Battle Royale is Apex's core mode where 20 squads of three drop onto a map, loot up, and fight until one team remains. The ring (play zone) shrinks periodically, dealing increasing damage to players caught outside it. Map rotation cycles between several maps throughout the day. Matches last around 15-20 minutes and feature respawn mechanics — teammates can recover your banner and bring you back at a Respawn Beacon, giving Apex more forgiveness than many battle royales.
Ranked Battle Royale adds a competitive layer with a tiered ranking system from Rookie through Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Masters, and Predator (top 750 players). Ranked rewards both placement and kills, encouraging survival as well as aggression. Each season resets ranks partially, and you'll need to adapt to evolving metas and scoring systems.
Arenas was a round-based 3v3 elimination mode focused on pure gunfighting without looting. While it has been rotated out of permanent playlists, similar focused combat modes appear regularly. Mixtape is a rotating playlist that includes Team Deathmatch (6v6 respawning combat), Control (9v9 territory capture), and Gun Run (team-based weapon progression).
Limited-time modes (LTMs) appear during seasonal events and themed periods. These have included Armed and Dangerous (snipers and shotguns only), Shadow Royale (dead teammates return as fast-moving shadows), and various holiday-themed variants. The Firing Range serves as a practice area where you can test weapons, experiment with Legend abilities, and warm up your aim before jumping into real matches. It also supports bringing friends for informal 1v1 practice.