Holiday events in video games are nothing new. In-game events celebrating holidays like Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and so on have been going on for ages. Whether that’s in World of Warcraft or Destiny 2, there’s plenty of ways to spread holiday cheer.
However, this doesn’t mean every holiday event in a game is ~ good ~. We’ve seen countless games attempt to rally their community together by giving them some seasonal content that ties into a real-world event.
It’s almost gotten to the point where I’m surprised when there isn’t some sort of event going on in a game at any given time. So when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare announced “The Haunting of Verdansk,” I nodded my head and moved on with my day.
Related: Warzone | Haunting of Verdansk Trick or Treat Locations and Rewards
It launched yesterday, so I decided to check it out with some friends. I can now easily say that Modern Warfare has set the gold standard for a Halloween event.
First off, they obtained the Saw and Texas Chainsaw Massacre license, and players can purchase these skins and other goodies in the store. Now, I understand not every game has that kind of cash lying around, but that’s not where this story ends.
The Battle Royale mode Warzone has had quite an excellent year, so it’s no surprise that Infinity Ward would include this in their grand Halloween plans. It is adding a new mode, Zombie Royale.
It somehow strikes the perfect balance between horror, competitive gameplay, and frantic, fast-paced gameplay. What if, instead of losing the game when you died, you came back as a flesh-hungry zombie?
This game mode is packed to the brim with jump scares. Sometimes you open a chest, and a wild ghost pops out to scare you; other times, a player zombie leaps onto a building and takes a swipe at you.
No matter what you’re doing during the match, you never feel settled, and you’re never safe.
Infinity Ward could have simply stopped there, but it kept going. Around the map, there are 16 trick-or-treat themed crates to collect free in-game goodies. From calling cards to weapon blueprints, there are a ton of things to collect.
Collect everything the game has to offer, and you’ll be rewarded with a sweet jack-o-lantern themed assault rifle.
The reason I now consider this the gold standard for events is because it truly encapsulates the holiday, and with it, brought a whole new way to enjoy the game. Most events can be finished up in a day or two, and then you move on.
However, I want Zombie Royale to be a permanent fixture in Warzone. There is truly nothing like it in the battle royale market.
The Haunting of Verdansk runs until November 3, so there’s still plenty of time to get in on the action. I highly recommend checking it out if you want an awesome Halloween video game vibe.
Once you try it out, I think you’ll see what I’m talking about here.
- Check Out The Haunting of Verdansk Coming to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Warzone | How to Get Free Texas Chainsaw Massacre Items
- How to get the JAK-12 Shotgun in Modern Warfare and Warzone
Have you already checked out The Haunting of Verdansk in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare? Let us know on the official Prima Twitter and Facebook pages.
