Halloween is almost upon millions of people, and many gamers can get their seasonal fix in several of the most popular online video games, from the continuously successful Endwalker DLC for Final Fantasy XIV to Overwatch. Developers hosting Halloween-themed events are particularly good for MMORPGs and other games-as-services, providing fun excuses to dive back into their respective worlds for special activities.
This holiday provides some of the most fun and festive seasonal content for games, including the likes of Hallow's End in MMO titan World of Warcraft and the new battle royale mode in Apex Legends.
Destiny 2
Former Halo developers Bungie turned its original Destiny series into a game-as-a-service juggernaut in the market, and Destiny 2 has been received as a marked improvement over its progenitor. The Festival of the Lost event starts on October 18th and, as expected, will give players the chance for a variety of spooky-themed gear and cosmetics.
Some of the armor is community-driven by vote, but there should also be some proper gameplay content. Past events have incorporated Halloween-themed objectives and missions for players to take part in with Fireteams.
World Of Warcraft
Though Final Fantasy XIV has arguably taken the crown of the best MMORPG since its resurgence, World of Warcraft remains a pillar of the subgenre. Just as well, the game has a long-running tradition with Halloween, as every October the game hosts the Hallow's End event.
It typically takes place from mid-October to the beginning of November, giving players a variety of fun side content to take part in from trick-or-treating, to buying special items, mounts, and more. One of the big appeals of Hallow's End, though, is a shot at defeating the seasonal Headless Horseman boss for high-tier loot.
The Elder Scrolls Online
While it wasn't as dramatic as FFXIV's launch, The Elder Scrolls Online had a similar turnaround to become a solid MMORPG, thanks to post-launch support. It may not be the highest-ranking The Elder Scrolls game among most longtime fans, but it's regarded as a respectable entry that deepens the fantasy RPG franchise's rich lore.
And as with its MMORPG contemporaries, ESO has the Witches Festival to capitalize on the season with special items, cosmetics, and even gameplay-enhancing elements. The cauldron memento turns the character into a skeleton for some entertaining visuals, but it also boosts players' experience gains. Likewise, it also has the thematic Crowborne Horror boss and unique armor pieces to unlock.
Fortnite
Fortnite is a dominant force in gaming as a whole, with a dedicated player base ear in and year out. Much of the appeal to Fortnite -- aside from its addictive gameplay loop -- is the constant influx of cosmetic items.
Aptly dubbed Fortnitemares, this event lets players partake in fun new game modes outside its conventional battle royale mode, as well as collect new skins and emotes. It's an entertaining Halloween affair even if it isn't the most involved compared to other online games, but what is provided plus the community-driven content is sure to hook plenty of players in for the month.
Overwatch 2
The original Overwatch became a sensation in the competitive, team-based shooter subgenre on consoles and PC. Overwatch 2 is finally out now, but it looks like this sequel will retain elements of the original Halloween event.
The fan-favorite Junkenstein's Revenge will return in the form of Wrath of the Bride, this time with an updated game mode, new characters, and cosmetics. Its main appeal is the PvE game mod that pits a team of players in a sort of "tower defense" format to keep waves of enemies from invading the castle.
Pokémon GO
It might be a mobile game, but Pokémon GO uses that format as a seamless way to weave in seasonal events. Most of the best Pokémon games are in the mainline series, but the augmented reality genre lends itself well to this world, and its Halloween events are a natural fit for emphasizing the franchise's Ghost-Type creatures.
And while Ghost species are the most festive for GO's annual event, the game also tends to see Dark-Type Pokémon become more prominent in the wild. Elsewhere, the event also introduces special Research Tasks, Raids, and cosmetic outfits to collect.
Apex Legends
Epic Games' Fortnite tends to take up the majority of the spotlight when it comes to battle royale games, but Respawn Entertainment's Apex Legends proved to be a worthy contender. And like its genre contemporaries, it also hosts a Halloween event that shakes up the gameplay experience.
The major pull of Apex Legends' Fight or Fright event is the exclusive Shadow Royale game mode. Here, traditional maps are given a visual makeover to give them a spooky touch, and downed players can come back in the form of ghosts that can revive their teammates.
Final Fantasy XIV
Discussing which Final Fantasy game is the best in the series will yield different results depending on the groups of fans asked, but XIV deserves a shout as one of the highest-tier mainline entries. And even outside of the MMORPG space, FFXIV is one of the greatest gaming comeback stories.
On top of loads of substantive story and gameplay content provided through post-launch support and DLC, it also has a charming Halloween-themed event. The All Saints' Wake event provides new questlines to take part in with the Continental Circus, with local towns and cities decorating the streets. Of course, along with the story content and aesthetic changes, this celebration also a new mount and cosmetic items.
Dead By Daylight
By nature of being an online survival-horror game, Dead by Daylight is an obvious choice for players that want to take part in fun Halloween events. Taking inspiration from classic slasher horror movies and applying that atmosphere within a video game setting, Dead by Daylight is a proper game to play for scares year-round, but it's nonetheless exciting to see what collaborations the devs will do each season.
In the Haunted by Daylight event, the game will allow players to get several new themed skins in the in-game store as well as by simply participating in the event, including the likes of Resident Evil villain Arnold Wesker.
For Honor
Ubisoft's For Honor is one of the more creative online games available, as it combines historical themes and the fighting genre in a way unlike, for example, Tekken or Street Fighter. The game has gotten better with post-launch support, and it recently featured an equally inventive Halloween collaboration event with the online survival-horror game Dead by Daylight.
This year, though, the recent Title Update for the game features the new Fangs of the Otherworld event that includes festive new loot and a Halloween-themed variation of the Dominion game mode that tasks players to capture zones and gain stat boosts when defeating the creatures on the map.