With Season 4 of Apex Legends in fully swing, many players are still breaking down the big map changes that came along with the new season. Several locations were either modified or downright removed and replaced with new locations, and this shake up has made picking a drop location a bit challenging.
This tier list is designed to break down the best locations to land in Apex Legends, taking into account the loot tier, the abundance of gear, and the probability of finding a fight there. Using these metrics, teams should be able to find the perfect drop location that best suits their squad's desired play style.
A Tier
Skyhook - Skyhook is one of the most iconic locations in World's Edge thanks to its tower that looms over the city. But Skyhook isn't just about appearances, the place is filled with dozens of buildings that allow players to gear up. The large cityscape allows players to gear up before pushing out to the other teams nearby, and there's usually at least one other team here if it's within drop range. Skyhook also has two respawn beacons if things go south, so players have a little leeway when it comes to playing aggressive. Also near Skyhook is the Sniper Perch, which is an elevated mountain path that is guaranteed to have some sniper attachments in bins, perfect for players looking to use the new sniper archetype of weapon.
Mirage Voyage - Added as part of the Holo-Day Bash event, the Mirage Voyage is a place that is guaranteed to get the party started early if it's within the dropship's path. This floating airship has tons of bins and loot scattered all aboard the deck, as well as a few cargo bots that can be found and broken for high-tier loot. This place is perfect for those looking to get into a quick engagement or those that are looking to get a lot of loot real quick.
Sorting Factory - There are few locations that turn into a slug fest quite as quickly as Sorting Factory. While Sorting Factory is quite a large location, things tend to kick off quickly. Thanks to the abundance of loot and the different elevations, fights here can get very interesting. The Forge Easter Egg is still here so players can also get a unique weapon charm to honor the recently-deceased Legend as well. The fact that the train also passes through this area means that more combatants could drop in at any time. Thanks to its central location on the map, fights are almost always guaranteed when visiting Sorting Factory.
East & West Fragment - If fans have ever watched an Apex streamer play, odds are they probably dropped Capitol City. In Season 4, Capitol City is no more, but instead is divided into East and West Fragment. However, the rupture has not deterred those looking for a fight in the slightest. The Fragments are still the go-to spot for those looking to pop off as quick as possible to either secure some early kills or farm some damage. The Apex Legends Season 4 trailer showcased a bit of the damage, include a lava-filled ravine that actually can be useful in certain combat situations. When players fall into it, they are boosted back up thanks to an updraft which can surprise unsuspecting enemies.
Train Yard - Train Yard has several things going for it: lots of loot, good quality loot, proximity to a Loot Vault, and plenty of Cargo Bots in close proximity to get a Vault Key. Train Yard is a popular spot for those who don't want to deal with the chaos that ensues in the Fragments, but still want to get into a scrap. Apex Legends' Loot Vaults are a guaranteed way to get some high-tier gear and the number of close Cargo Bots means that there is a great chance to get a key while still being close enough to a Vault that players wouldn't have to travel far. Or, if there is no nearby Vault Key, players could easily camp out at the Vault to try to get the drop on a team coming to open it themselves.
B Tier
Lava City - Despite being in the far corner of World's Edge, Lava City proves to be quite a reliable drop location. Lava City is a great counterpart to Skyhook due to their similarities when it comes to loot quality and abundance of loot zones. However, since Lava City is further from the center of the map it may be harder for teams to make it into the circle if the game favors the north-side when determining the circle location. Much like Train Yard, Lava City also features a Vault and a Cargo Bot, so if players are lucky they can get the Vault with little issue. If holding up in Lava City late-game, it can be a great spot to defend with Caustic and Wattson thanks to the number of buildings, allowing these lower-tier Legends to perform stronger than their placement on the Apex Legends Season 4 tier list would suggest.
Lava Fissure - Lava Fissue is one of the more slept-on locations in World's Edge. Thanks to its proximity to Mirage Voyage and Skyhook, there are usually not many teams itching to go there which leaves players plenty of spots to loot in piece. It's pretty close to the center of the map so it wouldn't be hard to rotate as needed to get to the circle. If players loot quickly there are plenty of other great loot locations nearby as well that may have teams there, meaning an easy drop on an unsuspecting team that is still looting.
Thermal Station - Thermal Station is another location that is often overlooked by many. While it does get a fair amount of people if the ship goes over it early, generally most teams will go Mirage Voyage or Harvester (for the novelty), but Thermal Station has a great amount of loot to offer. The central Station has many bins and some ground loot to scavenge, with even more spread out in the surrounding towns close by. Fights in this area can be quite interesting thanks to the varied terrain, so it's great for both getting early kills (if the ship's path is right) or just getting a ton of loot before moving toward Voyage or Harvester.
Epicenter - Epicenter is often overlooked by many due to its proximity the Fragments/Capitol City. However, Epicenter does have a great deal of loot for players to snag if they go here instead of chasing kills in the Fragments. Epicenter was not one of the big changes in Apex Season 4 so players who have gone here regularly in Season 3 will still find exactly what they're looking for. There is a ton of loot to be found scattered in bins, buildings, and on top of the tower itself, so if players work quickly they can get geared up and move toward the fighting if they want to secure some kills in Fragments.
The Train - The Train is single-handedly the riskiest drop location in World's Edge. Due to the fact that the train is always moving and only filled with a few bins, it is chaos trying to get geared up there. However, that does not stop several teams to always drop there if it's within range of the ship. The bins on the train are always filled with extremely high-tier gear, so it's very much high-risk, high-reward. It's ranked in B instead of A tier due to the limited number of bins compared to how many teams often go here.
C Tier
The Dome - Much like Lava City, Dome is a pretty solid drop location that is plagued by bad map placement. If the circle is any further than Sorting Factory, teams will have an incredibly difficult time covering the distance and will have to sacrifice looting time to help get to the circle without taking too much damage. The loot in Dome is surprisingly good and it's also adjacent to Lava City and the Vault there so players could rotate over for more loot and possibly the key. Teams are also not likely to go here so it's ideal for teams looking for a quiet start, not for those looking to kick things off quickly on the way to Master Tier in Ranked.
Harvester - The Harvester is the direct cause of all the destruction of World's Edge this season. The massive metallic machine is sapping the energy from the core of the planet and ripping the planet apart as a result. Despite the cool premise, Harvester is a solid 'okay' when it comes to a drop location. The loot is lackluster and thin in most areas, save for a few bins and ground locations. While it's a cool design and players seem to think a dog is running around this location, it doesn't really hold up well as a viable location to drop especially compared to Fuel Depot which it replaced.
Overlook - Set on the fringe of the east-side of World's Edge, Overlook is a surprising drop location that serves players pretty well for the most part. It is rated so low due to the infrequency that other players drop here, so if players are looking for a lot of loot and little competition then it may be a perfect fit. Featuring many buildings and bins, Overlook is packed with loot but unless it's right in the path of the drop ship then it is not likely to have other teams to fight. If players find some high-tier weapons, they can probably quickly push to the Fragments or Epicenter to pick off teams that are currently fighting there.
Drill Site - Drill Site is often overlooked due to its proximity to other hot drop locations like Train Yard and Skyhook. Drill Site actually features a decent amount of loot, though not quite as much as one might like. It has several buildings and two Cargo Bots in close range (one overlapping with Train Yard), so there are definitely opportunities to get some pretty good loot. However, team fights here are less common, and there may be other teams pushing from Train Yard, Lava Fissure, and Skyhook (either good or bad depending on which playstyle the team is going for). There are a few good fighting locations thanks to the buildings in the area that would be perfect for playing Caustic or Wattson.
The Geyser - Geyser is a unique location as it features an organic redeploy system in the form of the titular Geyser. Players can use it to quickly launch themselves either into the fray or out of a sticky situation, which is certainly a big plus. The loot here is pretty solid, though the odd terrain and disjointed buildings makes for awkward combat at times. Geyser is also home to the third Loot Vault, though the area outside the Vault is more complex than the other two locations, meaning fights here might be a bit more challenging than the others. Players don't haven go to Geyser right off the ship which is why it's ranked as low as it is.
D Tier
Survey Camp - Survey Camp is one of the new locations introduced in Season 4, and while it's better than the barren open field that was there before, the location is nothing spectacular. The gimmick of this area is that there are gun racks on the walls so players will be guaranteed a weapon if they go here. However, that is not quite incentive enough to go there as opposed to places like Epicenter or Skyhook.
Refinery - Nestled in the northern part of World's Edge, Refinery is a large building with a couple of auxiliary buildings on the fringes that have some decent loot. However, Refinery's wide sight lines and lackluster loot tend to make it a less-than-ideal drop location. The big benefit to Refinery is dropping into the giant turbine-looking building and flinging yourself around for a good laugh.
Apex Legends is all about finding great loot and giving your team an advantage over the others vying for the Champion title. Picking the perfect drop location is crucial to helping secure your team's spot as #1. While the map changes were great, they didn't quite shake up the map as much as players wanted, but it's definitely a start. Now fans are just waiting until King's Canyon comes back to relive their pre-Season 3 memories again.
Apex Legends is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.