Since the start of Season 3, Apex Legends’ map has been dotted with locked vaults full of high-tier loot. A countdown timer suggested they’d open at 1 p.m. ET today, but players are reporting that they’re open now. Here’s how to get inside.
There are three vaults on the map: one near Lava City, one near the Train Yard, and one near the Geyser. All three will appear on your minimap once you get a key. Keys have a chance to drop from loot drones when you shoot them down. It seems the keys drop from drones that have a red tile; the color of the drone when you shoot it doesn’t appear to matter.
Vaults take a few seconds to open. Inside, you’ll find some fancy loot, which you can see through the door. In the video below, the player finds some gold and purple armor and purple attachments.
I haven’t opened a vault myself yet, though I’ve stared longingly through their doors. Note there can be more than one key in a match, so getting one is no guarantee you’ll get those goodies. A few players feel this messes up the balance of loot and can make high-tier armor and attachments available too early (though this also gives you a chance to snag that loot from its owners if you take them down). We’ll see if the sentiment becomes prevalent enough for Respawn to address it as players continue getting into the vaults.