Game studios go all-out with Halloween events and sales

VR platforms, PlayStation Now and Steam are among those with treats in store.

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UpdatedSat, October 29, 2016 at 9:00 PM UTC

Game developers thrive on seasonal events, and that's truer than ever this Halloween. It's not just themed skins and game modes, although there are plenty of those -- there are some serious bargains to be had, whether you're a Steam veteran or just getting into virtual reality. Even PlayStation Now has some Halloween goodies. We've rounded up some of the spookier events and sales to make sure you don't miss out.

Blizzard is no stranger to courting the Halloween crowd (*Diablo* is practically tailor-made for it), but it's going the extra mile this year. *Overwatch* is the star of the show with *Halloween Terror*, which offers themed skins, stickers and the players-versus-AI Junkenstein's Revenge mode. However, *World of Warcraft* fans will also get to revisit Hallow's End, an annual event that offers special quests, costumes, decorations and wands. In either case, you'll have until November 1st to enjoy the festivities.

It wouldn't be a seasonal gaming event without a Steam sale, and Valve is more than happy to oblige. The Steam Halloween Sale lasts until November 1st and has major discounts (often over 50 percent) on appropriately creepy titles, including newer titles like *7 Days to Die* as well as more established horror hits like *The Walking Dead* and *Outlast*.

Virtual reality is going big on Halloween this year, particularly if you have Samsung's Gear VR headset. Pixel Toys just recently launched *Drop Dead*, an $8 zombie shooter that aims to appeal to both casual and hardcore action game fans alike. Simultaneously, Oculus has introduced a Halloween Bundle that gives you five Gear VR titles (*Affected: The Manor*, *Dark Days*, *Dead Secret*, *Sonar* and *Wands*) for $9.

Not to be outdone, HTC is offering a Halloween promo of its own for Vive owners. Fright Fest slashes the prices on multiple horror-tinged VR games, including *A Chair in A Room: Greenwater*, *Daylight's End VR Edition*, *Emily Wants to Play* and *The Night the Carsons Disappeared*. Oh, and Jaunt's horror experiences (*Invisible* and *The Game*) are free. You'll have until the night of November 1st to claim them all.

You'd better believe that Sony wants to capitalize on Halloween... and its aftermath, too. To start, it's adding a slew of horror-themed games to PlayStation Now. You can stream *The Darkness*, *House of the Dead 3* and 4 and titles without digging out your PS3. Prefer to own your games? There's a Sale of the Dead (ending Halloween at 11AM Eastern) cutting the prices on many games, racing from *Dead Rising* to *Resident Evil*. And if you don't mind marking the occasion a little late, the candlelit terror of *Wick* hits the PS4 on November 1st.

Rockstar doesn't do Halloween by half measures, it seems. It's marking the scary season with a *GTA Online* Lost Vs Damned mode that has angels and devils squaring off: your team scores more for kills during the appropriate time of day. You'll also get a *Ghost Rider*-inspired motorcycle (the LCC Sanctus), unlockable horror t-shirts and the usual array of eerie masks and vehicles. You have until November 7th to unlock the free tees, and other goodies are available until November 15th.

Bungie gave *Destiny* fans reason to celebrate when the Festival of the Lost premiered last Halloween, and the event is back again this year. This isn't just a cosmetic change: there are mask-centric quests, new treasures, special emotes and even a broom-like Sparrow vehicle. Just be sure to complete as many challenges as you can by November 8th at 4AM Eastern -- when the Festival is over, you'll likely be out of luck.

Capcom is practically synonymous with zombie games, and it's taking advantage of that for Halloween. In addition to its presence in Sony's PSN sale, it's running sales in both the Humble Bundle team's store and Steam. Many *Dead Rising*, *Devil May Cry* and *Resident Evil* titles for PC are being discounted by 50 percent or more from now until November 1st.

There are more Halloween specials than we can possibly fit in one article, but there are a few noteworthy examples. *Dead by Daylight* has a *Halloween*-themed chapter that pits Michael Myers against perpetual survivor Laurie Strode, while *Elder Scrolls Online* has a Witches Festival with a quest and cosmetic rewards galore. *Dying Light*, *Final Fantasy XIV* and *Guild Wars 2* all have special events, too. *Paragon*, *Rocket League* and *Team Fortress 2* are all offering everything from skins to maps. Even EA Sports is getting into the fun: *FIFA 17*, *Madden 17* and *NHL 17* will either boost or unlock "scary good" players through November 4th.

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Blizzard: 'Overwatch' and 'World of Warcraft'

Blizzard is no stranger to courting the Halloween crowd (Diablo is practically tailor-made for it), but it's going the extra mile this year. Overwatch is the star of the show with Halloween Terror, which offers themed skins, stickers and the players-versus-AI Junkenstein's Revenge mode. However, World of Warcraft fans will also get to revisit Hallow's End, an annual event that offers special quests, costumes, decorations and wands. In either case, you'll have until November 1st to enjoy the festivities.

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Game studios go all-out with Halloween events and sales

VR platforms, PlayStation Now and Steam are among those with treats in store.

Blizzard: 'Overwatch' and 'World of Warcraft'

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