Apex Legends just went SSX — hoverboards, wallrides and Octane triple-jumps

Why this update actually matters

Respawn’s Winter Wipeout update (live Jan 6, 2026) does something blunt and brilliant: it grafts high-speed, stunt-based movement onto a shooter that already glorifies momentum. The result is hoverboards that let you wallride, perform tricks for Evo points, double-jump, chain zipline boosts and ram enemies – all while three of the game’s most-played Legends get meaningful kit changes.

• Hoverboards turn rotations into a movement playground – they start every Wildcard match and don’t drop on death.
• Octane, Newcastle and Crypto get targeted buffs that change play patterns rather than just numbers.
• Weapon and map tweaks (VK47, R301, care package ammo, Olympus QOL) aim to smooth the meta alongside the event gimmick.

Breaking down the hoverboards: SSX meets Apex

Call them hoverboards, call them futuristic snowboards – Apex’s new movement item is a Toybox-sized shakeup. You’ll equip the board in your survival slot and start every Wildcard match with one, so this isn’t a rare novelty: it becomes a baseline of how matches move. They don’t drop on death either, which flips the typical loot economy; expect endgame rotations and third-party timing to change because boards are effectively infinite for players in that mode.

Mechanically they lean into momentum-driven play. Wallrides let you skim surfaces like Titanfall parkour, tricks grant Evo points (yes, you can level up while shredding), and falling from height gives you a speed boost. You can double jump, rip through ziplines faster, and ram opponents — but get shot while boarding and you’re ejected, so they don’t render gunfights obsolete. It’s flashy and very Apex: high reward for risky, high-skill movement.

The Legend buffs: Octane, Newcastle, Crypto

Respawn didn’t just throw a toy into the sandbox — they adjusted three Legends in ways that feel intentionally synergistic with the event and the game’s broader meta.

• Octane: Swift Mend now scales to heal more the lower your health is, and base healing is doubled to 3 HP/sec. His new Stim Surge mechanic—using stim twice in a row—grants Fortified, retriggers Swift Mend, and lets healing continue through damage. Movement gets a 5% stim speed buff, his jump pad now has two charges, and the base kit improves double-jump handling. New upgrades let Octane grant stims to allies and even triple-jump off pads. This is a proper mobility renaissance for the stim junkie.
• Newcastle: The ALGS favorite gets two upgrades baked into his base kit with new upgrade paths replacing them. The standout for me: weapons automatically reload when you revive an ally — a small change that should pay off massively for support play and clutch scenarios.
• Crypto: Respawn promises “more freedom” for his drone. Practically that means long-range threat vision while piloting, a short scan on EMP, much faster drone launch/return times, the ability to pick up Evo harvesters, and the option to enter/exit the drone while on a zipline. Crypto is also always cloaked while using the drone. These are technical, sensible QoL changes that make the drone feel less like a liability and more like a real scouting tool.

Weapons, care packages and Olympus tweaks

Beyond the toys and kits, there are balance and QoL adjustments that matter. The Infinite Ammo amp now applies to Care Package weapons — yes, that means you can theoretically spam a Kraber if you pull out the amp; expect this to be an immediate spectacle in casual matches. The VK47 Flatline and R301 both get damage bumps, nudging them back into more competitive positions. Respawn also listed care-package ammo tweaks and several quality-of-life improvements to the revamped Olympus, which should help the map feel less frustrating now that movement options have multiplied.

Why now — and should you care?

Why launch a movement-heavy event now? Apex’s identity is tied to mobility, and after years of iterating on guns-and-parkour, Respawn is reminding players that movement is their core differentiator. Winter Wipeout doubles as a seasonal event and a live test: how does adding constant, player-available momentum tech change fights, rotations and the meta? If the boards are fun without breaking competitive integrity, Respawn just unlocked a new template for future events.

My skepticism: wildcard matches get hoverboards by default, which means we’ll see a split between casual modes where boards are ubiquitous and ranked/competitive modes where they might not belong. The Kraber + Infinite Ammo combo could be a circus, and balancing that spectacle with pro play will be a tightrope.

TL;DR

Winter Wipeout turns Apex into a high-speed playground with hoverboards that reward momentum and skill, while giving Octane, Newcastle and Crypto kit updates that change how players approach fights. It’s flashy, potentially meta-shifting, and exactly the kind of risk/reward design that keeps Apex interesting. Live Jan 6, 2026 — bring your best tricks and an eye on balance changes.