Movement is key in Apex Legends, and players who can master their speed, jumps and slides will instantly have an upper hand over more cumbersome opponents. But even the most experienced players may not know this simple tip to ensure you move faster than almost everyone else.
Apex Legends movement system is inarguably one of the smoothest and most responsive of any battle royale game. Inspired by the fluid movement of Titanfall, infinite slides downhill and the ability to clamber up fairly high walls ensures that all characters are nimble.
This freedom of movement is one of the reasons the game continues to be so popular, as going back to other shooters with more restrictive movement can be hard after the smoothness of Apex.
How to move faster in Apex Legends
Everyone knows that your character will sprint fastest when all weapons are holstered, so that’s tip number one. Simply put your weapons away to reach top speed. As YouTuber FreeSquadCarry shows, this maximum speed is a velocity of 299.
But, FreeSquadCarry also shows that if you’re not running in a straight line, your speed will instantly drop below 299, slowing you down. Thankfully, there is a solution to this.
As shown in the video, if you press A or D on PC, or move your toggle diagonally on a controller, your character will lose speed. So, to move faster than other players, you’ll need to train yourself to avoid these movements, and use only your mouse or right toggle to ‘steer’ your character.
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As FreeSquadCarry explains, your W key (or left toggle on a controller) should be used only as a ‘gas pedal’, and your mouse as the steering wheel. Avoiding making diagonal movements will keep your velocity at 299, making you as fast as possible at all times.
It’s important to note, however, that even when steering only with your mouse, you can still lose speed if the movement is too sharp or sudden. Therefore it’s crucial to use smooth, gradual mouse movements to keep top speed.
It’s possible to practice this in firing range, and if you’re unsure of your speed, this command line can be added to the Origin launcher (PC only) to see your velocity in-game.
Origin advanced launch options command line: +cl_showpos 1
So, get into the firing range, practice your mouse movements, and make sure you’re running across World’s Edge and Kings Canyon at absolute top speed at all times.