As a seasoned Apex Legends player grinding through the current 2026 ranked season, I can tell you the landscape is tougher than ever. The competitive system overhaul that hit back in Season 13 is still the law of the land, and it's a brutal one. You've got to pay RP just to queue up for a match, and the amount you lose is tied directly to your rank. The real kicker? You need to finish higher than 14th place for your kills to even count toward RP. Drop hot, get a few early knocks, but die in 15th? Tough luck, mate—it's all a loss. This means your drop spot isn't just about loot; it's a make-or-break decision for your entire match and your hard-earned rank. For us high-tier players, an early wipe can mean kissing 40+ RP goodbye in the blink of an eye. Let me break down the six spots on Olympus that are absolute no-gos if you're serious about climbing.

1. Energy Depot: The Central Gauntlet

Energy Depot is smack-dab in the center of Olympus, surrounded by other mega-popular POIs like Hammond Labs, Gardens, and Rift. On paper, it's a high-tier loot zone with decent space. The reality? It's a bloody meat grinder. The sheer volume of teams that commit to landing here is insane. You're often forced into a fight before you can even say "Mozambique here." It's the ultimate high-risk, high-reward play. Sure, if you somehow survive the chaos, you're set for the match. But the odds of finishing outside the top 14 are sky-high. Landing here is a straight-up gamble, and in ranked, the house always wins.

2. Bonsai Plaza: Loot-Scarce Skyscrapers

Nestled between Phase Driver and Icarus, Bonsai Plaza is another infamous hot drop. It's a mid-tier loot area, but the loot is frustratingly spread out. The main attraction is the high-tier loot on the top floors of the skyscrapers, which acts like a beacon for every squad in the vicinity. Everyone drops in the same general area, leading to immediate, chaotic scrambles. You're incredibly vulnerable while searching for a weapon. The community has long criticized this spot for its poor loot distribution relative to the danger. In a ranked match, dropping here is asking for trouble before you even get your boots on the ground.

3. Oasis: The Inescapable Trap

Oasis is one of the larger areas on the map's outer edge, sitting between Carrier and Estates. It's filled with mid-tier loot and has a sneaky underground café that spawns high-tier goodies like legendary armor. Sounds great, right? Here's the catch: it's a tactical nightmare to escape if a competent team pins you down. With multiple apartment buildings and that coveted café, it's guaranteed to attract several squads every single match. Only one team walks out of Oasis alive in the early game. With so many players contesting, the probability of your squad being that one is low, making it very unlikely you'll hit that crucial top-14 threshold to start earning RP.

4. Gardens: The Mid-Tier Magnet

Gardens is planted right in the middle of a dangerous neighborhood, flanked by Clinic, Energy Depot, and Rift. It's not huge, but it's not tiny either, offering a few buildings to loot. The loot is mid-tier and thankfully a bit more condensed than Bonsai. However, its central location and decent loot make it a perennial favorite. You can bet your bottom dollar there will be multiple squads here every game. For players looking to survive to at least 14th place and gain RP, Gardens presents a major risk. The combination of predictable traffic and mid-tier rewards makes it a suboptimal choice for ranked consistency.

5. Estates: Olympus's Skull Town

If there's one spot you should avoid at all costs, it's Estates. This place is the spiritual successor to Skull Town on Olympus. It's a compact area packed with mid-tier loot, which means there's never enough to go around for the hordes of players who drop here. The community loves it for pure, unadulterated chaos in pubs. But for ranked RP grinding? It's a death sentence. Located next to Oasis and Hammond Labs, it's the most lethal POI on the map. In the old days, racking up early kills here was a viable strategy. Post-Season 13, with the placement requirement, dropping here is a surefire way to watch your rank decay. The math simply doesn't add up.

6. Hammond Labs & The Rift Perimeter

While the article highlights the five above, I've got to give an honorable mention to the entire central corridor encompassing Hammond Labs and the Rift. These areas, by virtue of their high-quality loot and positioning, consistently draw multiple squads. The principle is the same: too much early-game traffic drastically reduces your chances of achieving a safe placement. In the 2026 ranked meta, survival is the name of the game before you even think about aggression.

Summary Table: Olympus Ranked Drop Danger Zones

POI Name	Loot Tier	Key Danger	Ranked Viability
Energy Depot	High-Tier	Central location, extreme traffic	❌ Very Low
Bonsai Plaza	Mid-Tier	Spread-out loot, skyscraper fights	❌ Low
Oasis	Mid-Tier (with High-Tier cafe)	Difficult to escape, high contest rate	❌ Low
Gardens	Mid-Tier	Central magnet, predictable fights	⚠️ Medium-Low
Estates	Mid-Tier	Extreme density, 'Skull Town' chaos	❌ Extremely Low
Central Corridor (Hammond/Rift)	High-Tier	General hot zone pressure	⚠️ Risky

The bottom line in 2026? To climb the ranks on Olympus, you have to play the long game. Avoid these six hotspots unless you're feeling unbelievably confident or your back is against the wall in a promotion series. Smart rotations and securing placement first will always trump early-game frags in the current system. Play smart, legends. Your RP depends on it. 😉