How to win Hardcore Royale in Apex Legends – Best tips and strategies

After more than a dozen seasons of Apex Legends players begging for a Hardcore mode, the dream has finally come true with the Celestial Sunrise’s Hardcore Royale LTM. It separates itself from traditional battle royale modes by disabling much of the in-game HUD, limiting which Armor players can carry, and sporting a Ring that deals maximum damage from the beginning of matches. That said, Legends will surely need a hand finding success in the punishing experience. Here are the best ways to increase your chances of winning in Apex Legends’ Hardcore Royale mode.

Best strategies for winning in Apex Legends’ Hardcore Royale LTM

Have plenty of Shield Cells on hand

Hardcore Royale not only takes away much of the HUD, but it even disables many of your Shield options. No matter the map, every Legend will be limited to their White Armor for the entirety of a match, meaning higher rarity Armor is nowhere to be found. Even more daunting, the mode’s loot pool does not include helmets. As a result, players should look to fill their backpacks with a handful of Shield Cells at all times. Although you will be healing more than usual, Hardcore Royale gives Legends no other option for gaining a shield.

Related: How Hardcore Royale LTM works in Apex Legends

Lifeline is a must-have in Hardcore squads

As valuable as healing supplies are, the amount of Health Injectors and Shield Cells you will run into later on in matches will be few and far between. Thus, pre-made squads have a massive leg up when ensuring that a Lifeline is in their trio. Of course, the medic’s D.O.C. Heal Drone Tactical will aid in providing health to teammates nearby, but her Care Package Ultimate should not be underestimated either. While it typically lends shields and helmets in traditional modes, Care Package will treat Lifeline and her teammates to a wealth of quality healing goods in the LTM.

Never ignore nearby Survey Beacons

Recon Legends will also prove useful, as their Survey Beacons can reveal key pieces of information the HUD no longer does. Along with displaying the next Ring, Survey Beacons in Hardcore Royale allow squads to see how many opponents remain. Keep in mind, these can only be activated once per round and doing so takes seven seconds. In sum, we recommend solving for the final Ring’s location and then heading to its nearest Survey Beacon to know how many others remain in the last round.

Inspecting your weapon does more than you think

One of the most stressful aspects of Hardcore Royale is that Legends cannot see how much ammo is left in their weapons’ reserves. Thankfully, one secret way to obtain this HUD menu at any time is by simply inspecting your guns. This can be done by opening up the Quip Wheel and then clicking on the option in the bottom-right corner. Once a gun is inspected, a display on the bottom of the screen will reveal your current selection of weapons and the amount of ammo they have left.

The LTM is far too friendly to Octane mains

Although these strategies counter much of Hardcore Royale’s cruel elements, many may have the most trouble avoiding its extremely damaging Ring, dealing max damage from the very start of matches. Luckily, Octane’s abilities give the Legend the highest chance of never being caught in the Ring. For instance, their Launch Pad Ultimate allows you to leap hundreds of meters into safety. Octane’s Stim Tactical is another excellent way to race through the Ring’s storm, though it even lets you see the Legend’s health whenever it’s used.