Apex Legends – Arena Tier List Guide

The Apex Legends season 9 update introduced the Arena mode where two teams of three fight it out across multiple rounds. Make sure you’re using the best characters/legends with our tier list below explaining why each one is where they are. Tips and tricks regarding how to use them well are also included in our list.

Apex Legends Arena Legends Tier List

Before reading our Arena tier list, it’s important to mention that not all characters will work well on every map. There are currently three maps always available with one rotating between three maps as well. Our complete Arena map guide goes into detail on which legends are best to use. With that said, our tier list ranks are explained below.

• S Tier – The strongest characters always worth having in your Arena squad.
• A Tier – Great characters that can easily hold their own.
• B Tier – Decent characters that may require having more skill to use efficiently.
• C Tier – Okay characters that suffer from weak abilities or balance changes.
• D Tier – Characters that don’t work well in the Arena mode, but aren’t impossible to use.

S Tier Characters

• Lifeline – She’s always a high tier list pick regardless of the Arena map for a few reasons. You get four shield cells from loot bins, can revive teammates without being vulnerable, and your tactical ability provides extra healing. Even if it’s just to top off a teammate’s health before a fight. Also, buying a gold backpack on Lifeline can make a huge difference too.
• Bloodhound – They’re great for scanning enemies to find them immediately. Their tactical also helps with catching people trying to flank. This is especially common in the Arena mode for Apex Legends.
• Revenant – His tactical is where Revenant really shines for harassing enemies. Aside from a small amount of damage on hit, you’re silencing enemies for 20 seconds. With how quick the Arena mode is, this can be an eternity. On top of Revenant’s tactical, his ultimate is strong too but it requires 600 materials and can only be used after two rounds.

A Tier Characters

• Gibraltar – He’s easily the best defensive character for Arenas in Apex Legends. You benefit from his gun shield, dome shield for teammates, and the fortified buff reducing incoming damage. His ultimate is extremely situational but can work well on open maps. Also, you can easily hold down positions like a loot bin or care package using his dome shield.
• Rampart – She’s another decent defensive character because she can create cover anywhere. Unfortunately, it can be tough to get walls deployed, but the damage boost is huge. This is why it’s worth teaming Rampart with a character that can get you to the ring fast. Also, her Modded Loader passive makes light machine guns even stronger, like the L-Star. Which is a popular pick right now.
• Pathfinder – Especially powerful for people that can grapple well in Apex Legends. This will get you up front quickly into strong positions. And your ultimate is cheap enough to zipline your team to the front as well.
• Loba – Her tactical and ultimate are what makes her shine. On certain Arena maps, you can reach both loot bins from spawn using the Black Market. This is a great way to pack your team full of meds while preventing the enemy from getting any. Just remember, you can’t loot care packages until they’re open.
• Octane – He benefits most from getting to loot bins and strong positions quickly. On top of that, the Swift Mend passive provides health regeneration too. You can take advantage of his ultimate for getting your team to the point, but there may be better uses for your materials.

B Tier Characters

• Bangalore – Her Smoke Launcher tactical is great for blinding enemies, pushing care packages or loot bins, and supporting teammates. Players likely won’t have digital threats in the early rounds, but you may get countered by frequent Bloodhounds.
• Wraith – She’s still a decent choice in Arenas due to her small hitbox and tactical helping her survive. However, I don’t see her ultimate getting much use in this mode. Despite that, I’m sure we’ll see some portal plays soon that make her worthwhile. Especially with it only being 150 materials.
• Fuse – Despite falling short in the Battle Royale mode, Fuse’s tactical ability works well in Arenas. You can use his Knuckle Cluster to harass enemies out of cover, even if they’re far away sniping. Also, his ultimate is one of the cheaper choices at 400 materials. You can only use it every other round. Due to Arena maps being smaller, you can get away with limiting enemies further using it.
• Horizon – While Arena maps don’t always have verticality to them, Horizon mains will still use her tactical well. The season 9 nerf to her Gravity Lift may make it tougher to use in Arenas, however. With that said, you may be able to get decent plays using her ultimate ability if your team works together.
• Valkyrie – Her tactical is decent for harassing enemies out of cover, but Fuse feels like a stronger choice for that. Plus, you make yourself vulnerable for a short moment while using it. With that said, I like her ultimate for spotting enemies and getting to your position quicker. Especially since it’s only 150 materials.

C Tier Characters

• Mirage – His abilities are fun for confusing enemy teams in Apex Legends regardless of the mode. However, his ultimate works well in rough situations to throw off players in Arenas especially. Aside from that, you might get a nice invisible revive here and there too.
• Caustic – Despite nerfs to Caustic’s gas, you can still harass enemies with traps. Not everyone is willing to run through gas and take damage willingly. On top of that, he also benefits from the Fortified buff. The main disadvantage with Caustic in the Arenas mode is that there aren’t always defensive positions.

D Tier Characters

• Wattson – She falls lower on the Arena tier list because there aren’t many opportunities to set up fences. Unless you get the perfect ring position and hold a unique spot, you won’t benefit from them. However, her cheap ultimate at 200 materials can be worth zapping grenades and enemy ultimates. Plus, you’ll get some natural shield regeneration too.
• Crypto – His tactical ability is mainly his drone for scouting or getting teammate banners, which doesn’t matter much in Arenas. And you’re vulnerable on smaller maps where enemies are more likely to know where you are. Especially with how common Bloodhound players are. With that in mind, you can still deal decent damage with his ultimate so long as enemies don’t destroy your drone.

Let us know in the comments below if you think a character/legend should be in a different tier list position. Keep in mind, not every character that works well in the Battle Royale mode works well in Arenas. Tier list positions may change once every Arena map becomes available. For more Apex Legends tips and tricks, be sure to visit our guide hub. We’ve also listed some useful guides below worth checking.

• Complete Arena Mode Map Guides
• Best Apex Legends Beginner Characters
• How to Move While Emoting

And if you’re a fan of video content instead, we’ve also got a couple of Apex Legends guides worth watching below.