Take a pro-tip from a Halloween gaming expert: If you shout “Bloody Mary” three times at any MMO login screen, you’ll unlock a secret mode in which you will be outfitted with the best raid tier set and be granted two “I Win” skills. Sure, you’ll have to forfeit your skin and spend every waking hour howling at top volume, but won’t that be worth it?
Yes, it’s Halloween season once again, and MMORPGs and online games everywhere are unleashing a torrent of festivities that involve just so much candy, bubbling cauldrons, and goofy costumes that (let’s face it) you won’t wear during the rest of your year.
Read on for your quick-and-dirty guide to what’s going on across the MMO world this month, along with links to more information! And if you spot one we didn’t catch, drop it down in the comments!
AdventureQuest 3D: “The pumpkin-spice scented fog has opened a path way to the haunted town of Mystcroft. Everybody is in for a treat. (Maybe a trick.) Head there and get into the spirit of this spook-tacular holiday.”
Aion: The Pumpkin King has returned to the North American version of Aion. He’s really more like the pumpkin thief, if we’re honest.
Albion Online: The Allhallows celebration is poised to deliver a lot of spooky fun right in time for the holiday. When the event kicks off on October 28th, it’ll introduce a new solo version of the Hallowed Ground dungeon that debuted last year.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons: “Animal Crossing: New Horizons is bringing a September 30 update with features we haven’t seen in previous main series games: growing pumpkins year-round and body paint.”
APB Reloaded: “Halloween events return this Wednesday, Oct 21st! Not only that, but we are introducing three new weapon skins, new titles, some additional weapon balance changes, and more!”
ArcheAge and ArcheAge Unchained: Both are inviting players to Mirage Isle to celebrate events, including a trip through the air on fling brooms whilst dodging ghosts.
ARK Survival Evolved: “The Fear Evolved in-game event is being held from today to November 6, as the DodoRex and DodoWyvern will be striking fear into the hearts of Survivors with their menacing return to the ARK!”
Ashes of Creation: “Enter our Glorious Gourd Contest for a chance to win some cool prizes like an AMD Gaming graphics card and Alpha One access to Ashes of Creation.”
Astroneer: “New plant species have been detected on Atrox which are capable of generating potential biofuels from other flora. This species – designated “Cauldrangea” – appears to only appear for a short period of time. Beware that these Cauldrangea are protected by new dangerous Hazards.”
Black Desert: “The month of October brings with it another gaggle of treats for players of Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile, with both games introducing new things to enjoy like a new class or some new Halloween-themed events.”
Blade and Soul: “The Earthen Realm gets into the spirit of spookiness when Blade & Ghoul arrives on October 21. Tricks and treats are ready for you to unlock in our candy-ful events!”
Champions Online: “You can get new titles, and the Trick or Treat Inventory Bag. Trick or Treaters will be out around Millenium City, and those of you into battling your fellow heroes can engage in the Hunters vs Lycans PVP event!”
City of Heroes Homecoming: “The entire collection of Halloween-themed content is arriving with the update, from Trick or Treating to Dr. Kane’s House of Horrors to the Zombie Apocalypse and Deadly Apocalypse zone events. Trick or Treating will also have a chance to drop the Whispered Wish mission tip, and Atlas Park will receive a festive makeover.”
Crossout: “Players earn Tricky treats in the Halloween events and exchange them for the unique theme park building objects, like pumpkins of all sizes, creepy metal spiders and ghost carnival rides, as well as new cosmetic items for their armoured vehicles.”
Dark Age of Camelot: “October is not just our favorite month because of the Anniversary month and its crisp Autumn weather; it’s also because it’s time for the Pumpkin moon to rise again, haunted cities, candy and costumes, pumpkin patches in the Frontiers, and the return of the Mournful King instance!”
Dauntless: “We’ve taken all of your feedback from last year’s Dark Harvest and used it to make this year’s event amazing for all players.”
DC Universe Online: “The event itself is worth doing, especially considering that Daybreak added new feats, housing items, and styles for this year’s holiday. The Witching Hour will conclude on November 4th.”
Defiance 2050: This MMO brought back the Hulkers with the additional backup of the Afflicted, offering mod fusions and synergies for successfully beating back the assault.
Destiny 2: “Destiny 2 brings back the Festival of the Lost event, running between Tuesday, October 6th, and Tuesday, November 3rd, and available free for all players. This year’s event is effectively similar to last year’s in that players will have to put on masks and run through the Haunted Forest encounter, clearing as many levels as possible.”
Dungeons and Dragons Online: “The Halloween event starts in a special version of Delera’s Graveyard, where players farm special keys. They then use these keys on a slew of spooky instances, which are run for currency (candy, of course!) and other rewards.”
Elder Scrolls Online: “The Witches Festival returns October 22nd. Throughout this terror-filled term, you can receive repulsive rewards in the form of spoopy Plunder Skull containers, a 100% XP boost, Event Tickets, and collectibles.”
Elsword: The Harmony Festival is raging through November 3rd, so get a piece of pie, a few free titles, and lots of other goodies!
Elvenar: Finally, MMORTS Elvenar has a big collaboration with none other than MAC Cosmetics, which for those of you who don’t know is a huge international makeup brand. This definitely belongs on our weird-and-unusual list for the year.
EVE Echoes: “Halloween activities will be from 31 October to 10 November.”
EverQuest II: “Those feeling more adventurous can dig up some fun in Antonica, and The Commonlands, or investigate the multiple haunted locations! Grab a shovel and dig up a ghoulish good time in any of the decorated cities! As always, tricks and treats are the name of the game!”
Fallout 76: The game will kick Halloween festivities into high gear with the Fastnacht Parade event, which will run from October 29th through November 2nd. It’s OK to take a break from fighting mutants in the wasteland — there are masks to be found!
Final Fantasy XI: “Residents of the realm are walking about dressed as a variety of fearsome monsters, hoping to scare the living daylights out of adventurers like you. By giving the costumed NPCs in the areas listed below a treat, you’ll be able to dress up in a costume of your own. If you’re really lucky, you might even obtain a special Halloween-themed item!”
Final Fantasy XIV: “There will sadly be no All Saints’ Wake in Final Fantasy XIV this year; the game’s annual ghoulish celebration is a victim of the development delays in the wake of the global pandemic.”
Fortnite: “From October 21 until November 3, rise to the occasion in the return of Fortnitemares. In Fortnitemares 2020: Midas’ Revenge, don’t let the tomb hold you back from haunting the living.”
Gloria Victis: “This year it will be a little different because we are referring to the Slavic tradition of Forefathers’ Eve.”
GTAO: “As Halloween inches ever closer, slip into your most frightful attire, sharpen your Machete, and head underground to make the most of Triple Rewards in the subterranean Halloween Bunker Series. Featuring a trio of gruesome Slasher maps set in the depths of the bunker, silo and The Diamond, this series is delivering 3X GTA$ and RP.”
Guild Wars 2: “Tyria’s spookiest festival returns from October 13th to November 3rd! Once a year, anyone can pass through haunted doors into the Mad Realm, and its dreadful inhabitants pay us a visit.”
Grand Fantasia: “The most exciting addition is a spooky new Guild Dungeon aimed at the more seasoned adventurer.”
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite: “Help return Brilliant Foundables from the Borgin and Burkes during Part 2 of the Darkness Rising Brilliant Event, starting Tuesday, October 20th.”
Hearthstone: “Starting today, the Masquerade Ball event is beginning, bringing some Halloween-themed fun and a few wrinkles to the game modes of the online CCG.”
Hellgate London: “The London 2038 project is making headway toward getting a working, functional version of Hellgate back online. The good news is that the team said that the beta will launch on — when else? — Halloween.”
Legends of Aria: “We’re pleased to invite all of our players across both servers to participate in our upcoming Halloween Deco Competition! You can decorate your house, a houseless plot, or just create a new unique item out of existing items throughout the world.”
Lord of the Rings Online: This year’s event started much later than normal, but it’s still going to run for about a month. “The Harvestmath Festival will run starting at 10am Eastern on October 27th and turn off at 3am Eastern on November 23rd.”
MapleStory: Maplers will return to the Prendergast Toy Company’s mansion headquarters as Trick or Treat is live in the game as of this week. Players will be heading through five episodes of the questline in the hopes up picking special damage effects, a Halloween ghost mount, cute cosmetics, and the haunted mansion chair.
Neverwinter: The event also includes a new round of the Contest of Liars, with players picking one of three factions to champion and competing in the hopes of getting a new illusion item for free.
No Man’s Sky: “With Halloween around the corner, we wanted to give players a reason to return to the darkest corners of the galaxy.”
Overwatch: “It’s time for Halloween Terror 2020, bringing along the usual Junkenstein’s Revenge content, which will add two challenge missions each week for a total of six over the course of the event’s run.”
Phantasy Star Online 2: There’s now a the Halloween event, a couple of new campaigns, and a pair of trick-or-treat urgent quests.
Pokemon Go: “From 9 p.m. EDT on October 23rd the same time on November 3rd, you’ll get double catch and transfer candy. There’ll also be costumed Pokemon as usual including my beloved Gengar, and several other events.”
Pirate101: “Pirate101 is mostly focused on the Crown Store as it brings back a number of thematic items including mounts and pets as well as a Haunted Galleon ship while also dressing up Skull Island in the appropriate seasonal finery.”
PlanetSide 2: “Seriously, did you see that space pumpkin? You need to shoot it for rewards, but one suspects that you’d be tempted to shoot it anyhow if you just ran across it in the wild.”
Project Gorgon: “This year, we’ve dramatically expanded our Halloween event. It has twice as many branching quests as before, and a lot of fun stuff to find.”
Realm of the Mad God: Be afraid! The Revenge of the Necromancer is upon us.
Red Dead Online: One of the marquee features is a new Dead of Night mode, where four teams score points for taking down risen dead to score as many points as possible while also fighting one another.
Revelation Online: “According to legend, the boundaries between the realms of the living and the dead converge around this time of year. This Halloween, you may see supernatural sights, frights, and perhaps a surprise beneath the pale moonlight.”
Roblox: “Virtual trick-or-treaters will navigate through a series of Halloween favorites like a hayride, haunted houses, corn maze, costume shop, fortune teller, bounce house, virtual photo-ops and more.”
RIFT: “Complete weekly and daily quests and earn event currency to buy a ton of spooky mounts, eerie pets, devilish costumes and much more!”
Runes of Magic: “The witching season is upon us once more, and the Pumpkin King has returned! He’s threatening the living with monsters. Challenge him and put an end to his terror!”
RuneScape: “It all starts at Draynor Manor where players are tasked to help Death, Famine, Pestilence, and Muncher with a variety of tasks each day of the event, with cosmetic rewards like Death’s Hood, Death’s Scythe, and a Muncher pet waiting.”
Sea of Thieves: “Fear and dread settle over the Sea of Thieves this month as old enemies return through the cracks between worlds: the Shadows of Fate are loose once again, and a certain Skeleton Lord is proving impossible to bury once and for all!”
Secret World Legends: “Samhain 2020 will feature hourly public raids at a location in Agartha where up to 40 players can take on Jack of the Lantern. Beating down ol’ Jack will grant players the Anima Surge buff, which lets them open the Jack-O-Lantern goodie bag that’s handed out with daily logins.”
Shayia: It a zombie invasion to deal with and a quest to help Jack the Skeleton with some seasonal mischief.
Ship of Heroes: Sure, Ship of Heroes hasn’t technically released yet, but that doesn’t mean the game can’t get in on some of the Halloween fun! Enter the game’s latest development video, which not only revels in the spooky season but also offers a full look at how development work on mission content is coming along.
Shroud of the Avatar: “Trophy pumpkins will also be added as drops from the upcoming Halloween seasonal event, but the largest ones can only be grown with the agriculture system.”
Skyforge: “Aelion has fallen under a spell! The Divine Observatory and Park have received a suitably spooky festive makeover, there’s magic and mischief afoot throughout the entire world, and a new selection of exclusive Halloween costumes are available to unlock.”
SMITE: “Perhaps more thematically appropriate for Halloween is the addition of a variety of new skins including a Pumpkin Spice Discordia, a Vampiress Amaterasu, and a Gummy Worm Medusa, which is just as spectacular-looking as it sounds.”
Spellbreak: “Spellbreak will be celebrating the Halloween season with a number of thematically appropriate outfits, artifacts, cloudbursts, afterglows, emotes, and badges.”
Star Citizen: “Finally, there’s some Halloween shenanigans with three freaky-looking helmets — two of which can be earned exclusively in-game — as well as the return of the annual pumpkin carving contest and a thematic skin for purchase for the Drake Cutlass.”
Star Stable: Through November 4th, Star Stable has added new ruins to explore, races, magical horses, a haunted trail ride, a haunted castle ghost train (!), themed shops, spooky pets, and even a storage pumpkin.
Star Wars Galaxies Legends: “If you see people running around with pumpkin crowns and Stinky the Hutt strapped to their back, it’s only because the Galactic Moon Festival has returned once again.”
Swords ‘n’ Magic and Stuff: “An update added at the beginning of October has brought Halloween to the game world, with unique seasonal dialogue from NPCs depending on the time of day as well as certain monsters that only spawn at night.”
Trove: Players will be tasked with helping the Moon Goddess restore the shine of the natural satellite, with rewards along the way.
Villagers and Heroes: “Halloween has arrived, and with it our always spookily fun event zone has returned. Get ready for some ghoulishly new tricks and treats!”
Warface: “Halloween brings a new Chernobyl-themed map for the “Bag and Tag” mode, featuring unique gameplay elements: a player-activated pulse tower that destroys everyone in the area, security drones that can tag players’ locations, and dangerous anomalies to keep players on their toes.”
Warframe: “On Naberus, beauty is banished. Rot and monstrosity hold sway. And Daughter couldn’t be more excited!”
Wizard101: “Wizard101 is offering comparatively more in terms of content with a Halloween quest to defeat the evil Nosferabbit as well as a number of adventures through the zones of Wizard City provided by Jack Hallow.”
World of Tanks Console: “World of Tanks Console will once again raise the dead this Halloween, challenging players to release the beast and wreak havoc across two hair-raising maps, Grim Graveyard and Dead City.”
World of Warships: “The highlight of the update comes October 19th–the Rust ‘n’ Rumble Halloween event! Players can brawl it out in a four-way team deathmatch for command of a sunken post-apocalyptic city to earn Tabz.”
Wurm Online: “While it’s separate from the game’s own Halloween festivities, there’s a sweet player haunted house to check out.”
