Most popular drop locations on Kings Canyon (Apex Legends)
The data shows the most popular landing spots on Apex Legends’ Kings Canyon. There are several variables that determine the best drop zone in a match.
The best drop location is not decided only by the quality and quantity of loot, but there are several objective and subjective factors influencing the final choice.
Some players prefer to fight from the start of the match, while others enjoy a peaceful and tactical approach, farming gear in a less-visited area of the map and then proceeding towards a hot zone.
Depending on your playstyle, skills, and game plans, you must also consider the popularity of a certain spot, the presence of open spaces or buildings, and the availability of escape routes.
The trajectory of the airplane, the placement of the Supply Ship, and the position of the Blue Zone have a massive impact on our choices, and they change in every match.
Certainly, some zones are better than others, but I believe that in order to win a game it is important to study the preferences of our opponents. There are several overrated locations where massacres take places for some gear pieces while other players are enjoying free equipment on other areas of the map.
The following graph and table show the most popular drop zones on Kings Canyon - the first map available in Apex Legends. The data has been gathered via a survey organized by reddit user RonJermyl. Each participant could select up to three spots.
The table is responsive. If you are using a phone, turn it sideways for a full view. Otherwise, zoom in or click the grey area swipe it.
| Map | Votes | Map | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skull Town | 60 | Bunker | 18 |
| Airbase | 40 | Repulsor | 18 |
| Artillery | 36 | Runoff | 17 |
| Relay | 27 | Cascades | 16 |
| Water Treatment | 27 | The Pit | 12 |
| Market | 24 | Slum Lakes | 10 |
| Swamps | 22 | Wetlands | 9 |
| Blue Zone | 21 | Bridges | 8 |
| Thunderdome | 21 |
In order to connect quickly names to geographical locations, below you can find a map of Kings Canyon.
Kings Canyon map - apexmap.io
I have summarized the answers of the participants and the opinions shared by other players to find out the reasoning behind a certain choice.
Skull Town
Mid tier loot
Skull Town is one of the biggest areas of Kings Canyon, so there is an enormous quantity of loot available, which attracts a large number of players. When dropping here, you never know if you will survive and leave the city fully equipped, or die in less than a minute and go back to the main menu.
Looting is faster than in other locations because of the cross-shaped layout of the town. You can drop at one end and fight your way towards the opposite side.
Starting from the rooftops is also an excellent idea because there are always weapons there: once you have a gun, you can detect and engage the enemies from the high ground.
Skull Town is composed of several buildings, hallways, and tight corridors, so it is easier to aim if compared to the open spaces we find in most areas. If you stick together as a team, there are big chances you will survive even if your shooting skills are just average.
Do not stay in this area for too long as the opponents who dropped on the adjacent zones might head here once equipped.
Airbase
High tier loot
Airbase is one of the best places if you want to fight from the start. The area is split in two parts, and there are about 13 crates plus several small buildings. Two teams can easily gear up and then contest the opposite side.
The loot is fairly concentrated, so you could get quickly everything available on your side and leave the base via one of the several exits, avoiding any fight.
Thanks to its placement on the map, there are many viable paths once you leave the area.
Artillery
High tier loot
There are always teams on Artillery because of the high quantity of loot available, but if you are able to survive, your squad will start the game fully equipped.
It is a chaotic location with six large buildings and a few small ones. The rooftops are connected via ziplines, and there are also wide open spaces separating the structures, so the rivals have different ways to approach your position.
Relay
High tier loot
Relay is a very underestimated starting zone. I warmly suggest dropping here whenever possible as there is enough quality gear to equip a squad.
Depending on the trajectory of the airplane, you might even find no other team here. I believe most players prefer Swamps on this side of the map.
It is located at one corner of the map, so it is one of the first places touched by the red ring.
Kings Canyon loot tier map
The drop zones are split in three different loot tiers depending on the quality of the loot available: high, mid, and low. Initially, everyone thought that these tiers were static, instead they vary by match.
The following map by apexmap.io shows the loot tier of each zone. The percentage indicates the odds of the selected zone to have that loot tier (it is an estimate).
Note that even if the tiers aren’t fixed, they are not completely random either, so the values indicated on this map are accurate in about 80% of the games.
Kings Canyon loot tier map - apexmap.io
Water Treatment
High tier loot
Water Treatment is one of my preferred drop spots when I want a relaxing start. There are many buildings connected to each other, a good variety of loot, and generally you find almost no teams.
I believe most players dislike it because there aren’t many rotation options. You can move towards Market (which has been already looted) or advance via the river.
Market
Low tier loot
Market features a fair amount of loot packed in a small area. It can be a death trap because many teams drop here and in the adjacent areas. You should pick up your gear and leave the building before being surrounded.
Swamps
High tier loot
Swamps is a vast area with a great quantity of loot. It contains enough gear to equip two teams. It is quite popular, but also large enough to farm your items while avoiding fights.
Due to the conformation of the zone, it is easy to get separated from your squad while looting, but be careful because you could find another team and die before being able to regroup. You can exploit several ziplines to move around quickly.
Blue Zone
Generally, the Blue Zone offers good loot and the chance to fight from the start of the match. I am a fan as I love early skirmishes with random gear.
Thunderdome
High tier loot
Skull Town is the most popular location on this area of the map, but some players prefer Thunderdome. If several teams drop here, only one will survive.
There is quality loot, but it lacks in quantity, so you will be forced to rotate quickly to one of the adjacent zones for more gear. There are many options, and you could even test your luck (skills) and go kill the teams who just ransacked Skull Town.
Kings Canyon drop zone community vote: Map Madness
A few days ago, the official Twitter account of Apex Legends started a public survey named “Map Madness” to find out the community’s favorite drop zone. As you can see from the images below, the results are very similar to the ones we got with our smaller sample.
A massive number of players (from 20k to 70k) voted for each area, but I believe that this survey can’t provide totally reliable data: some landing spots might have obtained a better overall placement if the locations were not split in four groups based on their position on the map: north, south, west, and east.
The survey is still going on, and at the moment there are only four maps left. I will update this page with the final results as soon as they are available.
Update: You can find the results of each phase in the image gallery below.
Bunker
High tier loot
Bunker is an awful location because even if there is high quality loot, the amount is super limited, and you might end your game before starting it due to the immediate fights.
If no one else enters inside the structure, you can clean it in less than a minute and move elsewhere. Normally, several teams land here, and they rush inside Bunker from both the west and the east sides
An early fight is guaranteed. In this cramped tunnel you should not underestimate the amount of damage which can be inflected via melee attacks.
Bunker is one of the best baits in the game, second only to Supply Ship :P.
Repulsor
High tier loot
Repulsor is a military complex similar to Artillery as there are a few big buildings that provide an abundance of quality loot. The gear is spread out, so you have to spend some time to search the area.
The zone is bigger than Artillery (considering also Hydro Dam) so often two or more teams can coexist without attacking each other.
Afterwards, you can advance towards the river and Watchtower South. I suggest avoiding Swamps because in most games it will be already looted.
Runoff
High tier loot
Depending on the trajectory of the airplane, Runoff can be a relatively safe area as not many players tend to drop here, so you usually contest it just against another team.
It provides mid to high tier loot enough for an entire squad. The loot is very concentrated, so you can gear up quickly. Don’t forget to check out also the small building complex on the west as it belongs to the same loot tier.
Runoff is placed in a great position as from here you can literally reach any location on the north side of the map.
Kings Canyon route map
The following map by reddit user Pistol_Rick features balloon placements, possible redeploys, ziplines, crouch-slides, and vantage points.
Note that some elements are missing, such as the zipline connecting the two sides of Airbase.
Kings Canyon route map - Pistol_Rick
Cascades
Mid tier loot
Cascades doesn’t provide always great loot, but you can easily equip your team, and then head to Artillery or Bunker to finish off anyone who is still alive.
This zone offers a great flexibility. There are many hidings places and ways to get out, and thanks to its centered position you can basically reach any area on the top half of the map
The nearby Watchtower North is a small military complex that can be reached quickly and contains a modest quantity of high tier loot.
The Pit
High tier loot
Generally, The Pit is ignored because the amount of gear available is limited. You can clean the entire area in 30 seconds and then move to Runoff or Slum Lakes.
I dislike this place because often you can’t even find a decent weapon for all your teammates.
Slum Lakes
Mid tier loot
Slum Lakes is a very situational drop zone placed at the north-west corner of the map. Personally, I don’t dislike it because there is a lot of mid tier loot: you can find enough gear to equip a squad.
The place is composed of many small buildings, so it is easy to disengage and run away if multiple squads drop here.
Afterwards, Runoff and Pit are both viable areas that can be reached quickly.
Wetlands
Mid tier loot
Wetlands is an average zone, so just a few teams drop here. In most cases, the area will be free.
After looting it, I suggest checking out Relay if you know that no one has been there.
Bridges
Mid tier loot
Bridges is one of the worst zones of the map. The amount of gear is limited, and you will waste a lot of time if you decide to loot all the houses adjacent to the river.
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Header image: Respawn
