and Seer are all strong picks. Crypto isn’t as popular as the other two, but his EMP does well in Arena if you have the hang of his drone. Reveal Legends will always be strong, but their strength is lessened in Arena due to the smaller map and predictable pathing from both teams.

For the other two Legends, their kits feel just as good in Arenas as they do in BR. Gibraltar does well because of his Passive, Gun Shield and Tactical, Dome of Protection. Wraith has strong utility with her Tactical and Passive, and her Ultimate allows her to reposition her teammates in a tough spot. Both of these characters are well-rounded enough that they’ll always be good in their current form.

However, this is where Battle Royale’s mark on the Arena meta ends. If you’re coming from BR and you play these Legends, then this list is a great place to start. However, except for Gibraltar, no one on this list excels in the Arena. They’re generally good, but not great. The most OP Arena Legends in Apex are those who can take advantage of the unique battleground Arena maps provide.

Realistically, every Legend can be played in Arenas. While some Legends don’t do well in any mode (poor Wattson), there are a few honorable mentions that can do well in Arenas if put in the hands of a skilled player.

Bangalore’s smokes do well in Arenas for a lot of reasons, and her passive comes in handy when you’re playing such a hectic mode. Her ultimate is very effective, but it’s got a steep asking price at 500 Creds. Also, it’s a lot easier to accidentally grief your teammates with smokes since you’re fighting in such tight quarters. It’s hard to go wrong with Bangalore, but she’s not the best.

Fuse is, quite frankly, one of the worst characters in Apex when it comes to the Battle Royale mode. However, Arenas gives Fuse a new lease on life. His Tactical is great for breaching doors and zoning enemies, his ultimate is very strong into the right team comp (but is hard-countered by Horizon’s Tactical), and his passive grenade buff is great for getting nades on faraway targets. He does, however, still suffer from a lack of reliable crowd control and utility. He’s better in Arenas than he is in BR, but he’s still not the best.

Octane just barely missed the OP list Apex Legends’ Arenas mode. He’s a strong flanker, his passive HP regen makes him great when supplies are low, and his cheap ultimate can be strong when placed properly. However, his greatest strength is running around. Octane can pretty easily get around the opponent, but his abilities don’t help him do anything with the advantage. Legends with combat abilities or strong utility tend to perform better.

Getting used to Arenas takes time, but it’s a mode well-worth getting into. Now that we have a ranked game mode, there’s a way to test your might against the very best players Arenas has to offer. The best way to learn the mode is to pick a Legend and start grinding!