I still remember the first time I dropped into Winter Express. I jumped off a floating platform decorated with one lonely Christmas tree and plummeted toward the snowy mountains of World's Edge. Three squads, nine players, all converging on the same moving train. It felt like a snapshot of Apex Legends history, back when the train was a regular part of the map instead of a holiday ghost. Now it's 2026. Arenas is gone. Mixtape rotates through Control, TDM, Gun Run, and whatever else Respawn is testing. But when December rolls around, I don't care about ranked. I don't care about the meta. I just want the train.

Why Winter Express Is Still the Best Mode in Apex Legends

There are two ways to win Winter Express: eliminate the two other squads, or capture the train for yourselves. That's it. Simple premise, simple joy. You don't even need to loot. You pick from five preset loadouts before you jump into battle. Healing is twice as fast as in regular gameplay, and you get unlimited healing items, if you ever find a chance to use them. Fights are so frenetic and third parties so central that you rarely reset without disembarking the train and stranding yourself far from either win condition. It's fly, fight, heal, fight, die, fly, fight, win.

Compare that to Arenas. Listen, there was a lot to think about in Arenas. It was just a 3v3 fight, granted, but there were Supply Bins and Loadout Drops. You had to think about your economy and how many materials you'd spend per round. You had to push as a team and communicate well to take the win. It was tactical and technical. Unfortunately, that made it a little bit boring. I'm sorry, but someone had to say it. In 2026, Arenas is retired, but its spirit lives on in TDM and Control. Winter Express is the opposite. It's about embracing chaos and never overthinking.

The Train Is the Star

The titular train is the reason this mode works. Dropping hot on World's Edge when it hurtled around the map was great fun all those seasons ago, and it's arguably more fun now. Back in the day, you'd rely on RNG to decide whether you picked up a decent weapon, or any weapon at all. You'd often face an opponent with superior shields and a golden R-301 while you had white armour and a P2020 pistol. Such mismatches are gone in Winter Express. Now it's a test of skill, albeit a fun one, as to who can shimmy around the sides of the carriage quickest or get the most effective angle from the roof.

Just yesterday I was beaming opponents from the perfect rooftop spot. Damage stacking up, enemies dropping. It was all fun and games until the third squad, Rust Team, respawned and landed right on my head. I'd forgotten about them since they were eliminated earlier. I'm no Hardecki, so the 1v3 was too much for me. I succumbed to the wrath of three shotguns. But I didn't care. We didn't even win that match, and I had the most fun I've had in Apex Legends for a long time.

Communication Without the Overhead

Communication is key in Winter Express, too. But random teammates are less likely to push random fights. It's easier to communicate 'enemy behind' as Ash teleports into the back of your cabin than to attempt a full strategy for an Arenas round that is constantly shifting. That goes double if you're only using pings and opting out of voice comms. Winter Express doesn't ask for a dissertation. It asks for a reflex.

Maybe that's why I want it permanent. I feel like a kid wishing it could be Christmas every day. I'd love for Winter Express to be a permanent game mode, even over Arenas. We could have seasonal versions. Summer train around Storm Point. Winter train on World's Edge. Spring train on Kings Canyon. The practicalities don't matter. Lore-wise, this mode must be set in a parallel universe or a simulation or something. I don't care how it happens. I just want it to happen.

A Small Table of Why I Love It

Feature	Winter Express	Arenas (RIP)
Looting	None; preset loadouts	Economy, materials, bins
Healing	Unlimited, twice as fast	Limited, tactical
Win condition	Eliminate or capture train	Eliminate enemy team
Vibe	Chaotic holiday party	Tense tactical chess
Third parties	Core feature	Rare
Fun	Always	Sometimes

The 2026 Wish

In 2026, Apex Legends has more modes than ever. But none of them hit like Winter Express. It's simple. It's fast. It's silly. It's the only mode where dying to three shotguns on a moving train feels like a gift. So here's my wish: make Winter Express permanent. Not just a holiday treat. Not just a limited-time rotation. Permanent. I'll take a summer train. I'll take a spring train. I'll take a train on every map, in every season, forever. All I want for Christmas is Winter Express as a permanent game mode. And yes, I know it's 2026. I'm still asking.