Apex Legends is full of hidden teasers and Easter eggs, which often appear both in the game’s maps and on cosmetic items. This week, Horizon’s voice actress, Elle Newlands, revealed a new secret reference to a beloved pet who has passed away: Horizon’s Epic-tier Anya’s Armor cosmetic skin (included in the Season 14 premium battle pass) is actually an homage to Newlands’ cat, Anya, who recently passed on.
Not me crying because @PlayApex @Respawn honored my 20 year old cat who recently passed away with a skin in her memory.
Anya’s Armor 😭
Thank you @VancouverTim and your good good heart. Best job ever ❤️#ApexLegends #HorizonApexLegends pic.twitter.com/2y56r2nKnQ— Elle Newlands (@ElleNewlands) August 15, 2022
Anya, a house cat with a tortoise shell coat, was 20 years old at the time of her passing, and obviously had a strong bond with her owner. In the tweet, Newlands specifically thanks Respawn studio operations director Tim Lewine, as it appears that he’s who made the Anya’s Armor skin happen–possibly as a surprise to lift Newlands’ spirits in the wake of Anya’s death. The skin itself features a golden color palette with tiger stripe accents.
“This is Anya,” Newlands explained in a second tweet. “She was the sweetest, shyest little bean who I found as a kitten in a box outside the supermarket. She died peacefully in my arms, 20 years to the day I found her. Thank you all for the love.”
This Easter egg isn’t the first of its kind–many other in-game secrets have touching stories behind them, like the small shrine to one developer’s deceased dog, and an homage to the late grandmother of another.
Given Respawn’s history of in-game dedications to the deceased, it’s unlikely this will be the last touching Easter egg to make its way into the game.
Apex Legends is free to play on console and PC. A mobile version of the game, Apex Legends Mobile, is available for download on Android and iOS devices.
