Summary

  • Apex Legends' Winter's Haunt Event starts December 17, featuring the Winter Express LTM.
  • The event includes 30 new cosmetics, daily challenges for Ice Gems, and Legendary skins in the Reward Shop.
  • Respawn also previously made balancing fixes for Lifeline and Newcastle, addressing gameplay issues.

Respawn has revealed the Winter’s Haunt Event coming to Apex Legends on December 17. The limited-time event will bring action-packed gameplay and tons of festive cosmetics to Apex Legends.

From the Rift, the 23rd Season of Apex Legends, launched in November, bringing big changes to some of the game’s most iconic characters. Combat medic Lifeline and heroic defender Newcastle were reworked with new powers to revitalize the game’s support Legends. Respawn Entertainment also launched new anti-cheat efforts to combat hackers, which have reportedly cut down infected matches by 33%.

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The highlight of Apex Legends’ Winter’s Haunt Event is the return of the Winter Express LTM. This limited-time game mode sees three teams battle it out for control of the fast-moving locomotive, earning points by eliminating all enemies or capturing the train for their squad. The frenetic festive mode follows from the recent Launch Royale LTM, which took players back to 2019 to experience the game as it was when first released. The Winter’s Haunt Event will also bring plenty of new loot, offering 30 new cosmetics including Bloodhound’s “Winter’s Bane” Heirloom and the reactive “Attunement” skin for the Hemlock assault rifle. Unlocks can be acquired through special Event Apex Packs featuring at least one event item. Each limited-time Winter’s Haunt cosmetic unlocked will also count towards bonus milestone rewards, including 150 Heirloom Shards.

Winter's Haunt Event Details for Apex Legends

  • Beigns December 17
  • Winter Express LTM Game Mode
  • 30 Limited-time cosmetics, including Hemlock "Attunement" reactive skin and Bloodhound "Winter's Bane" Heirloom
  • Rewards shop with Legendary skins for Bloodhound, Bangalore, Ballistic, Rampart, Ash, and Fuse
  • Balancing fixes for Lifeline and Newcastle

Gamers will also be able to complete daily challenges to earn Ice Gems to spend on new weapon and Legend skins in the Winter’s Haunt Reward Shop, which will refresh halfway through the event. Notable unlocks include Legendary skins for Bloodhound, Bangalore, Ballistic, Rampart, Ash, and Fuse. Alternatively, gamers can purchase all six seasonal Legend skins directly from the shop. While this shortcut could be a welcome option for busy players, others may consider it a further step towards what some see as the game’s increasing monetization, especially following the recent rumors that EA is considering switching Apex Legends to a subscription model.​​​​

In the run-up to the Winter’s Haunt Event, Respawn also implemented a handful of gameplay changes to address balancing issues stemming from the recent overhauls of Apex Legends' support characters. The cooldown of Lifeline’s new D.O.C. Halo ability has been increased from 150 to 180 seconds, while the drone’s hands-free revive time is now the same speed as other non-support Legends, giving enemy players a little longer to react. Newcastle’s Mobile Shield has also had its cooldown increased and invulnerability removed, while the HP of his Revive Shield has been reduced. Respawn hopes this will help to rebalance Newcastle's overpowered compounding shield meta abilities, which resulted from changes introduced in From the Rift.

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Battle Royale
First-Person Shooter
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 74%
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Released
February 4, 2019
ESRB
T for Teen: Blood, Violence
Developer(s)
Respawn Entertainment
Publisher(s)
Electronic Arts
Engine
Source on console/PC, Unreal Engine 4 on mobile
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PC, PS4, Switch & Xbox One
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play* Hero shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame & fortune on the fringes of the Frontier.

Master an ever-growing roster of diverse legends, deep tactical squad play, and bold new innovations that go beyond the Battle Royale experience—all within a rugged world where anything goes. Welcome to the next evolution of Hero Shooter.

This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.

Cross Save
Cross Progression lets you share your game progress across PC, PlayStation®, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch
Steam Deck Compatibility
yes
Genre(s)
Battle Royale, First-Person Shooter
X|S Optimized
yes
PS Plus Availability
N/A
OpenCritic Rating
Strong