The battle royale sub-genre has become a gaming phenomenon of sorts, to say that least, and has genuinely revolutionized the gaming industry as a whole. Whether this change has been positive or negative is certainly up for debate. What is not up for debate, however, is Apex Legends' place as one of the genre's most popular and enticing offerings.
The great success of Apex Legends can be attributed to many factors, from the diversity of its vibrant cast of Legends to its keen willingness to shake up genre conventions with mechanics like respawning teammates. However, another edge it carries over its competitors is a wealth of established lore, given that it takes place in the Titanfall universe. This is well expressed in its map design, and its original arena, Kings Canyon, has plenty of stories and easter eggs in store for those willing to look.
10 Located On The Planet Solace
Given the wildly diverse areas featured in both of Apex Legends' current maps, it can be easy to overlook the fact that they're on different planets. Kings Canyon is on the planet Solace — other notable locations on this planet include Solace City and the Paradise Lounge, home turf of the infamous Mirage. World's Edge, the other map, is located on the planet Talos.
9 A Cryptid Easter Egg
One of Apex Legend's more famous Easter eggs can be found in Kings Canyon. Apex's very own (and much larger) version of the Loch Ness monster, Nessie, can be found by players willing to jump through some hoops. It's certainly worth the effort, as players will get the chance to treat themselves to one of the game's more cinematic and awesome moments if they can survive long enough to trigger it.
8 Special Edition Night Time Mode
Apex Legends is a game that is constantly changing, being updated, and experiencing special events as the seasons go. During the Halloween-themed Shadowfall event (and a few others since) players had the chance to experience Kings Canyon at night. Considering that Kings Canyon is known for its bright and lush environments, playing through this map at night is an eerie, strange, and uniquely fun experience.
7 One Of The Earliest Expeditions To The Frontier
Very rarely do battle royale focused games have deep stories or lore. However as Apex Legends is based on the Titanfall universe, there is a deep story or narrative nuance to practically every location, environment, creature, and planet in the game. Kings Canyon itself was one of the earliest settlements of the Frontier, a series of distant planets colonized by the Interstellar-Manufacturing Corporation for their resources and potential wealth.
6 IMC Experiment Hub
Kings Canyon began to grow from just a small settlement after the IMC began to invest many of its resources into cutting-edge scientific experiments on the island. There are strong rumors and implications that the IMC was experimenting with phase shift technology in Kings Canyon, however evidence to substantiate such claims has yet to be discovered.
5 "The Revival Of An Old Bloodsport..."
Mirage references the Apex Games as "the revival of an old bloodsport" in the opening of the game's launch trailer, and there's actually quite a bit to that statement. The IMC soldiers stationed on Kings Canyon during the time of the conglomerate's experiments would partake in arena combat in an area they dubbed the "Thunderdome" in order to entertain themselves and stave off boredom. This form of entertainment would maintain its popularity, and many consider it to be the predecessor to the modern-day Apex Games.
4 Beginning Of The Syndicate Era
The IMC would withdraw from Kings Canyon and the location would be left devoid of meaningful human life for quite some time. Many years later the Syndicate would reestablish law and order amongst the planets of the outer Frontier and rebuild what was once located on Kings Canyon. The Canyon would become the headquarters for the Apex Games, and the Syndicate kept the original Thunder Dome intact as a tribute to the original arena games.
3 Crypto's Sabotage And Creature Takeover
A hacker known as Tae Joon, wanting to enter the games via cheating instead of competing, decided to hack into the Syndicate's systems and record himself as a Legend. In order to do this, he created a distraction by detonating an EMP at Kings Canyon's repulsor tower, providing creatures such as leviathans and flyers the perfect opportunity to take over the land and force the humans out. Tae Joon, his distraction and hack being successful, would go on to become known as the legend Crypto.
2 The Syndicate Reclamation
The Syndicate was forced to halt the games temporarily after Crypto's stunt. However, this would pay off in dividends. The organization was able to use this time off to create new areas for the Apex Games and arena combat. Eventually, the Syndicate would be able to reclaim Kings Canyon, but the Leviathans and Flyers would remain, with competitors having to compete despite their dangerous presence in the area.
1 Accidental Explosion
While attempting to get revenge on fellow legend Revenant for the murder of her parents, Loba Andrade would unintentionally set off a series of massive explosions that would destroy significant portions of Kings Canyon. This explosion would tragically take out even the original Thunderdome, marking a very sad day for fans of the Apex Games. The area of the explosion would become known as the Broken Bay.