I’ve been grinding Apex Legends since the early days, and even in 2026, Respawn Entertainment still finds ways to surprise the community with fresh crossovers and limited-time events. This season, the battle royale is once again dipping into anime-inspired territory—something fans have been craving ever since the legendary Gaiden event made waves back in July 2022. If you’re new to the game or just need a refresher before jumping into the latest animated mayhem, let me walk you through what made Gaiden such a standout moment in Apex history. From exclusive skins to a returning fan-favorite mode, the event captured the essence of what makes these collections so exciting.

As a live service title, Apex Legends is constantly evolving. Beyond the seasonal drops that introduce new legends, weapons, and map changes, Respawn has kept things spicy with limited-time modes and thematic collection events. Back then, Gaiden arrived right in the middle of Season 13: Saviors, running from July 19 through August 2, 2022. It wasn’t just another skin drop—it was a full-on celebration of anime culture, complete with a returning game mode that stripped the loot pool down to its essentials.

The mode of choice for Gaiden was Armed and Dangerous. If you never got to play it, imagine dropping into Kings Canyon, World’s Edge, or Olympus with only shotguns and sniper rifles at your disposal. No SMGs, no assault rifles, no scrambling for attachments that don’t matter. Every shot mattered. The intensity was dialed up to eleven, and it forced squads to rethink their entire approach. You couldn’t just rush in with an R-99; you had to line up that Peacekeeper choke or land a headshot with a Sentinel. It was brutal, tactical, and honestly some of the most fun I’ve ever had in Apex.

Of course, the real draw for most players was the treasure trove of cosmetic loot. The Gaiden collection featured 40 event-specific items—think banner frames, poses, weapon charms, and intro quips. But everyone had their eyes on the four legendary character skins that were unapologetically inspired by beloved anime franchises. These weren’t subtle nods; they were full-blown tributes that immediately sparked debates across the community about which was the best design.

Revenant’s skin, for example, transformed the murderous simulacrum into a sleek mecha straight out of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The purple and green accents, the angular armor plates, the glowing core—it was perfection. Pair that with the complimentary VK-47 Flatline skin, which mirrored the mecha’s color scheme, and you had a loadout that struck fear into enemies before you even fired a shot.

Octane, on the other hand, went full pirate mode with a skin clearly modeled after Luffy from One Piece. The straw hat, the vest, the carefree stance—it all screamed Gear 5 energy before Gear 5 was even a thing in the anime. His matching EVA-8 cosmetic was styled like a blunderbuss, complete with ridiculously fun details that made every slide, jump, and stim boost feel like an adventure on the Grand Line.

Wattson enthusiasts got a Naruto Uzumaki-inspired set that turned the static defender into a ninja straight from the Hidden Leaf Village. The orange jumpsuit, the blonde hair, the whisker marks—it was joyfully nostalgic. Her Charge Rifle skin even incorporated lightning motifs reminiscent of the Rasengan, a clever touch that resonated with fans of Naruto and Boruto alike.

Then there was Mirage. His Deku skin from My Hero Academia was arguably the most on-the-nose crossover. The green hood with the bunny-ear-like tufts, the teal jumpsuit, the freckles—it captured the essence of Izuku Midoriya so well that my squad instantly started calling out “One For All” every time our Mirage popped his ultimate. The complimentary Wingman pistol skin sealed the deal, with a design that felt straight out of U.A. High’s support course.

Unlocking all these goodies wasn’t a simple matter of grinding the battle pass. True to collection events, there were multiple paths to complete your cosmetic gallery. You could buy individual Gaiden Event Packs using Apex Coins, each one guaranteeing a non-duplicate event item. If you preferred crafting, EA confirmed that all Gaiden items were craftable with metals—though they didn’t reveal exact costs until the event went live, and as always, legendary items weren’t cheap.

Savvy players kept an eye on the challenge reward track. A second track ran from July 26 to August 2, offering a free Gaiden Event Pack once you hit 3000 points. It was a solid incentive to play daily, especially if you were missing a few pieces and didn’t want to spend cash. The in-game store also rolled out the “Marked Man Bundle,” which gave you 10 Event Packs plus the Mirage Deku skin outright for 4000 Apex Coins—roughly $40 USD. Not exactly pocket change, but for anime die-hards, it was a tempting shortcut.

And if you went the distance and collected all 40 items, you earned the ultimate prize: Bangalore’s “Apex Commander” prestige skin. Prestige skins were still a relatively new concept at the time, featuring three unlockable tiers that progressively changed the visual design as you completed damage challenges. The third tier gave Bangalore a fully armored, battle-hardened look that paired beautifully with the new finisher attack called Close Quarters Combat. Seeing that finisher play out for the first time—swift, brutal, no-nonsense—cemented it as one of the coolest rewards in Apex history.

Looking at the Gaiden event from 2026, it’s clear that Respawn struck gold with the anime theme. The blend of high-stakes gameplay in Armed and Dangerous mode, the community buzz around the character skins, and the chase for that elusive prestige skin created a perfect storm of engagement. It set a template that later events have tried to replicate, but for many of us veterans, Gaiden remains the gold standard.

What I appreciate most is how the developers didn’t just slap on some cel shading and call it a day. They picked specific anime series that felt authentic to each legend’s personality and lore. Revenant as an EVA unit? Perfect. Mirage’s self-aggrandizing personality mirroring Deku’s earnest heart? Hilariously fitting. These weren’t random choices; they were carefully curated, and that attention to detail is why the community still talks about Gaiden whenever a new event drops.

As I boot up Apex Legends this week to check out the latest anime-themed collection (yes, they’re doing it again in 2026), I can’t help but feel nostalgic. I’m still rocking that Revenant mecha skin in my favorited rotation, and every time I land a charged Sentinel shot, I flashback to the Armed and Dangerous days when every encounter felt like a sniper duel from an anime climax. If you missed Gaiden, I genuinely feel bad for you—but maybe this new event will give you a taste of that magic. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that Respawn never fully closes the book on a good idea.