Apex Legends is celebrating its second anniversary with a new Collection Event. Part of this is bringing back fan-favorite skins for Legends with an updated red and gold look, which gives players a chance to snag skins they may have missed in the past.
These re-released Apex Legends skins look fairly identical to their originals except for their colors and a few minor tweaks here and there. A total of eighteen skins across thirteen different Legends are available to purchase. Octane, Bangalore, Lifeline, and Wraith each have two skins available, while the rest of the Legends in the collection each have only one.
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Along with the eighteen Legends skins, another six skins are available for weapons. Again, these are previously available skins, just re-released with a new red and gold color scheme. If players unlock all twenty-four skins, they will be rewarded with 150 Heirloom Points, basically allowing them to snag any Apex Legends Heirlooms they would like from the in-game shop.
Each of these Apex Legend skins is a rarity of Epic or higher, and their price in the previously mentioned ranges will be more the higher the rarity of the skin. Players also have the opportunity to earn two through Apex Legends Collection Event Packs earned through challenges. The skins earned through these packs are random, so a player's chance of receiving exactly which skin they want is a gamble.
So how do these skins compare to their originals? It all depends on the Legend or weapon. Many of the new Legend skins do not look quite as good as their new color scheme's originals. EA's idea of allowing players to grab a great skin they may have missed in the past falls a bit short in this aspect. It does not matter if a player can get a skin they missed if the new skin does not look exactly like the old one, and in some cases like Loba's skin, for example, the original looks much better with its original purples and blues.
Other Apex Legends skins, like Bloodhound's, look fantastic in their new red with gold accent look. Whether these new skins are worth it, the cost comes down to personal preference. Some players may love the look of their favorite Legend's anniversary skins, while other players may feel a bit left out in the dark because they were promised a re-released skin that did not come out looking as great as the original. EA and Respawn Entertainment might have been better off releasing new skins altogether instead of trying to make it seem like players had a chance of snagging older, rare skins.
At first glance, it seems these skin only received an update to their colors. Upon closer examination, players will find other differences. Apex Legends' Bloodhound, for example, gets a phoenix design on his breastplate, while other Legends such as Bangalore or Crypt get new design tweaks to the patterns of their outfits that make them look different enough than their originals. In most cases, these updates make these Anniversary Collection Event skins better than their originals than the skins that just got a palette swap.
Reception of the new skins by players has been lukewarm, with many players feeling like the Apex Legends Anniversary Collection Event skins are a cash grab. Do the 150 Heirloom Points receive after unlocking all twenty-four skins make up for the total cost of acquiring the entire set? In the end, the Anniversary Collection Events skins are a mixed bag, but there is certainly something for everyone in there. If players want a chance to get their hands on any of the new skins, they have until February 23rd to do so.
Apex Legends is available on the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The Nintendo Switch version releases on March 9th, 2021.