As a longtime Apex Legends player, I still get a kick out of looking back at the Raiders Collection Event. If you are reading this in 2026, do not clear your calendar: this was a 2021 event, not a live playlist. But the Raiders update is still a handy snapshot of how Respawn Entertainment kept Season 11 fresh after Storm Point and the CAR SMG had already landed. The event ran from Dec. 7 to Dec. 21, and it brought the Winter Express LTM back while giving several Legends a pirate-themed makeover. For me, though, the headline was simple: Wattson finally got an heirloom. No cap, that was a big deal for the Wattson faithful.

Pirate Vibes and Winter Express

The Raiders Collection Event leaned hard into a swashbuckling theme, and honestly, it worked. The classic Winter Express LTM was back, which gave players that cozy-but-chaotic holiday train fight they had been missing. On top of that, Respawn rolled out new legendary skins for Revenant, Bloodhound, Wattson, Pathfinder, Loba, Wraith, and Valkyrie. Each one had that pirate look, from tricorn hats to rugged coats, and it gave the event a clear identity instead of feeling like a random cosmetic dump. As a player, I always appreciate it when a limited-time event has a real vibe. This one did.

Wattson's Energy Reader

The star of the show, at least for support players, was Wattson's heirloom: the Energy Reader. It is an electronic device with a control panel, a small digital screen, and four metal prongs at the front that emit an electrical charge. It fits her kit like a glove, and it feels like a proper reward for a Legend who had been asking for some love for ages. The community had been pushing for a Wattson heirloom for a long time, and this was Respawn basically saying, we hear you. For Wattson mains, that moment was on the money.

How to Get It Was a Real Head-Scratcher

Getting the Energy Reader was not exactly a walk in the park. Players had two options, and neither one was easy. The first was to unlock the 24 other items available during the event, which meant spending a lot of money on event packs. The second was to use heirloom shards to buy the Energy Reader outright. As most Apex players know, heirloom shards are extremely rare, so relying on RNGesus is a bit of a bummer. I call that a real head-scratcher: the heirloom is cool, but the path to it is steep. It is the kind of thing that makes you ask whether the squeeze is worth the juice.

Wattson Also Got a Buff

It was not just about cosmetics. At the start of Season 11, the developers gave Wattson's abilities a buff, and it made her feel much better to play. Her Interception Pylon now recharges the shields of nearby teammates twice as fast as before. In addition, the energy nodes for her electric fencing recharge at a quicker rate, and they do more damage as well. That combination of a new heirloom and a meaningful buff was a rare double win. Wattson fans finally had something to celebrate beyond just looking stylish.

A 2026 Perspective

Looking back from 2026, the Raiders Collection Event is still a useful example of how Apex Legends mixes nostalgia, cosmetics, and fan service. It gave players a holiday LTM, a strong theme, and a long-requested heirloom all in one package. The monetization was steep, and I would not pretend otherwise. But the excitement around Wattson's Energy Reader was real, and the buff made her feel like a proper pick again. Apex Legends remains playable on PC and current consoles, and events like this one are part of why the game has such a long tail. Would I want to shell out for every pack? No sweat, I will pass. But watching Wattson mains finally get their moment? That was worth a smile. 🏴‍☠️⚡