Summary
Multiplayer andLive Service gamesare the most prominent and played games in the modern gaming landscape, ushering in unparalleled player counts and often pushing regular content updates. Regardless of how players feel about the current gaming industry, the regular influx of content in many of these games, be they new modes, weapons, challenges, cosmetics, or maps, cannot be downplayed. These releases, coupled with themed events, are a major reason for the popularity of multiplayer gaming.
New maps, particularly within multiplayer games, tend to be a frequent edition, through regular seasonal content or themed events. One major event/holiday that games often release content for is the Halloween period, often opting to release brand new spooky maps or rework existing ones to give them that Halloween treatment,alongside other spooky cosmetics. Many gamers eagerly await Halloween events to see how their favorite multiplayer game handles Halloween map releases. The multiplayer games industry has seen plenty of brilliant and timeless Halloween map releases, the best of which are instantly memorable and recognizable, be they playful renditions of Halloween, or bone-chilling experiences.
Overwatchwas and remains an incredibly popular genre-defining hero shooter. Now in its second iteration entitledOverwatch 2, the game couples fast-paced MOBA-style hero shooter gameplay with a loveable and fleshed-out cast of characters.Overwatch’s character design and art style, alongside its regular seasonal events, make it a truly enjoyable game to play. One such seasonal event is the Halloween event, which occurs yearly and offers new cosmetics alongside some map re-theming.
Whilst understated, the Halloween maps inOverwatchalways offer a lighthearted and playful Halloween theme, in keeping with the tone and aesthetic thatOverwatchplayers have come to love. One such Halloween map was Halloween Hollywood, which set the map at night and saw the placement of pumpkins and other decorations throughout the locale. The gift shop on the map is full of Halloween merchandise, and the cinema is playing “Junkenstein’s Revenge” rather than its usual showing, a reference to an in-game Halloween event.Small details like thesebring the map in line with a playful Halloween spirit.
Apex Legendsis one of the leadingBattle Royale games in the industry, boasting a large and active community, rivaling other titans such asFortnite Battle Royale,Call of Duty: Warzone, andPUBG. As with most other Battle Royales,Apex Legendshosts yearly seasonal events, including a Halloween one. This, as expected, comes with new cosmetics and sometimes map alterations like the one in question.
King’s Canyon was the originalApex Legendsmap, and in 2019, a limited-time event known as Shadowfall was introduced as part of the Season 3 Halloween event. This Shadowfall mode came with a night version of King’s Canyon, a simple but incredibly impactful change that gave the map a new tone and a far more dark and sinister atmosphere, coupled with a bright white moon that bathed the map in an ominous light. This was a welcome change when compared to the original bright and sunny King’s Canyon.
Dead By Daylightis the leading and premier horror multiplayer title. The first of its kind,Dead By Daylightprovides players with an immersive and tense hide-and-seek gameplay loop, perfect for the Halloween season. While the game does have a Halloween event each year, it is already rife with licensed horror characters and a general spooky atmosphere that makes it the perfect title for Halloween.
No licensed crossovers inDead By Daylightare more suited to Halloween than a crossover with theHalloweenfilm franchise. This crossover with the beloved horror franchise includes Laurie Strode, the famous protagonist of the series, alongside The Shape or Micheal Myers as he is better known. This tie-in was brought togetherby the map Haddonfield, a map perfectly suited to Halloween given it is the town that many films in theHalloweenfranchise are set in. The map recreates the dark and tense atmosphere of the town that Michael Myers has stalked throughout plenty of films.
Rainbow Six Siegeis one of the leading tactical shooters in the current gaming landscape, offering immersive destruction and atmosphere with a fleshed-out and ever-evolving competitive scene. The game is not just competitive, however, given its proclivity to introduce entire seasonal modes, alongside maps and cosmetics. These seasons include April Fools' Day, Christmas, and, of course, Halloween.
The Halloween event inRainbow Six Siegeis entitled Doktor’s Curse and is a hide-and-seek mode in which players take control of evil counterparts of various operators, either hiding or seeking from the enemy team. The seasonal mode comes with an array of cosmetics and is always set on a spooky and atmospheric rework of the existing Theme Park map. This rework sets the map at night, equipping it with various horror-oriented paraphernalia such as graves, alongside large eerie gates that the attackers spawn behind before entering the building. The map is themed around Frankenstein’s Castle and does a great job of representing this theme.
Team Fortress 2is the iconic sequel to the classicTeam Fortress. It couples comedic characters with atense and competitive shooterenvironment that has stood the test of time since its release in 2007.Team Fortress 2is known for its seasonal events and cosmetics, with there being plenty of new hats or badges for players to customize their favorite characters with, alongside an array of themed maps for each season. It will be no surprise that Halloween is a well-represented season inTeam Fortress 2.
Helltower is a Payload Race map added in the Scream Fortress 2013 Update. It is a Halloween-themed version of the existing Hightower map that introduces a hellish magma-filled section of the map. When in the hell portion of the map, players can fight it out using spells, ensuring they avoid the lava pits littered around the section. Helltower is a unique example of a Halloween-themed map that keeps the original intact while attaching a literal hellish underbelly to give the map its Halloween flair.
TheCall of Dutyfranchise is no stranger to seasonal events, especially not with the more recent entries in the series, starting withModern Warfare (2019)and the release ofWarzone. Given its more mature nature, theCall of Dutyfranchise tends to represent its creativity in its Halloween events, more so than any other seasonal events, offering creepy and creative skins alongside brand-new maps.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3was the most recentCall of Duty title to include Halloween map offerings, releasing both Mad Cow and Drive Thru as a part of theirsixth and final season, The Haunting. Mad Cow is the far more unsettling and horror-themed map of the two, taking place in an abandoned and run-down slaughterhouse. Not only is this a compelling Halloween setting, but the abundance of dirty water on the map contributes to the creepy atmosphere and allows players to hide beneath the surface and surprise their opponents. This feature elevates the already creepy map, essentially allowing players to jump-scare their opponents.
