Apex Legends' next season isn't too far off, but Season 17 still has plenty to offer, including a new Collection Event unlike any that have come before it. Although The Neon Network Collection Event comes with all the trappings of your standard Apex Legends cosmetic collection, there are a few new features that make this event stand out, like the playable narrative that will see players step into Loba's high-heeled shoes and uncover the answers to a mystery that has followed her for years.

Valkyrie mains will also be pleased, as players who collect all 24 premium Collection Event cosmetics will unlock her evolving Apex Intercepter Prestige Skin. The collection itself features vibrant, colorful cosmetics with a cyberpunk twist, and the event will also include a new twist on the standard free reward track, which allows players to unlock free rewards by completing event challenges.

But it's the narrative aspect of the event that is arguably the most exciting feature. Apex's Collection Events are well-known and happen on a regular basis, but they rarely have heavy ties to the plot. The Neon Network appears to be taking things in a different direction, serving as a narrative connection between Kill Code: Part 1 and the forthcoming sequel, Kill Code: Part 2, which is scheduled to debut on July 31.

Episode one saw Loba get distracted by something she found in an underground bunker--something that appears to be related to Revenant--but it doesn't seem like she told the other legends about her discovery. Meanwhile, Lifeline accidentally corrupted some data she was attempting to download by removing the drive before the data was finished transferring. During The Neon Network Collection Event, players can take part in Kill Code: Thief's Bane, what appears to be a single-player adventure that puts players into the role of Loba.

"After biding her time, Loba’s hunt continues," reads the Thief's Bane story description. "Become the wolf and enter her story yourself as you breach a facility that may have started the interruption to her childhood. With shady plot abound, you’ll work through an interactive introduction before entering the Battle Royale with a twist from July 21-August 8, 2023."

Based on the trailer footage and event description, it appears this will be a playable campaign, similar to The Broken Ghost questline or an episode of The Apex Chronicles. The "Battle Royale with a twist" comment is likely a reference to Node Tracker: Battle Royale Takeover, a new "mode" of sorts that focuses on Lifeline and her corrupted data. To un-corrupt said data, players will need to use a Node Tracker to detect, locate, and extract data from various leads across the map. Players who do so will be rewarded with in-game loot and items called Compute Nodes.

Compute Nodes can be used in the Event Shop, a new addition to Apex Legends that allows players to choose which free reward items they'd like to unlock. It appears to function very similarly to the Seasonal Stores seen in Apex Legends Mobile, so it's possible that players can unlock all Event Shop rewards if they obtain enough Compute Nodes.

The Neon Network Collection Event starts on Tuesday, July 25 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET and ends on Tuesday, August 8 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Don't forget to keep up with the story by watching Kill Code: Part 2 when it debuts on Monday, July 31 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET.