Apex Legends Valkyrie gameplay tips and how to unlock her for free

Valkyrie takes center stage as the Apex Legends anniversary event carries on. Through March 1 the Japanese recon specialist will be available for all players to download, prompting lots of discussion about how the jet-focused character contributes to the current meta. Below, we outline all you need to know about Valkyrie, her abilities, and her time-limited free download. Let’s fly through all the important details.

How to unlock Valkyrie for free in Apex Legends

As a part of the ongoing Anniversary Collection Event in Apex Legends, Valkyrie is the last of three previously premium Legends to be offered without a price tag. Her free period runs from February 22 at 1 p.m. Eastern through March 1 at 1 p.m. Eastern. If you want to see what this character is all about, you’ll need to log in to Apex during that time period.

Once you have, Valkyrie will become a freely selectable part of your character roster as a Year 3 Anniversary Gift. There are no other steps required. She automatically unlocks as long as you launch the game during the aforementioned dates.

What are Valkyrie’s abilities in Apex Legends?

Valkyrie debuted in Apex Legends at the start of Season 9 last April, and since then her abilities haven’t evolved all that much.

• Missile Swarm [Tactical]: Fire a swarm of mini-rockets that damage and disorient the enemy.
• VTOL Jets [Passive]: Press the jump key while in the air to engage her jetpack. You can switch between hold and toggle mode in the options menu.
• Skyward Dive [Ultimate]: Press once to prepare for launch. Teammates can interact with Valkyrie to join the launch. Press again to launch into the air and skydive.
• Recon [Perk]: Scanning Survey Beacons reveals the next circle's location.

With this kit, many pro Apex Legends players feel Valk may be the best movement-based Legend in the game up to this point.

Best tips to win as Valkyrie in Apex Legends

Now that you have Valkyrie in your arsenal, it’s time to make the best use of her skills. We’ve assembled six essential tips to ensure you’re the best Valk player on your team.

• Don’t ignore the HUD: Valk’s stylized HUD is perhaps the most underutilized part of her kit. Beyond its unique design, it enables her to pinpoint enemies on the map and in deployment from up to 250 meters away. The extra details are essential to knowing a lot about your enemies at any point in a match.
• Watch your booster: The VTOL Jet passive gives Valkyrie a jetpack, but it’s limited by a fuel gauge. Like Pharah from Overwatch, Tapping the thruster button depletes it faster. This may be extremely helpful in terms of movement and strafing, but be aware you can only use that tactic for so long.
• Switch from toggle to hold: Provided you’re physically able to do so, there’s a great gameplay advantage for setting Valk’s jetpack ability to hold instead of toggle. To do this, go to the gameplay settings menu and set Jetpack Control to “hold.” To make the most of Valk’s kit, we suggest switching the pack on and off as quickly as possible. Going straight up in the air for no reason is pointless, but pulsing the pack to strafe is indispensable.
• Use her height: You can’t shoot while using the jetpack, but Valkyrie’s Skyward Dive can still help set you up for some awesome offensive scenarios. Use it in a cluster of enemies to highlight their locations for your team, then land at an inaccessible high vantage point to pick them off. It’s a means of helping your friends while also grabbing some well-deserved points for yourself.
• A better bunny hop: Valk can’t bunny hop as well as other characters in Apex Legends, but her version of it might be superior. With just a quick tap of the thrusters, you’ll be able to scale ledges in buildings with little to no penalties. Don’t be afraid to use your mobility even when there are ceilings or small climbs to make.
• Spin in your ult: Using your ultimate shoots you up in a straight line, but you can still spin a little as you ascend to the sky. Doing so decreases your odds of getting hit while ensuring any teammates you’ve taken with you don’t get shot down as well.

That’s all you need to know to dominate as Valk in Apex Legends.