Last Updated on 20th May 2022
Share this with your friends, family and colleagues
In the last few years,battle royale stylegameslikeCall of Duty:WarzoneandFortnite: BattleRoyalehave become global hits withchildren and young people. Onevideogame, however, hastaken adifferentapproach to thegenre bycreating a diverse and interesting worldfor gamers to explore and enjoy.
We’ve taken a deeper look atthe popular gameApex Legendsto help parents and carers keep the gamers in your care safe.
Apex Legends is afree-to-playbattle royale style videogame. Thisonlinemultiplayer gameusesafirst-personshooter style, meaningthe playerexperiencesthe game ‘through the eyes’ of their chosen character. Each game sees the playerwork alongside other players to take down opposing teams with weapons and unique character abilities.
Thisgame has a PEGI rating of 16as it “features sustained depictions of violence towards human characters.”It wascreatedby Respawn,a development studio owned by EA,as a spinoff fromaprevious gameTitanfall(made by the creators of theCall of Dutyfranchise).It is available on PlayStation 4&5, Xboxconsoles,NintendoSwitch, and PC (via Origin andSteamaccounts).Cross-play is allowed, meaning players can play the same game with others who use different console/devicetypes.
Apex Legends was first released in 2019.Amuch-anticipatedmobile version of the gamewas releasedon May 17th, 2022,for Android(rated ‘Teen’)and iOS(rated 12+).
You may be wondering how your child or young person knows about Apex Legends. Even if they have never played it or are restricted from playing games on their devices, there is another avenue that is becoming almost as popular as the platform itself – streamers. There are dozens of Influencers on YouTube and streamers on Twitch who record themselves playing Apex Legends. They rate and review new features, let viewers know tips and tricks, and promote popular players. Remember – even if your child does not play Apex Legends or other games, they could still be accessing in-game content through another person’s videos. It may be worth talking to the young people in your care about which streamers they pay attention to.
Players must have an account on a relevant platformin order toplay Apex Legends.Once they have a verified account, theyare able tobegin playing.
Apex Legends is an onlinemultiplayer game. Itplacesthree-player squads (Trios) or two-player squads (Duos)intothe ‘Apex Games’ – a gladiator arena setting whereplayersmust eliminate other squadsin order tosurvive.Players can join in asquadwith their friends or be randomly matched with other playersin the waiting lobby.
Every playermust choose to play as one of the game’s ‘Legends’,aroster of pre-set characterswithdifferent ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations,and backstories.Each Legendhas their ownunique skillsetoftactical,passive, andultimateabilitiesthat determine the type of asset theplayerwill be to theirteam.Players must improve their rank within the game to unlock all 21 characters.
Onceteams leave the lobby andthematchstarts, playersfly into an area andbegin to‘loot’(searchan areaforitemsthat will helpgame progress, likeweaponsand armour)while defending their teammates.Battle-royalematchescontain60 players in teams of three or two depending on the mode.Squadsmust then move across the game map to avoid the ‘ring’, asystem that closes off parts of the map until the final squads are forcedinto one specific area. The aim of the game is to be the last squad alive – the ‘Apex Champions’– by eliminating allof theother squads.
Squadscancommunicate with each other using voice chat(viaheadset),text chat, or the in-game Ping system(thissignalsthe location of enemies, suggests locations toloot, and highlights areas that have already been visited). This system was created by EA to allow players to communicate in a non-verbal way while playingand has been praised for its accessibility for non-verbaland deaf players.Other games, including Fortnite, have since adopted this system.
While Apex Legends soundssimilar togaming phenomenonFortnite, it should not be mistaken as the same game. There are several key differences between the two ‘hero shooter’ games that should be noted:
Age appropriateness – Fortnite has a PEGI rating of 12.It uses more animated imagery and is generally thought to be more appropriate for younger players. Apex Legends has a PEGI rating of 16 and includesgraphicportrayals of violence.
Gameplay style – Apex Legends is played in first-personperspectiveusingin-gamecharacterswith different playable abilities.Fortnite is played in third-person perspective with avatars that are physically customisable.
Playing mode – While both games require online access to play, Fortnite is playable in both squad play (teaming up with other players) or solo (playing on your own) mode. Apex Legends is only playable in teams of two or three with other players.
Both games are also comparable to other free-to-play games like Call of Duty: Warzone. To find out more, visit our online safety gaming section.
Similar to how television shows have new ‘series’ or ‘seasons’, many popular online games have introduced seasons as a way to release newcontent into the game.Each seasonin Apex Legendsintroducesnew storylines, Legends, items, and battle passestoexcitefans and entice new players in.Some of these changesare permanent while others will only last for the duration of the season.
A season on Apex Legends lasts approximately three months or twelve weeks.Season 13 was released in May 2022, with Season 14 anticipated to release in August2022.
Apex Legends featuresmultiple persuasive design featuresthatencourage players tospend more time playingthe game.Some of these are:
Modes and rankings
There are multiple game modes availableto playwith different objectives and advantages. The majority of players take part in the ‘RankedLeagues’ whichsorts players into ‘tiers’ (ranging from ‘Rookie’ to ‘Apex Predator’) according to playerability, andallows them to move up ranks gradually.
Seasons and battle passes
Apex Legendsusesthe popular‘seasons’methodtoreleasenew storylines, Legends, andfeatures.A new‘Battle Pass’is released every season whichgivesplayersdailyandweeklytasksto accomplishfor rewards. Thereare two tiers – free and premium(purchased with Apex Coins).
Rewards and in-game purchases
Playersreceive or loseRanked Points (RP)based on their performance in matches.Playerscanuseanin-game currency called‘Apex Coins’to purchasein-game cosmeticsand items(starting at 1000Apex Coinsfor £7.99)or other forms ofin-gametrading currency.
Character choices and styles
As there are currently 21 characterswith different abilities and playing stylestochoose from(22 ifplayingthe mobile version),playersare able to feel likethey areexperiencing a completely different game every time, especiallywhen combined with other players and their character choices.
Time limits and rounds
There is no set time limit togame rounds. Similar to other battle royale online games, once a squad is eliminated they are able tore-group with other players orjoinavirtual queue for anotherround.As there is no natural ‘finish line,’ it allows for(and encourages)continuousgameplayand engagement.
Our online safety expertshavediscovered that parents and carers generally believeApexLegendsis a fungame forolder children to engage in, with a few complaints over the violent premise of the game. However,this gamedoesdisplaya few factors that could lead to potential risks.
Persuasive design
Videogames,like Apex Legends,are designed to keep players hooked.By usingpersuasivedesign features,players arecontinuallyoccupiedin the world of the game, which could lead to ignoring real-life responsibilities.
User interaction
Apex Legends is a popular game for adults as well as children and young people.Theteaming up nature of thegameencourages user interaction and creates anidealenvironment for grooming or inappropriatecommunication.
Bullying behaviour
Therehave beenreportedinstances oftoxicbullyingbehaviour(including offensive language and hurtful comments), especiallytowards inexperienced players whoareunintentionallypaired with more experienced players.
Emotional reactivity
Abadmatchcould frustrate and upset a young person playing the game. They may feel others are ‘not trying hard enough’ or that someone else is ‘playing unfairly.’They may also experience an inward frustration if they aren’t ‘good enough’ at the game. Thiscould impact their offline mood.
Parental controls
There are no parental controls available on Apex Legends. The consoles on which the game is played will have them, but they must be set up separately and may not impact thein-game interactions ofyour gamer.
Spending habits
Many aspects of the game increase a player’sdesire to spend.The in-game store is updated every day and unpurchased items are visibly ‘greyed out’until purchased. Young people may be more susceptible to these schemes.
Top Tips for keeping your gamer safe
Get involved together.Don’t be afraid to join in andtry playing Apex Legendsto see whythe youngpersonin your care enjoysit. You couldevenask them for somepointers, orplay in a duo together!
Ask helpful questions.By engaging your child with open ended questions, you canfind outwhich friends they play Apex Legends with,learn what they like best about it, and check in with theironline safety habits.
Manage screen time.As there is no time limit to Apex Legends, it may be difficult toguesswhen your gamer will be ‘done’ playing.Usephrases like“After thismatch”or“In 15/30 minutes”if you need them to wrapitup.
Use safety settings. It may be helpful toswitch off ‘blood spray’ andto turn offvoice/text chattosafeguard youngerchildren interested in playing the game.Make sure to walk through all safety settings on consolestoo!
Talk about privacy. Remind your child that they should never share any personaldetailswith someone they don’t knowovertext or voice chat. Show themhow toblock and reportanyplayerswho behave inappropriately.
Set spending limits. Yourchildmight want tospend money on the game, especially if it’s important to them. Suggest spendingmoney they earn by completing household tasks to teach them about the value of money.
Share this with your friends, family and colleagues
Who are your Trusted Adults?
The Trusted Adult video explains who young people might speak to and includes examples of trusted adults, charities and organisations.
Pause, Think and Plan
Use our video for guidance and advice around constructing conversations about the online world with the children in your care.
