8 pay-to-win skins in Apex Legends ranked

pay-to-win skins in Apex Legends are unfortunately a sad reality. Like most games, Apex also features a collection of cosmetics that provide players with a distinct advantage. However, luckily for players, these cosmetics do not always need to be purchased using the game's premium currency, Apex Coins, and can be unlocked by using Crafting Metals in-game.

We've curated this list to provide you with a list of eight of the pay-to-win skins in Apex Legends, all of which can either be crafted directly within the game or can be unlocked using spare Legend Tokens from the recolor shop.

With that, here's a detailed list of the eight pay-to-win skins in Apex Legends that you can use in-game.

Editor's note: The contents of this article are subjective and solely feature the writer's own opinion. Furthermore, the article has been updated to feature the latest balance changes incorporated with the Apex Legends Takeover patch on February 11, 2025.

Looking for Crossword hints & solutions? Check out latest NYT Mini Crossword Answers, LA Times Crossword Answers, and Atlantic Crossword Answers

List of eight pay-to-win skins in Apex Legends ranked from best to worst

The following list contains eight pay-to-win skins in Apex Legends, ranked worst to best according to their overall looks and the degree of advantage offered.

8) Dark Fright - Prowler

Dark Fright for Prowler (Image via Electronic Arts)

The Dark Fright is a craftable Legendary skin for the Prowler in Apex Legends. It removes the screws and extensions of the stock iron sight, giving a minimally distracting aiming experience. This ranks last in the list of pay-to-win skins in Apex Legends because the changes provide a very small advantage. That said, it sometimes proves to be the deciding factor in a gunfight.

7) LED Rez - Alternator SMG

LED Rez for Alternator SMG (Image via Electronic Arts)

LED Rez for the Alternator SMG is another one of the pay-to-win skins in Apex Legends. It is a craftable skin that is required to get The Illuminator and Ocean Spray skins. It provides more depth to its sight, offering extra vision during close to mid-range combat. This gives a slight competitive advantage over the stock skin.

6) Golden Spine - Sentinel

Golden Spine for Sentinel (Image via Electronic Arts)

Narrower and cleaner sights are always an added advantage for long-range weapons like sniper rifles. This makes your aim more precise and gives you an edge during gunfights. Such is the case with the Golden Spine weapon skin for the Sentinel sniper rifle, as it removes two large screws at the side of the iron sight and provides greater visibility.

5) The Kill Switch - R-99

The Kill Switch for R-99 (Image via Electronic Arts)

The R99 is extremely difficult to use without an added optic. The stock iron sight of this weapon looks very bulky and blocks vision when aiming down sight. However, the Kill Switch Legendary skin completely changes the bulky nature of the stock scope, making it look similar to the 1xHCOG, which is much easier to aim with.

4) McFly - Longbow DMR

McFly for Longbow DMR (Image via Electronic Arts)

The McFly for Longbow DMR, another Legendary weapon skin, provides a much cleaner and less bulky iron sight. This makes the weapon much easier to aim at longer ranges without causing any unwanted distractions. Moreover, the slightly narrower sight aids in precision.

3) The Death Ray - Wingman

The Death Ray for Wingman (Image via Electronic Arts)

Another craftable Legendary weapon skin in Apex Legends, The Death Ray provides a smaller iron sight compared to the gun's stock version. Additionally, this skin is less bulky, which aids in better visibility during the gun’s high recoil. Therefore, it ranks third on our list of pay-to-win skins in Apex Legends.

With the changes made to the Wingman in Apex Legends Season 24, the weapon has once again become meta in the game. The buffs provided to Assault-class legends have made this weapon a must-pick for all sharpshooters who want a pocket-rocket in their hands.

This hand cannon is simply one of the best weapons in-game, and its essential for you to craft this skin to have improved performance. The default Wingman sights are absolutely horrendous, and with the Death Ray, we believe the improved vision cone provided by the skin is well worth the 1200 Crafting Metals you will spend unlocking it.

2) Wild West - 30-30 Repeater

Wild West for 30-30 Repeater (Image via Electronic Arts)

The Wild West is a craftable Legendary weapon skin for the 30-30 Repeater. It removes the large screw on the left and the small pipe-like structure on the right that is present on the stock iron sight for the gun. Moreover, it slightly increases the aiming area inside the default scope, providing for better and cleaner viewing angles in long-range fights.

1) The Lonestar - Peacekeeper

The Lonestar for Peacekeeper (Image via Electronic Arts)

The Lonestar is a craftable Legendary weapon skin for the Peacekeeper shotgun and one of the best pay-to-win skins in Apex Legends. It reduces the iron sight for the gun by a considerable amount, aiding in better visualization and ultimately helping to achieve a more precise aim. This offers you a competitive advantage during gunfights and thus takes the top spot.

That's everything that you need to know about the 8 pay-to-win skins in Apex Legends ranked from worst to best. Though this list has been curated by considering all possible pros and cons, this list is not exhaustive at all. If you find skins that aid you more in-game, we urge you to save up Crafting Metals to unlock them.

If this guide is to your liking, you can check out our other related guides and news below:

Are you stuck on today's Wordle? Our Wordle Solver will help you find the answer.

Edited by Adarsh J Kumar