Respawn is bringing the holiday spirit to Apex Legends with a full seasonal rework of Olympus. The new winter-themed version of the map will arrive on December 16, transforming the floating city into a festive battleground filled with snow, lights, and new PvE encounters.
This event marks one of the biggest visual and gameplay overhauls Olympus has ever received, blending the chaos of Wild Card mode with a Christmas celebration that will last through the holiday season.
New features and rewards
The Christmas update will feature several exclusive additions:
- New winter-themed loading screen reward that celebrates the event.
- Fresh Wild Cards added specifically for the winter variant of Olympus.
- PvE gameplay introduced for the first time on the map, where players will battle Specter NPCs guarding Care Packages.
These changes apply only to the Wild Card mode, keeping the regular Olympus experience intact for competitive play.
Wild Card rotation
Before the festive transformation arrives, the standard Olympus version will appear in the Wild Card rotation starting November 18. This will give players a chance to experience the updated map design before the full winter event launches in December.
PvE action comes to Olympus
One of the most exciting elements of the Christmas event is the addition of Specter enemies that defend Care Packages. Players will need to fight off these robotic guards before collecting loot, adding an unpredictable new layer of PvE chaos to the match.
These Specters will vary in strength depending on the loot tier, and defeating them quickly could mean the difference between securing a Kraber or getting eliminated by another squad.
Community reaction
A running joke among Apex Legends fans has long been that the game would only get themed event maps if it weren’t published by EA. With this festive Olympus rework, Respawn seems to have taken that meme personally, and turned it into reality. Who’s laughing now?
What to expect on December 16
Players can look forward to:
- A snowy Olympus filled with holiday decorations and lights.
- New event challenges with free cosmetics.
- PvE fights for Care Packages.
- Limited-time Wild Card modifiers tailored for the winter theme.
With this update, Respawn is making sure Season 27 closes out with style, celebration, and a bit of festive chaos.
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