Halloween
“Shadow of the Mad King, our annual Halloween festival, returns with ghoulish capers, spooky fights, and holiday fun! Gather together with the citizens of Lion’s Arch to enjoy another year of tricks, treats, and terrible jokes.
— In-game description
Halloween is a festival celebrated annually in October and November in the world of Tyria. Lasting three weeks, this celebration brings many seasonal events and activities in Lion's Arch and starting areas. This period is also denoted by the weakening of the barriers separating Tyria from the Underworld, resulting in many paranormal phenomena, and the arrival of the Mad King Thorn, his Lunatic Court, candy elementals, as well as a myriad of ghosts and other creatures.
Releases[edit]
- Shadow of the Mad King 2012 (2012-10-22 — 2012-11-01)
- Blood and Madness 2013 (2013-10-15 — 2013-11-11)
- Blood and Madness 2014 (2014-10-21 — 2014-11-04)
- Shadow of the Mad King 2015 (2015-10-23 — 2015-11-06)
- Shadow of the Mad King 2016 (2016-10-18 — 2016-11-08)
- Shadow of the Mad King 2017 (2017-10-17 — 2017-11-07)
- Shadow of the Mad King 2018 (2018-10-16 — 2018-11-06)
- Shadow of the Mad King 2019 (2019-10-15 — 2019-11-05)
- Shadow of the Mad King 2020 (2020-10-13 — 2020-11-03)
- Shadow of the Mad King 2021 (2021-10-05 — 2021-11-09)
- Shadow of the Mad King 2022 (2022-10-18 — 2022-11-08)
- Shadow of the Mad King 2023 (2023-10-17 — 2023-11-07)
- Shadow of the Mad King 2024 (2024-10-15 — 2024-11-05)
Story[edit]
- For story related to Halloween: Halloween/story
Since its original release, Shadow of the Mad King contains story related to the Mad King Thorn, his allies and foes, which is told via events, collections, and historically via story instances.
Activities[edit]
Zones[edit]
Loading screen | Zone | Description | Meta event |
---|---|---|---|
Mad King's Labyrinth Region: Mad King's Realm |
A maze in the Mists, full of Halloween creatures, Haunted Door events, Carving Pumpkins, and Raw Candy Corn veins. Also offers a rental for the raptor mount and access to other activities from this list.
Can be accessed via the Lunatic Boatmaster, Haunted Doors or via the Invitation to the Mad Realm. |
None | |
Mad King's Raceway Region: Mad King's Realm |
A special area full of racing adventures and events, with rentals for various mounts available. | None |
Current activities[edit]
Activity | 2012 | Current release |
Description | Closest waypoint | Possible rewards |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clock Tower | 1 | 1 | A jumping puzzle in the Mad King's Realm, with falling platforms and a timer. Can be accessed via the Lunatic Boatmaster or special door portals. | Trader's Forum Waypoint — | Trick-or-Treat Bag Lunatic Boot Box Magnificent Chest |
Ascent to Madness | 1 | 1 | A special dungeon, full of Halloween creatures and a single boss, the Mad King. Scales every player to level 80 and can be challenged multiple times per day for rewards. Can be accessed through a special purple door. | Trader's Forum Waypoint — | 10 Slot Trick-or-Treat Bag Trick-or-Treat Bag Personalized Trick-or-Treat Bag Lunatic Coat Box |
Mad King Says | 1 | 1 | A special event similar to Simon Says where you have to correctly obey commands from the Mad King via using the correct emotes. Occurs every two hours, starting at 00:00 (see the timer below). | Trader's Forum Waypoint — | Mad King's Chest Key Fragment Lunatic Hat Box Mad King's Chest |
Lunatic Inquisition | 1 | 1 | A PvP style activity, where the game starts with one player selected as the sole member of the Courtier team and all of the other players as villagers, and it is the Courtier's goal to catch and convert all villagers. Can be accessed via the Lunatic Boatmaster. | Trader's Forum Waypoint — | Trick-or-Treat Bag Splendid Chest Chest |
Reaper's Rumble | 1 | 1 | A PvP MOBA-style activity, where each team must protect three mausoleums that spawn skeletons and destroy the opposing mausoleums. Can be accessed via the Lunatic Boatmaster. | Trader's Forum Waypoint — | Trick-or-Treat Bag |
Mad Memoires Scavenger Hunt | 1 | 1 | A scavenger hunt spanning multiple collections that will take you through some history of the infamous Mad King and the people who once knew him. | Gate Hub Plaza Waypoint — | Mad Memoires Mad Memoires: Complete Edition Mad Memoires: Complete Ignition Mad Memoires: Complete Superstition |
Time Trial: Labyrinth Lunatic (Event version) |
0 | 1 | A mount race in the Mad King's Labyrinth where you need to race through all the checkpoints as quickly as possible. Talk to the Time Trial NPC northwest of the center of the Labyrinth to start the adventure, or talk to the Lunatic Announcer to join the event. Players without a mount can rent the raptor mount for 10 from the Stablehand, provided the service NPC is summoned. | Mad King's Labyrinth Waypoint — | Large Candy Bag Mad King's Raceway: Gold Mad King's Raceway: Silver Mad King's Raceway: Bronze |
Time Trial: Li'l Eddie's Bunny Bounce (Event version) |
0 | 1 | A mount race in the Mad King's Raceway where you need to race and jump through all the checkpoints as quickly as possible. Talk to the Time Trial NPC to start the adventure, or talk to the Mad Race Master to join the event. Players without a mount can rent the springer mount for 10 from the Mad Stablehand . | Mad King's Raceway Waypoint — | |
Time Trial: Pumpkin Paradise (Event version) |
0 | 1 | A mount race in the Mad King's Raceway where you need to race through all the checkpoints as quickly as possible. Talk to the Time Trial NPC to start the adventure, or talk to the Mad Race Master to join the event. Players without a mount can rent the jackal mount for 10 from the Mad Stablehand . | Mad King's Raceway Waypoint — | |
Time Trial: Roll into Madness (Event version) |
0 | 1 | A mount race in the Mad King's Raceway where you need to race and drift through all the checkpoints as quickly as possible. Talk to the Time Trial NPC to start the adventure, or talk to the Mad Race Master to join the event. Players without a mount can rent the Roller Beetle mount for 10 from the Mad Stablehand . | Mad King's Raceway Waypoint — |
Other activities[edit]
- Carving Pumpkin and Raw Candy Corns are appearing around the world.
- Drooburt collects spare Pieces of Candy Corn.
- Lunatic Treasure Chest collects spare Pieces of Candy Corn in exchange for Child's Trick-or-Treat Bags
- Madame Cookie offers her wisdom for Pieces of Candy Corn.
- Mad Maleficence collection about the eternal feud between Mad King Thorn and Palawa Joko is available.
- Multiple achievements about the recent events in the Mad Realm are available.
- Miniature jumping puzzle near the NW waypoint in the Mad King's Labyrinth for The Outcast Prince achievement.
PvP and WvW[edit]
- Halloween Reward Track - a temporary repeatable structured PvP Reward Track and a temporary repeatable World versus World Reward Track are available for the duration of the festival.
Historical activities[edit]
- Advisor of the Lunatic Court, The Mad Engineer, Knocking On The Door — meta events in Krytan zones during 2012
- The Reliquary, Resealing the Bloody Prince - story instances in Black Citadel during 2013 and 2014
Event schedule[edit]
Achievements[edit]
- Halloween Daily
- Halloween Rituals
- Shadow of the Mad King
- Lunatic Wardrobe
- Festival Collections
- Black Lion Collections: Bloody Prince's Toybox
Vendors[edit]
- Black Lion Weapons Specialist
- Candy Corn Vendor
- Candy Corn Vendor (Weekly)
- Lunatic Alchemist
- Lunatic Weaponsmith Markham
- Mysterious Craftsraven
- Sparking Stone
- See also
- Halloween Vendor — a merchant found year-round in Lion's Arch selling Halloween items
Rewards and items[edit]
- Important items
- Complete list
- For list of all Halloween rewards and items, see: Halloween/items
NPCs and Dialogue[edit]
- For list of Halloween NPCs, events and dialogue: Halloween/Festival content
Mail[edit]
Happy Halloween! Once again, Halloween falls across Tyria. The doorways between our world and the Mad Realm are opening, and the ancient Krytan monarch, Mad King Thorn, walks the streets of Lion's Arch again! I've assured the Captain's Council that it's all relatively safe—this time—but I'm sure they'd appreciate a brave adventurer like yourself making an appearance. Not to mention the opportunities for field research in the Mad Realm itself! Visit me at the Grand Piazza at your earliest convenience!—Magister Tassi Invitation to the Mad Realm
Lion's Arch, built upon the wreckage of the Krytan City of the same name, has grown and prospered in the years since the rise of the Orrian Dragon. Founded by pirates and dependent on trade, the city has become a common ground for all the races of Tyria. |
Gallery[edit]
- Concept art
- Screenshots
Decorated Trader's Forum and Mystic Forge
Halloween themed Fort Marriner
Decorated Grand Piazza
Decorated Captain Theo Ashford Memorial Bridge
Halloween themed Deverol Gardens
Soundtrack[edit]
- See also: Soundtrack#Living World Season 1
Halloween 2012 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Track | Title | Length | Composer | Download |
1 | The Lunatic Court | 3:07 | Stan LePard | SoundCloud |
2 | The Clocktower | 1:40 | Maclaine Diemer | SoundCloud |
3 | Halloween In Tyria | 2:17 | Maclaine Diemer | SoundCloud |
4 | The Tale Of The Mad King Thorn | 1:47 | Maclaine Diemer | SoundCloud |
See also[edit]
The Guild Wars Wiki has an article on Halloween. |