All the Games With Halloween 2016 Events and Updates

Story updated on October 28 with Skylanders: Imaginators, Ark: Survival Evolved, Superhot, N++, Natural Selection 2, Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide, and Halo 5. October 27 update: ArcheAge, Atlas Reactor, Defiance, and Rift

Halloween is quickly approaching, and numerous games are marking the occasion with in-game updates and events.

It can be hard to keep track of everything that's happening, and you may want to ensure you spend some time with certain games over the next few weeks. Overwatch and Rocket League, for instance, have introduced new items that can only be unlocked for a limited time (or at least until next October). We'll continue updating this story as more are announced.

We've compiled a list of many of the Halloween-themed events happening in games right now. Check them out below, and let us know what you'll be playing (as well as any we missed) in the comments below.

Alliance of Valiant Arms

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Free-to-play online shooter Alliance of Valiant Arms has introduced a Halloween-themed version of the Gallery map, decorating it with pumpkins, ghosts, and so on. There's also a special jack-o-lantern version of the ARX-160 that can be obtained for a limited time.

• Dates
  • Now - unspecified
• Further Reading
  • Official site

ArcheAge

ArcheAge celebrates Halloween--or Hallowtide, as it calls it--with an assortment of themed items you can obtain for varying amounts of tokens. There are also limited-time Achievements you can earn, which in turn unlock more tokens; unlocking them all comes with a special mount. During the event, Two Crowns and Solis Headlands are both off-limits to PvP, save for any guild-related fights.

• Dates
  • Now - November 9
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Ark: Survival Evolved

Ark's second-ever Halloween event revamps the game in a number of ways, decorating the world with giant pieces of candy corn along with pumpkin patches, graves, dinosaur skeletons, and scarecrows. There are also zombie versions of Dodo birds to discover, a red moon, and new items such as themed hats and clown masks.

• Dates
  • Now - November 6
• Further Reading
  • Giant Candy Corn, Skeletal Dinos, Zombie Dodos, and More Come to Ark in Halloween Update
  • Official site

Atlas Reactor

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Atlas Reactor introduces a bunch of skins for Halloween, including one that lets you dress up like a Ghostbuster. Skins are available only for a limited time and can be earned through a repeatable mission, in-game purchases, or--for an even smaller window of time--by using ISO.

• Dates
  • Now - November 8 (skins)
  • November 1-8 (unlock skins with ISO)
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Battlerite

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MOBA-style brawler Battlerite, which made a splash when it was released on Steam last month, is getting a big update on October 21 that features new Halloween content. A special Battle Wolf mount is now included with the Ultimate Fan Pack (whether you buy it now or have bought it already), and the new Halloween Chest guarantees the unlock of an Epic Halloween item. Joining Battlerite's official Steam group gets you a free Halloween Chest and a weapon for Ruh Kaan, one of the two new characters arriving with this patch.

• Dates
  • Now - November 4
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Black Desert Online

Special event quest are now available in Black Desert Online that can earn you various Halloween-themed items. You can collect candy by logging in every day and then trade that in for special rewards. There's also a limited-time bundle including the blood suit, a cute pet, a skeleton look for your horse, and more for $45, which is less than half the price of buying all of its contents individually.

• Dates
  • Now - November 9
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Bridge Constructor

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A game like Bridge Constructor doesn't necessarily lend itself to a Halloween event, but that hasn't stopped ClockStone Software from offering a Halloween update anyway. The PC, iOS, and Android versions have all received a free update with five new levels to build bridges in, but only for a limited time.

• Dates
  • Now - unspecified
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Clustertruck

Details regarding Clustertruck's Halloween event are more than a little limited. All we have to go on currently is the trailer above, which shows that Halloween-themed levels are on the way to the game.

• Dates
  • October 28 - unspecified

Company of Heroes 2

Company of Heroes 2 has introduced some creepy new skin sets, and you can get one for each faction for free by logging in between now and November 8. You can then use those skins this coming weekend, October 28-31, to earn twice as many loot points as usual.

• Dates
  • Now - November 8 at 10 AM PT (free skins)
  • October 28-31 (double loot points)
• Further Reading
  • Official site

DC Universe Online

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Superheroes (and villains) can dress up for Halloween too, but there's more to DC Universe Online's event than just that. Both sides have an NPC they can speak to kick things off, with each day presenting a mission that can be completed to earn Spooky Bites. These can then be cashed in for Halloween themed outfits, Base/League Hall decorations, and more. Spooky Bites can also be purchased outright, and The Vault has been decorated for the duration of the event.

• Dates
  • Now - October 31
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Dead by Daylight

Not content with simply offering its own take on horror, Dead by Daylight is offering a proper Halloween crossover in a $7 DLC pack. Horror movie character Michael Meyers, along with horror victim Laurie Strode, are both becoming playable characters in the game. There's also a new environment based on the setting of Halloween. Meyers has two forms: initially, he's weaker and slower, but has better detection skills. By looking at survivors, a gauge rises; once it's filled, he becomes quicker and more powerful, but without the benefits of his buffed detection.

• Dates
  • DLC available now
• Further Reading
  • Halloween's Michael Meyers Headed to Horror Game Dead by Daylight
  • Official site

Defiance

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Defiance introduces the Hulker Hell event for Halloween, bringing new weapons and mods. The Arkbreaker DLC allows you to take part in "Hulker Hell," letting you complete Halloween contracts and instances with up to 12 players. RIP weapons have larger magazine sizes, and there's a new vanity pack with things like a pumpkin launcher, a van with a dragon skin, and more.

• Dates
  • Now - November 7 at 12 PM PT
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Destiny

Bungie has officially announced this year's Festival of the Lost. A leak had already given us a look at many of the items that will be up for grabs, including new masks, shaders, emotes, and a sparrow. There will also be a number of quests to complete, and a useless item from last year--those dumb raisins--finally do something.

• Dates
  • Now - November 8
• Further Reading
  • Destiny's Halloween Event Starts Today, See the Patch Notes
  • Destiny's New Event Offers a Secret Broom Sparrow, Gives Raisins a Purpose
  • Official site

Dying Light

Dying Light's approach to celebrating Halloween is a special community bounty event. This Be the Zombie event is called Zombiefest and will track kills for Survivors and Night Hunters. Everyone who participates will get a gold-tier weapon, and new ranks for both sides will be added after the event. They'll stick around for three weeks.

• Dates
  • October 28 (12 PM PT) - October 30 (11:30 PM)
• Further Reading
  • Official site

The Elder Scrolls Online

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You can receive a free Crow Caller from The Elder Scrolls Online's in-game Crown Store, which kicks off a quest called The Witchmother's Bargain. Completing this earns you the ability to summon a cauldron that turns you and members of your group into the undead for two hours. Killing bosses while in this form gives you the chance to loot Plunder Skulls, which contain Witches Festival goodies like masks, special recipes, and more. The cauldron will remain yours if you get your hands on it, but it'll lose the ability to transform you after the event ends.

• Dates
  • Now - November 1
• Further Reading
  • Elder Scrolls Online Halloween Festival Begins Today, Lets You Morph Into a Zombie
  • Official site

FIFA 17

Sports games don't necessarily lend themselves to spooky content, but FIFA 17 is among the EA Sports games trying anyway. 23 players are being given "frighteningly good" boosts in Ultimate Team for a limited time. Squad building challenges will also offer themed rewards like "Ultimate Scream"-themed kits and position-change versions of some of the players getting temporary boosts.

• Dates
  • Now - November 1 (Player boosts)
  • Now - November 7 (Special rewards)
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Final Fantasy XIV

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The 2016 edition of the All Saints' Wake event is underway in Final Fantasy XIV, bringing with it the return of the Continental Circus. A series of quests can be undertaken by anyone who is at least level 15, providing the chance to unlock a special minion, vampire vest armor, and other themed items.

• Dates
  • Now - November 1 at 7:59 AM PT
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Gears of War 4

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Gears of War 4 has brought back pumpkin heads to multiplayer, which can be found only in a limited-time Pumpkin Ball playlist. This a version of the Dodgeball mode, only with faster respawns and a limited selection of "darker" maps. You'll earn bonus XP in this mode, and there's a Halloween Elite Pack being added to the store. This is a special version of the Elite Gear Pack, which guarantees at least one Epic or Legendary card. The Halloween Pack guarantees that Legendary drops will come from the Day of the Dead collection.

• Dates
  • October 27 - November 1
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V's upcoming Halloween event introduces a Lost vs. Damned mode where a team of devils take on a team of angels. This sees a day/night cycle that transitions every 60 seconds, with demons gaining an advantage at night and angels getting one during the day. There will also be new Halloween-themed vehicles added (including a bike with a red-eyed skull on the front) alongside returning items from last year.

• Dates
  • October 28 - November 7
• Further Reading
  • GTA 5 Halloween Event Begins Friday, Adds New Angels vs. Devils Mode, Bike, and More
  • Official site

Guild Wars 2

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Guild Wars 2's Shadow of the Mad King event returns this year, redecorating Lion's Arch and offering new weapon skins, items, guild hall decorations, and achievements. There is also playable content to take part in, like the returning jumping puzzle in the Mad King's Clock Tower and a game of Simon Says with the Mad King.

• Dates
  • Now - unspecified
• Further reading
  • Official site

Halo 5: Guardians

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Halo 5 hasn't introduced new Halloween content per se, but it has been updated with a Halloween Infection Refresh playlist update. You'll find a total of 17 maps in it; eight are new, community-made maps, and nine others are updated versions of existing maps with "total visual and gameplay overhauls." You can find all of these in the content browser's Featured section; they're also pictured in the gallery above.

• Dates
  • Available now
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Heroes of the Storm

The most recent update for Heroes of the Storm added new content and prepared it for the Hallow's End event. Starting on October 25, all matches will reward 50 percent bonus XP, and playing a total of 15 matches (outside of Brawls, Custom Games, and Training) will net you a Deputy Valla portrait. The Deputy Valla skin itself will go on sale then alongside Scarecrow Xul. There will also be two Hallow's End bundles offered on the store, and buying either one lets you get the Eye Pad mount above.

• Dates
  • Now - November 8
• Further Reading
  • Heroes of the Storm Patch Adds Brawl Mode, an Assassin, and the Eye Pad
  • Official site

League of Legends

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League of Legends' The Teemoing event has added new, limited-time skins (including witch versions of Morgana and Tristana and an adorable, devilish version of Teemo) and themed icons and wards. There's also a special Doom Bots of Doom mode that rewards a special Little Devil Teemo icon for finishing a level. You can get a Doomed Minion icon by playing a game on LoL's website.

• Dates
  • Now - November 3 (skins)
  • October 28-31 (Doom Bots of Doom)
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Madden NFL 17

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Similar to FIFA, Madden 17's Ultimate Team mode is where Halloween rears its head, albeit in a somewhat odd way. For a limited time, you'll find "superpowered" versions of players in packs for a limited, along with Halloween-themed players, challenges, and events. Logging in during the few days before Halloween will guarantee you a special Brian Urlacher card (chosen because Urlacher's former team, the Bears, play on Halloween night). Some of the special cards will be "Most Feared" versions, which will transform into a special version on October 30.

• Dates
  • October 27 - November 4
  • October 30 - November 2 (Most Feared card transformations)
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Natural Selection 2

Natural Selection 2 is in the midst of celebrating its four-year anniversary, which lines up with the Halloween season. A new mode is being released on October 28 through the Steam Workshop called The Infested where you race to repair areas of a TSF outpost. The area contains infectious spores, and some players will start the match out infected.

• Dates
  • Available October 28
• Further Reading
  • Official site

N++

N++ already has a huge number of levels, so rather than offer more of those, the game's Halloween update offers some new customization options. Two new color schemes (Witchy and Pumpkin) are available for a limited time, as are new ninja headbands like the one pictured above.

• Dates
  • Now - unspecified
• Further Reading
  • Official site

NHL 17

NHL 17 rounds out EA Sports' Halloween celebrations. It too, focuses on Ultimate Team, providing players with a chance to earn high-rank players by collecting special candy items found inside trick-or-treat packs. These items can be combined with certain items to receive rewards, and a special bag of candy collectible is available for those who complete an Epic player set.

• Dates
  • Now - November 4

Overwatch

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Overwatch is celebrating Halloween with its second-ever seasonal event. Much like the Summer Olympics one in August, Loot Boxes have been temporarily replaced with new ones that feature more than 100 themed items. These include skins, emotes, victory poses, voice lines, and more.

Additionally, there's a special Brawl mode available. Unlike everything else in the game, this is a cooperative experience, pitting a team of four players against AI-controlled enemies. And before you ask, the crows don't do anything.

• Dates
  • Now - November 1
• Further Reading
  • See Overwatch's Halloween Skins, New Co-op PvE Brawl Detailed
  • Official site

Paragon

The Shadow's Eve event for Paragon has been giving away skins to players for watching the game on Twitch since earlier this month, and that continues until October 24. Starting on October 25, six skins will go on sale in-game individually and at a discount through a bundle. For the duration of the event, everyone can use Murdock's Dock-o-Lantern skin, but you can also unlock it permanently by linking your Twitch and game accounts.

• Dates
  • Now - November 6 (skin sale)
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go's first-ever event is one themed around Halloween. Pokemon deemed to be among the spookier ones (think Gastly, Haunter, and Zubat) will be found more frequently, and you'll earn more candy than usual when catching Pokemon or transferring them to the professor.

• Dates
  • October 26 - November 1
• Further Reading
  • Pokemon Go Getting Halloween In-Game Event, Watch the Trailer
  • Official site

Rift

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Rift has turned some enemies into spooky creatures such as werewolves for you to square off against. There's also special gear to obtain, like a blood-soaked nurse's outfit, as well as a surprisingly cute bird skeleton mount. You can also pay to receive access to new story missions that take you to "scary sites," allowing you to add new minions to your roster.

• Dates
  • Now - November 3
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Rocket League

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Much like last year, Rocket League has temporarily added new items to its rotation of unlocks. These Halloween-themed items include things like a rocket trail that leaves behind skulls and an incredibly cute ghost topper. If you missed out on last year's items, like the excellent candy-corn rocket trail, those have also been brought back for the duration of the event.

• Dates
  • Now - November 1
• Further Reading
  • Rocket League's Halloween Update Brings New Items for Free

Skylanders: Imaginators

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The latest Skylanders only just released earlier this month, but it has a new toy on store shelves that ties in nicely with the Halloween season. The adorable Candy Coated Chopscotch pictured above is out now, bringing a Halloween-themed version of Sensei to the game.

• Dates
  • Out now
• Further Reading
  • Official site

Smite

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Smite's most recent update, 3.19, brought back the Halloween version of the map in Arena mode, decorating it with creepy things and updating the look of the AI-controlled minions. It also reintroduced the Scary Potion as Scare Tactics. It's only available in Arena during the event and can be used on a foe to scare them: They'll either receive a jump scare in the form of a character who flashes on screen, or they'll hear the sound effect of Loki's Ultimate. 3.19 also added two new skins to the Halloween chest that you can see above.

• Dates
  • Now - unspecified (event)
• Further Reading
  • Smite's Next Patch Introduces a Giant Walking Bat and a Halloween Map
  • Official site (sale)

Street Fighter V

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Unlike many of the other free updates games are offering, Street Fighter V has Halloween-themed premium DLC you can only purchase for a limited time. This includes a Halloween-themed version of the Russia stage for $2 (or 40,000 Fight Money) and seven new skins, including those for Necalli, Vega, and Alex.

• Dates
  • Now - November 29
• Further Reading
  • Street Fighter 5 Halloween Costumes, Stage Arrive This Month
  • Official site

Superhot

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By its own developer's admission, Superhot's Halloween update is a "teeny-weeny" one, though it's worth a look nonetheless. Enemies temporarily have giant pumpkin heads that explode upon being shot. There's also a pumpkin challenge with a new Achievement as a reward.

Tera

The first of two Halloween events in Tera is already live, allowing you to fight off enemies who are trying to steal candy. Classic Halloween costumes are on sale through the in-game store and will only be available for a limited time. The second component of Tera's celebration begins on October 23 with Masquerade Mayhem, allowing you to collect candy baskets and cake in order to win limited-time items. You'll receive a free trick-or-treat mystery box for logging in during the event, giving you a shot at special masks and other items.

• Dates
  • Now - November 1 at 10 AM PT (Harvest Festival Hall)
  • Now - November 5 (Masquerade Mayhem)
• Further Reading
  • Official site (Harvest Festival Hall)
  • Official site (Masquerade Mayhem)

Team Fortress 2

Team Fortress 2 isn't providing a Halloween-themed event on par with previous ones. Instead, it's again bringing back all of the past years' events, giving you another chance to deal with wonderfully named foes like the Horseless Headless Horsemann. You'll also be able to again play the Meramissions from 2015. Additionally, three new community-made Halloween maps will be released with contracts tied to them, as well as a new Halloween taunt and cosmetics case. Valve says rather than doing a new Halloween event, it's instead focused on a new Pyro Pack and other new features.

• Dates
  • Now - November 16
• Further Reading
  • TF2 Not Doing a Halloween Event, But It Is Getting New Stuff
  • Official site

Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide

The Left 4 Dead-esque Vermintide puts its distinguishing features to use with its Halloween update. The Red Moon Inn has been decorated appropriately for the Halloween season, and anyone who logs in during the new event can receive two free seasonal trinkets.

• Dates
  • Now - November 10
• Further Reading
  • Official site

World of Warcraft

WoW's annual Hallow's End event returns again this year, allowing you trick-or-treat at inns in Azeroth, Northrend, Pandaria, Outland, Draenor, and the Broken Isles. You'll receive either treats or money that can be spent on special items. New items this year include one that puts a Banshee costume on a party member and another that affects your pet. There's also a seasonal boss--the Headless Horseman--to fight, stink bombs to pelt the enemy faction with, and more.

• Dates
  • Now - November 1
• Further Reading
  • Official site