The 10 Best R-301 Skins of Apex Legends

Nafiu Aziz
By Nafiu Aziz
9 Min Read
Image Credit: Respawn/ Kavin Neal

Respawn has released a ton of R-301 skins since the launch of Apex Legends. However, here are our top ten R-301 skins to ever exist in the game.

Respawn Entertainment, the developers behind the popular Titanfall video game franchise, entered the highly competitive battle royale genre with Apex Legends. As Apex is set in the same universe as Titanfall, many of the original weapons also made it into the battle royale mode with slight alterations.

For example, the R-301 is a direct successor to the R-101 and R-201, available in the Titanfall games. Also, Apex being an online free-to-play FPS game means players don’t have a barrier to entry to enjoy this polished shooter.

Following Apex Legends’ release in 2019, the R-301 slowly cemented itself as the best assault rifle in the game. Its high rate of fire, paired with ease of control, made it the default choice for players of all skill buckets. In its current state, it is a laser beam. As this weapon is really popular, Respawn showered it with amusing-looking skins.

Read More: Rarest skins in Apex Legends

Our 10 Favorite R-301 Skin Picks

As previously said, there are numerous R-301 skins to pick from. However, not all skins are created equal. Some of the skins may not be suitable since they are too plain or too outrageous. So, after hours and hours of going through all of the R-301 skins, we’ve narrowed it down to the top ten favorites, which we know many of you would agree with. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

10. Intelligent Design

 Intelligent Design
IMAGE VIA RESPAWN
TitleDescription
Release DateOn Release
Available viaDefault Legendary
AlternativesUnsheathed Rebellion, Dynastic Cycle, Retrocausality, Enduring Honor

At the number 10 spot, we’ve picked Intelligent Design. It is a red recolor of the base Unsheathed legendary skin. It stood out from the other recolors mainly due to its unique red colorway. Also, this variation of the R-301 skin is clean-looking with a Japanese samurai armor aesthetic. Nothing extraordinary, but we love it!

9. Honored Prey

Honored Prey
IMAGE VIA RESPAWN
TitleDescription
Release DateJune 4, 2019
Available viaLegendary Hunt Themed Event
AlternativesTrophy Collector

Honored Prey was part of the game’s very first battle pass skins. It was released alongside season 1 of Apex Legends. Matching the theme of the first battle pass, Respawn went all out for this savvy-looking R-301 skin fit for a hunter. Many of us Apex enthusiasts even bought the battle pass just to get this specific skin.

8. Ice Cold

Ice Cold
IMAGE VIA RESPAWN
TitleDescription
Release DateSeptember 14, 2021
Available viaEvolution Collection Event
Alternatives

Respawn Introduced the Ice Cold Variant of the R-301 skin back in 2019 as part of the holiday-themed Holo-Day Bash collection event. This R-301 stood out to us from the crowd of other legendary skins mainly due to its gold and blue colorway, which isn’t very common in Apex.

7. Amethyst Apathy

TitleDescription
Release DateSeptember 14, 2021
Available viaEvolution Collection
AlternativesTechno Terror 

Sometimes, there’s beauty in simplicity. The Amethyst Apathy combines two beautiful colors into a skin to behold. While most skins are flashy and have distinct features or accents, this one is surprisingly humble. Released alongside the Evolution Collection Event, this skin is for those who crave a minimalistic aesthetic.

6. Fun in the Sun

Fun in the Sun
IMAGE VIA RESPAWN
TitleDescription
Release DateMarch 3, 2020
Available viaSystem Override Collection
Alternatives

Fun in the Sun R-301 skin was released alongside the System Override collection event in the game. It featured a unique yellow and light purple color theme, which really caught the attention of the player base, including us. Also, with all those tubes running alongside the side of the weapon, this skin looks even more popping.

5. Pieces of Eight

 Pieces of Eight
IMAGE VIA RESPAWN
TitleDescription
Release DateDecember 7, 2021
Available viaRaiders Collection Event
Alternatives

Pieces of Eight is one-of-a-kind R-301 skin in the game. The skin was released in the Raiders Collection Event in Season 11. The Pieces of Eight came paired with a Legendary Loba skin called Plumed Explorer. So, if you are a Loba fan like us, you must love this skin like I do.

4. Tried and True

Tried and True
IMAGE VIA RESPAWN
TitleDescription
Release DateJuly 13, 2021
Available viaThrillseekers
Alternatives

In the Threelseekers event, Respawn introduced the Tried and True skin for the beloved R-301. Unlike most other skins of this particular weapon, it featured a unique rusty look. Unsurprisingly, the blue and gold colorway paired with the wood texture on the tail end of the weapon made this skin variant an instant hit among the Apex player base.

3. An Anger Righteous

An Anger Righteous
IMAGE VIA RESPAWN
TitleDescription
Release DateMarch 9, 2021
Available viaChaos Theory
AlternativesFinal Act

An Anger Righteous skin came out alongside the Chaos Theory collection event. Respawn really went all out on this variant of the R-301 skin. It features a solid gold and blue colorway with a little hint of white. Also, the face mask on the side of the weapon certainly gave it a creepy vibe. It is one of the OG R-301 skins that many of us are still using even in 2024.

2. Blue Surge

IMAGE VIA RESPAWN
TitleDescription
Release DateApril 12, 2023
Available viaWeapon Recolor Store
Alternatives

The Season 16 Weapon Recolor Shop introduced Blue Surge to the game. It entered the Recolor store, although it is not a recolor weapon. However, this is not why Blue Surge is one of the best R-301 skins in the game. The player community loved this skin because of its futuristic appearance. Moreover, it is the only skin that deviates from the standard R-301 skin design. So, a lot of people find this skin to be incredibly intriguing.

1. The Golden Rampage

The Golden Rampage
IMAGE VIA RESPAWN
TitleDescription
Release DateJuly 2, 2019
Available viaBattle Charge Premium Battle pass
AlternativesThe Iron Rampage

The Golden Rampage was the reactive battle pass exclusive skin that was released back in season 2 of Apex Legends. Due to the rare nature of this battle pass skin, this, along with its other recolor aptly named “Iron Rampage,” is highly sought after by the Apex community.

It features a unique-looking gold colorway on top of a Rhino skull at its tip. Similar to all the other reactive battle pass skins, it reacts to you getting a kill during the game. And we all must agree that it is one of the best reactive skins Respawn has released since the game’s release.

Will Past R-301 Event Skins Ever Return?

Unfortunately, the past battle pass-specific R-301 skins will not return to the storefront ever again, as they were an exclusive reward for that particular season. However, other recolors and event skins might return in the form of a recolor. But moving forward, Respawn has stated that battle pass skins from season 16 and onwards might return to the store in an event-specific skin bundle.

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Nafiu Aziz is an avid gamer and a writer at GameRiv, covering Apex Legends, CS:GO, VALORANT, and plenty of other popular FPS titles in between. He scours the internet daily to get the latest scoop in esports.