Apex Legends Could Get Solo And Duos Modes

Apex Legends is highly unique in that the battle royale game only has one mode, which requires you to play in a squad of three. But it might not be that way forever, according to GamesRadar.

Dataminers have reportedly discovered references to solo and duos modes inside various Apex Legends files, leading many to believe that Respawn has its sights set on offering those modes in the future. It would be an interesting shift, to say the least, as Apex Legends has largely set itself apart by making three-player teams mandatory. And one could argue that the game's Ping system, which makes non-verbal communication a breeze, has helped make randomly-matched squads viable against full teams.

A solo mode would make Ping largely useless, as there'd be no one else to share information with. And duos? That mode would likely result in more firefights more quickly, but might result in slower endings to Apex Legends matches. It seems like Apex Legends has the special sauce right now, and fussing around with the formula might throw the game off its impressive trajectory. Which is likely why you haven't heard a peep out of Respawn about adding these additional modes.

It's possible they're part of the plan somewhere down the line. But the old adage of not trying to fix what isn't broken definitely applies here. Apex Legends is hot, but gamers are notoriously fickle. And if Respawn rolls out a few more modes, splits the player base between them, and somehow manages another misstep along the way, they could accidentally sink their new shooter very quickly.

That's not to say that solo and duos modes wouldn't be interesting to try. But it would do Respawn some good to ensure they play and feel as good as the game's initial three-player squad mode. There's no need to make an unforced error at this stage — not when Apex Legends is this young and the field hasn't entirely shaken out just yet.

Hang on, people! The game's only been out a week.