Summary
The modern gaming industry is heavily geared toward cosmetics in gaming, be they unlockable or purchasable, players enjoy being able to represent their styles and interests within the games they play. The standard practice of customization across most modern games means that players always have the option to personalize their weapons or characters.
One major element of cosmetic choice in gaming is the representation of various seasons, allowing players to customize and personalize their in-game identities to celebrate real-life seasons. Possibly the most represented season in gaming is Halloween, wherein players can be sure that their favorite online game will offer a host of Halloween cosmetics to be unlocked or purchased and then used to celebrate the season. These cosmetics often coincide with a specific Halloween event, releasing simultaneously and offering an array of spooky alterations to the game, cosmetic or otherwise.
Rainbow Six Siegeis one of the most popular competitive first-person shooter titles, offeringimmersive and tactical gameplayas well as boasting an impressively deep professional scene. Despite its serious and competitive nature,Rainbow Six Siegeplayers can be sure they will be provided events for their favorite seasons, be it April Fools, Christmas, or Halloween. The yearly Halloween Event, known as Doktor’s Curse, sees players take part in a modified hide-and-seek mode, set in a creepy overhaul of the Theme Park map.
The event in question is named after the evil Doktor, a play on the standard siege operator, Doc. Players could purchase the Evil Genius bundle for Doc or earn the cosmetics through event alpha packs. The outfit consists of headgear and a uniform that transforms Doc into a cartoonish evil doctor, sporting bloodied clothing and surgical goggles, alongside a disturbing new face. The bundle, if purchased, also came with a weapon skin for the P90 and a charm that depicted a green syringe. The inspiration for the appearance of the cosmetic is Dr. Frankenstein, playing on Doc’s chemical healing formulaand lore significanceas the medic of the Rainbow Six team.
World of Warcraftis a tenured MMO, ever-evolving since its full release in 2004. Its nature as an MMO sees consistent content releases in theform of expansionsand patches, but also through a densely packed calendar of events. Just some of the events in question are Valentine’s Day, Pirate Day, The Harvest Festival, The Darkmoon Faire, Christmas, and, of course, Halloween.
The Halloween event inWorld of Warcraftis known as Hallow’s End and allows players to collect candy buckets, trick-or-treat, and complete the main task, defeating the Headless Horseman. Upon the defeat of the Headless Horsemen, which can be looted daily by each character, players obtain a tier of loot-filled pumpkins. These pumpkins can be opened to obtain various rewards, including the Horseman’s Horrific Hood, a helmet transmog for plate wearers that allows players to take on the ghoulish face of the Headless Horseman. The helmet sports a sinister toothed maw and emits a ghastly green glow.
Modern live-service titles such asCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3are no stranger to providing players with events that bring forthseveral unique and well-crafted cosmetics. A common trend withinModern Warfare 3was licensed cosmetics and partnerships with other video game or film franchises that allowed players to obtain operator skins of their favorite characters from across various forms of media.
It is no surprise then, that players were granted a series of horror movie tie-ins upon the release of the Halloween-themed Season 6, entitled The Haunting. This allowed players to obtain several horror icons, but none more iconic and beloved thanthe legendary Michael Myers. Any players who purchased the Season 6 battle pass were able to obtain a Michael Myers operator skin. This operator skin faithfully recreated the imposing and ominous nature of Michael Myers from theHalloweenfilm franchise, allowing players to run and gun as one of horror’s most iconic slasher villains.
Final Fantasy 14is a sprawling and critically acclaimed MMORPG, boasting a lengthy emotional story and known for its laid-back and welcoming community. As with other MMOs,Final Fantasy 14has a series of events throughout the year, each with a story and cosmetics. The Halloween event is entitled All Saints' Wake and occurs yearly, often spanning a couple of weeks.
A large aspect ofFinal Fantasy 14is obtaining and showing off various cosmetic outfits and accessories, with players often ensuring their characters are well-dressed for any given event or task. One great example of this is Halloween costumes around the time of the event, of which the Howling Spirit store outfit is a great choice for players to utilize. Drawing its inspiration from a past All Saints' Wake event, the Howling Spirit outfit sees players sporting a playful ghost costume, topped with a glowing pumpkin. Players can obtain this outfit through theFinal Fantasy 14online store.
Overwatchis a vastly successful hero shooter, with a rich competitive scene and lovingly crafted characters. It is made by Blizzard, the creator ofWorld of Warcraft. Thus,Overwatchis no stranger to seasonal eventsand cosmetics, given their prominence inWorld of Warcraftas aforementioned. The most famous element ofOverwatchis its cast of characters, and cosmetics play a large part in players' love of said characters. Players especially love the host of seasonal event cosmetics each year.
As with many other live-service games,Overwatchevents come with a host of earnable (through loot boxes) or purchasable cosmetics. The Halloween event, Halloween Terror, is no different. This event features Junkenstein Revenge, a play on Dr. Frankenstein wherein Junkrat plays the titular character and Roadhog plays Junkenstein’s monster. The Junkenstein’s Monster skin for Roadhog sees him don a purple outfit with the signature Frankenstein haircut, along with green skin to fit the zombie aesthetic. This skin is a fun and playful rendition of a classic movie monster and suits the hulking Roadhog perfectly.
Fortnite, and more prominently, its battle royale mode, is a game that needs no introduction.Fortniteperfected and popularized the live-service free-to-play model seen in many modern games, opting to monetize through a host of skins that could be purchased with real money. Players clamor to find their most desired skin in a rotating store that is host to a plethora of styles and themes.
One of the most famous Halloween gamingevents is Fortnitemares, theFortniteHalloween event that saw the release of multiple iconic spooky skins that are readily sought after byFortniteplayers. One skin that stands above the rest is the Skull Trooper, a skin that has now reached fame amongFortniteplayers and is an iconic example of a popular skin. The design is simple, seemingly depicting a character adorned in a simplistic Halloween costume, although this is ultimately where the charm of the skin lies. The Skull Trooper has spawned many more intricate designs throughout the tenure ofFortnite, but many players remain enamored by the simplistic Halloween charm of the original.
