Winter's Haunt Event Release Date, Free Rewards, & More
Apex Legends isn't scared to introduce new events into the incredibly popular FPS, and the holiday season is the perfect time to launch a festival that'll excite even Pathfinder. Every year around the Christmas season, Respawn releases festive-themed content, which is one of the reasons to look forward to winter break as an Apex fan.
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Soon to launch in mid-December, the Winter's Haunt event is about to begin, so there's a lot to look forward to over the next few weeks. We've compiled all the fun-filled details about Winter's Haunt, including its main appeal - the return of the Winter Express. Here's an ultimate guide to the upcoming winter bash in Apex Legends.
When Does the Winter's Haunt Event Release?
The biggest question on everyone's mind is how long the Winter's Haunt event will be active. Generally, Respawn keeps a new event around for a few weeks, though it varies wildly based on many factors. Right now, it seems as though Winter's Haunt will launch on December 17th. So you still have a few days to shake the dust off your Apex Legends skills before the action-packed festivities commence.
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However, we don't know when Winter's Haunt will bid us a farewell, though it's likely to last until the new year to allow all players to collect the shiny new rewards. We've detailed how you can get the limited-time cosmetics below, which is one of the biggest reasons to be excited about the launch of Winter's Haunt this December.
Whats Included in the Winter's Haunt Event?
The main draw of Winter's Haunt will be the return of the Winter Express, though there are also dozens of dazzling rewards to earn for free. We'll walk you through the newest LTM and show you how to unlock rewards during Winter's Haunt.
Make Way for the Winter Express
The Winter Express is an LTM that pairs nicely with the festive season. The action-packed mode contains a train, and while three squads compete, only one can become victorious. The goal of Winter Express is to defeat all opponents or gain complete control of the speedy train.
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Thousands of Apex Legends fans love Winter Express and are excited that it's back in action for December 2024. Respawn usually hosts some form of event around Christmas to bring players back into the popular first-person battle royale, and it looks like the centerpiece of the Winter's Haunt festival will be the Winter Express.
Earn Exclusive Cosmetics
Face the frost in the Winter’s Haunt Event and the return of Winter Express!
— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) December 12, 2024
Collect 30 bone-chilling limited-time cosmetics and unlock 150 Heirloom Shards, Bloodhound’s Heirloom “Winter’s Bane,” and a Reactive “Attunement” Hemlok Skin.
❄️: https://t.co/qDkOFLNa4W pic.twitter.com/wdR2zbrJaW
The Winter's Haunt festival didn't skip out on rewards, as you'll be able to earn tons of great items by playing during the snow-filled event. In total, there are 30 cosmetics to collect, including skins for your favorite Legends. Specific milestones will also grant you cool rewards, such as a whopping 150 Heirloom Shards.
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The Winter's Haunt Event Packs will contain all 30 winter-themed cosmetics and they don't have duplicate items, so you can rest assured that you won't keep getting the same old rewards. You can only get one Winter's Haunt item per Apex Pack, but you'll also receive two normal rewards.
Finally, you can collect Ice Gems by finishing daily challenges during Winter's Haunt, and the exclusive gems are usable in the Winter's Haunt Reward Shop. There are lots of festive costumes to earn during this holiday season, and it looks like Apex Legends pulled out all the tricks to make this one of the best winter events in the first-person shooter's history. Make sure to log in during Winter's Haunt so that you don't miss out on these icy cosmetics.
New Balancing Changes & Patch Notes
Winter's Haunt has lots of exciting holiday content to enjoy over your winter break, but it also comes equipped with a new set of patch notes. Lifeline has received some further changes, among other small updates and bug fixes. Here's everything included in the latest Apex Legends Patch Notes.
Official Patch Notes for Winter's Haunt
Lifeline
- D.O.C. Halo: increased cooldown to 180s (was 150)
- Hands-free D.O.C.: revive is now the same speed as non-support Legends
Newcastle
Revive Shield
- White: 250 HP (was 300)
- Blue: 400 HP (was 450)
- Purple: 600 HP (was 750)
Mobile Shield
- Base CD increased to 20s (was 15s)
- Removed invulnerability, Thick Shield HP now integrated into base
- Swift Shield upgrade now also reduces CD to 12s
Dev Note: earlier this week, we released a patch that made some changes to both Lifeline and Newcastle. We pushed hard at the start of the support season with Newcastle and, while it's great to see a Legend who was for a long time at the bottom rise to the top, the compounding shield meta that emerged was a little too strong with much of his counterplay removed. So, we returned health to his Mobile Shield, increased its cooldown and reduced his Revive Shield health as well.
And while we don't want to cut the life line out of our Lifeline, we did want to make some of the more frustrating elements of her kit a little easier to deal with. Given the power her hands-free-revive already has, we've decided to return DOC to the baseline revive speed, and give a little more time for players to react to it and the defending medic.
Modes
Rift Relic: The EPG-1 joins the party. This single fire, direct energy propelled launcher brings something special to your arsenal: splash damage and rocket-jumping capabilities.
Michael Caruso is a journalist of five years who works to share his passion for gaming with the world. Throughout his career, Michael has written for various video game and news publications, focusing his writing on entertainment and the well-being of the environment. When Michael isn't writing, he can be found playing his guitar or immersed in a virtual world.