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Season 5 of Apex Legends patch notes Legends introduced major changes to Kings Canyon. With the developers’ choice to demolish Skulltown and Thunderdome, the Respawn team removed two of the hottest Kings Canyon drop locations from the game map. (Image: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/files/2020/01/apex-legends-y-scaled.jpg)
The new season updates also impacted other areas of the map. There are plenty of new things to now consider when dropping into Kings Canyon. Here's a rundown of each area.
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Slum Lakes
Located at the northwest corner of the map, this area can be a haul should the next zone be positioned at the southeast corner of the map. But otherwise, assuming this is not directly off the start of the dropship flight path, a team can drop here and find plenty of loot throughout the many buildings in this area without too much activity.
Runoff
Located to the south of the west side of Slum Lakes, this area has many of the same benefits as Slum Lakes. However, it’s slightly more popular as a drop zone than Slum Lakes, possibly because it’s less remote. Players must pay attention to their surroundings as enemies frequently head here after fights in nearby Pit. Shots can also attract players from Airbase, just to the south.
Artillery
Artillery tends to be busy, especially when the dropship enters the map from the north side. If you’re about to land here and there are other teams, remain close to your squadmates. Loot alongside them in the same building as there are usually several decent guns and white shields in each. Once your teammates have sufficient gear, the squad can take on other players as a team.
Containment
Because of its central location and possibility of high-tier loot, Containment is often a very hot drop zone. Flyers locked away in cages will squawk to give away a person’s position, so try to avoid getting near them while looting. The elevated structure on the west side of the zone typically has plenty of good items, so if you drop in the zone as a team, two players can take this on to prevent too much separation.
The Pit
The Pit is frequently busy. It’s not always ideal because the squads have limited places to move, little cover and few ways to escape. Still, https://apexlegendsfans.com with highly mobile characters or characters with protective tactical abilities such as Bangalore’s smoke, Revenant ’s silence or Gibraltar’s dome shield, players can emerge from this zone victorious.
Bunker
When Apex Legends first came out, Bunker was a popular spot for Caustic players as he could set his traps and make it difficult for non-Caustics to survive the drop. But now, as more people are playing Caustic, it’s less than ideal as a drop location. It typically doesn’t have a lot of loot and the narrow hallway makes players susceptible to grenade spam.
Airbase
Perhaps because there are so many other well-stacked areas with more loot and less open space, this place has become less popular than it once was. Still, a team that drops here uncontested can walk away with decent guns and at least a blue shield or two. However, they must be prepared to move if another team approaches them and attempts to take them on from the elevated zone barriers.
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Overlooking Capacitor and Rig on the Apex Legends Season 5 Kings Canyon map.
Capacitor
A new location that debuted in Season 5, Capacitor is a busy zone due to its central location, tons of cover, three charge towers and lots of loot. It’s an attractive option for squads looking to loot up and immediately fight. It also connects to Labs via a backdoor, making it easy for enemy squads to surprise those looting Capacitor.
The Rig
The Rig typically boasts tons of good loot and has a charging station. Rarely will more than one squad choose to land here as it can be a detrimental area depending on the circle progression and zone, which may cause a team to have to push through Capacitor, a much busier area. Still, it’s worth it for the solid loot, plus players can easily push over to the remnants of Relay for even more loot before picking off any squads at Artillery.
Swamps
Though relatively quiet, because of its close proximity to Labs, Hydro Dam and Repulsor, it’s common for squads that have looted those areas to move to Swamps to see what else they can find. It’s also very easy to get separated from teammates here, so keep an eye one another.
Labs
This is a fun, if extremely active, drop location. Its entryway via the portal in the sky means trap characters such as Caustic and Wattson can quickly set up shop here and block other players out. However, teams also choose to land at the buildings just south of labs, meaning players will likely face fights as they try to exit. Labs now has an additional backdoor area that funnels into Capacitor, so players have several ways to escape should they find themselves in a bind.
The Cage
Though not as hot as it once was, The Cage will frequently set players up for a fight or two. There’s usually a decent amount of loot, though people in the higher part should be aware of snipers in the areas surrounding the structure.
Hydro Dam
This area seems to have dropped off in popularity as a drop location, possibly because it’s relative flatness or the fact that that there are several far more interesting locations on the map. However, players can loot it quickly before either dropping back to Swamps or moving through the indoor area to the west that leads to Containment.
Repulsor
Repulsor isn’t quite as busy as it was prior to Season 5, likely due to recent map additions, which people are still eager to explore. Players intending to drop here only to see numerous other squads can instead head to the area west of the zone overlooking houses and ravine. They can quickly loot and then make their way back east to take on teams that may not be fully healed due to fighting.
Water Treatment
Water Treatment didn’t change much and is typically so-so as a drop location. It’s fairly secluded from the game’s other major zones. Still, it can be a good starting point as there’s rarely more than one other squad landing here. After the initial drop, it’s also rare that any enemy squads will make their way to Water Treatment unless the zone pushes them there. That makes it a good place to set up defense.
Market
A simple location consisting of a few rooms and some floor loot, Market is a popular drop spot because of its central location on the map. If this location is at the earliest part of the dropship path, it’s almost guaranteed to be active. As an indoor space, this is yet another zone that’s good for making use of trap characters.
Salvage
A new zone in Season 5, Salvage replaces the combined area of Skulltown and Thunderdome. It’s a very active zone with a lot of loot, and there are only a few ways to escape should a player land here and find themselves facing numerous other squads. Players also have to be careful of the water, because it’s very easy to fall off the map while fighting here.
Gauntlet
This fun, bouncy castle of a zone based on Octane ’s jump pad ability has a lot of good loot, including a high-tier item in the ring of fire in the center of the zone. However, because of its good loot and its mobility options, it frequently attracts numerous teams, particularly if it’s directly off the dropship’s path.
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