Here’s A Rundown Of Halloween 2017 Game Updates And Events (VIDEO)
October may be a big month for anticipated game releases, but the month is also a celebration of all things spooky. Leading into the eventual Halloween festivities, game developers have traditionally released special themed updates and events that keep in line with the fright-filled holiday spirit. Halloween 2017 is no different with numerous popular titles allowing their creep flag to fly all throughout October.
With the pickings being so plentiful, it can be hard to keep up with all the scary goings-ons of Halloween 2017, especially when some events only provide themed loot for a limited time. For that reason, we’ve put together a list of the biggest Halloween-themed happenings releasing this month.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Up first, Activision is hosting an event in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare called “Willard Wyler’s Halloween Scream“, a month-long affair with several ways to pick up some of that spooky loot. Every week, players will receive a free Halloween Supply Drop after logging in, and each Friday will yield a new cosmetic item. Various Halloween-themed gear will also be available to earn in-game.
Also returning for a limited time is Gesture Warfare, a mode where players can take on opponents by using hilariously simple hand gestures. In addition, the Carnage map from Retribution DLC will be entirely free and offer double XP while the event is live. A Boss Battle mode has also rolled out, allowing DLC owners to tackle each of Zombies mode‘s final bosses every week. Willard Wyler’s Halloween Scream will run from October 9th to November 1st.
Gears of War 4
Gears of War 4 developer The Coalition has a few “surprises” in store for their Halloween 2017 proceedings. One such reveal happened this past Friday the 13th, which saw the return of Locust general Skorge as a playable skin. More cool stuff is scheduled for later in the month including Phantom Dodgeball mode and Pumpkin Heads, a multiplayer playlist that replaces players’ noggins with jack-o’-lanterns. These two additions will be available Friday, October 27th, while more has been teased for reveal a later date.
Guild Wars 2
MMO Guild Wars 2 is showing Halloween some love as well and bringing back their annual “Shadow of the Mad King” event. The returning festivities will consist of a specially decorated version of Lion’s Arch, fresh sets of armor and weapons to collect, and a challenging jumping puzzle in the Mad King’s Clock Tower. Players can also meet up with the Mad King himself Oswald Thorn, or check out his Labyrinth to experience the full extent of the event’s Halloween activities. Shadow of the Mad King will run from Tuesday, October 17th to Tuesday, November 7th.
Hearthstone
Hearthstone will be celebrating Halloween 2017 with their own yearly event called Hallow’s End, which will bring players together in real life for Fireside Gathering meetups. The get-togethers will take place throughout the month and select Gatherings will award a free Warlock hero: Nemsy Necrofizzle. Players need not fret, as the Gnome character will continue to be available after the event ends on Sunday, November 5th.
Gamers unable to attend a real life event still have other holiday perks to look forward to. From October 24 to October 30, logging in to Hearthstone will net players a Whispers of the Old Gods card pack and an Arena ticket. The week after (October 31 – November 5) a login will award yet another Arena ticket as well as a Knights of the Frozen Throne card pack.
Also on the docket is a special Tavern Brawl that will allow players to take on the Headless Horseman. Character costume choice will dictate card selection and whichever passive power is granted. The new Tavern Brawl will go from Wednesday, October 25th to Saturday, October 28th.
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm is also having its own Hallow’s End event, but things are going to work differently from previous years. Halloween 2017 marks the first time the holiday has seen Heroes’ new Loot Chest system, and that means players will temporarily earn event-specific chests in place of standard ones. During the event, each chest will contain at least one Hallow’s End item, which includes themed skins, mounts, sprays, and portraits. Heroes of the Storm Hallow’s End will run from Tuesday, October 17th to Tuesday, November 14th.
Killing Floor 2
Released recently on Steam, Killing Floor 2‘s Halloween Horrors update will introduce a new map into the game’s rotation giving players a hellish nightmare landscape to explore. Additional Achievements and weapons are also on the way with the highlights being the Seeker Six rocket launcher and the enemy-draining Hemoglobin.
During Halloween 2017, players will be able to modify their appearance with spooky face paint and pumpkin helmet unlocks, and more Halloween Horror cosmetics can be earned through regular play and collecting prize tickets. King Fleshpound from a previous weekly outbreak will also become a permanent member of the boss rotation, and with it, new daily and weekly objectives to earn more in-game cash.
Minecraft
Minecraft is getting into the scary spirit with their Halloween Spooktacular event. All platforms making use of the nearly-unified Bedrock Engine will get special themed goodies and activities. On top of this, servers such as Lifeboat, InPvP, and Mineplex are running appropriately frightful haunted house events. A look at what’s in store can be seen in the gallery above. Halloween Spooktacular will run from now until Tuesday, October 31st.
Overwatch
New skins await Overwatch players in the game’s returning Halloween Terror event. As with Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard replaces the normal loot boxes with Halloween 2017 versions, containing a variety of spine-chilling cosmetic items. Included are the skins from last year, as well as over fifty new ones, the variety of which was revealed in a recent trailer.
A previous event called Junkenstein’s Revenge makes a comeback as a special horde-style Brawl mode, in which a team of four repeatedly defeat progressively larger waves of AI enemies. The new version of the mode adds an ‘endless’ option, allowing for online players to compete for the highest score. Overwatch’s Halloween Terror event ends on Thursday, November 2nd.
Paragon
Limited-edition chests are the focal point of Paragon’s Shadow’s Eve event. Each week of the Halloween 2017 event will offer up seasonal-specific rewards, including themed skins and banners. For those with the means, a special Mega Bundle comprising all of this loot will be available for purchase from October 24 to November 11. Buyers will receive a discount for any previously-owned content earned before the event ends on Wednesday, November 1st.
Pokémon Go
Nothing official has been revealed for Pokémon Go as part of Halloween 2017, but rumors and potential leaks point to some kind of event in the future. It could have something to do with Generation 3 Pokémon making their way into the game, or perhaps an event centered around ghost-type Pokémon (and Pikachu), as the image above suggests. An official reveal is expected soon, before the end of October.
Smite
A new patch for Smite renovates the Arena mode’s map to appear more Halloweeny, and also brings forth the Scary Potion, a concoction that plagued players with pranks. For example, previous versions ranged from randomly playing foreboding sound effects to displaying straight-up jump scares. A Halloween-themed chest will also be available for purchase, providing items like the scare-tastic skins “Trick or Treat Cupid” and “Grim Reaper Thanatos.” More individual skins can be found through the Odyssey.
World of Warcraft
Hallow’s End is returning for World of Warcraft as well, and Blizzard has prepared a special Wickerman for Halloween 2017. Every four hours each faction’s Wickerman will be set ablaze to celebrate the lively occasion. Several activities will also be available, including a run at the Headless Horseman, throwing a few stink bombs, and of course, oodles of candy.
Several rewards are also on the table, with players able to earn some Horseman-related loot, a Magic Broom, and a pet pumpkin. Yes, a pet pumpkin. Also, it wouldn’t be Halloween without a range of masks and enchanted costumes scattered around the game. Hallow’s End will run from October 18 to November 1.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more Halloween updates, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
