Grab your popcorn and Halloween candy, because it’s once again time to get spooky in Call of Duty when The Haunting returns in Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone this October.
There’s new content to play in MW2, Warzone, and even DMZ during The Haunting, which begins a few weeks after the launch of season six. It’s not a long wait, but there’s still some time for players to look forward to The Haunting and all of its offerings.
Here’s when CoD players can jump into The Haunting event in MW2 season six.
The Haunting release time in MW2
Activision announced that The Haunting will begin in MW2 and Warzone on Oct. 17, meaning it will likely function as season six’s midseason “reloaded” update in the shortened season that will lead directly into the launch of Modern Warfare 3.
Since season six began on Sept. 27, that means it’s just under three weeks between the launch of the season and the beginning of The Haunting.
The Haunting will begin on Oct. 17 at 12pm CT. Here’s how long we have to wait until then:
The Haunting is now live!
The Haunting MW2 content
MW2 multiplayer will get an influx of new, spooky things to do when The Haunting begins.
Soul Capture event
A special limited-time event, Soul Capture “is an enhanced and fear-inducing variation on the popular Trophy Hunt Event from Season Three,” according to Activision. “Available across all game modes, any time a player is eliminated, they leave a Soul behind. Collect these Souls, which are automatically added to your total in all game modes (meaning there’s no need to visit a Buy Station in Call of Duty: Warzone or DMZ this time), and trade them for items shown in the Events Tab.”
Two map re-skins
Two existing MW2 maps, El Asilo and Embassy, will be getting a spooky makeover. El Asilo’s theme will feature a Día de Muertos aesthetic, while Embassy’s look is inspired by the after-effects of a zombie attack.
Haunting-themed modes
Special versions of existing modes will be coming in The Haunting, including spooky spins on Domination, Kill Confirmed, Drop Zone, and Infected:
- Haunting Domination: “Own all the control points on the map as usual. But in this version of Domination, expect a Scarecrow to act as a marker for each flag.”
- Haunting Kill Confirmed/Grind: “Instead of Dog Tags, collect skulls in Grind and Kill Confirmed.”
- Haunting Drop Zone Drop Scares: “Capture and hold the Drop Zone to earn points for your team, but take care while opening any crates… who knows what might jump out at you.”
- Haunting Infected: “Zombies swarm to Infected. Players who become infected will appear as The Haunting–themed Zombies.”
Licensed operator bundles
The Spawn-themed battle pass is just the beginning. During The Haunting, operator bundles featuring Lilith and Inarius from Diablo, Skeletor from Masters of the Universe, Ash Williams from Evil Dead, and Alucard from Hellsing will be available to purchase.
The Haunting Warzone content
Two Warzone maps get makeovers, plus some fun PvE battles and new equipment to use in this year’s Haunting event.
Zombie Royale
A spin on BR, players can turn into zombies and attempt to come back from the dead by hunting down other players and collecting syringes. Zombified players get special powers, like a super jump and other abilities to even the odds against operators with guns.
Operation Nightmare
Al Mazrah will be getting a full makeover for Zombie Royale and all other modes, featuring special bounties, encounters, and even boss fights with enemies like The Butcher from Diablo.
Here’s a highly-redacted bit of information regarding what can be found during Operation Nightmare, directly from Activision:
Initial recon: A bounty has been offered on a number of [[REDACTED]] targets, and rewards for exceptional bravery may result in [[REDACTED]], as well as a Mastery Weapon Blueprint. Unconfirmed reports state that the following apocryphal activities have been observed:
- An ancient tomb complex has been unearthed [[REDACTED]], hieroglyphs, and [[REDACTED]] entity known as “The Pharaoh” has been [[REDACTED]].
- Witnesses report seeing strange lights and [[REDACTED]] in the night sky over [[REDACTED]], though unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) has [[REDACTED]] or “orbs”.
- Encounters with a spectral [[REDACTED]], seemingly accessible [[REDACTED]], with Operator vehicles necessary to [[REDACTED]], moving at a rapid pace.
- Unconfirmed [[REDACTED]], further into the swamp, where [[REDACTED]] abomination known as the “Swamp Creature,” though [[REDACTED]] non-standard armaments.
- Observers in the [[REDACTED]] region describe a glowing, wisp-like ethereal [[REDACTED]], multiple hostiles [[REDACTED]] “Evil Spirits.”
- Outside the stone walls [[REDACTED]] platforms of particular concern, [[REDACTED]] the Altars of Lilith, [[REDACTED]] Nightmare Portal [[REDACTED]] codenamed “The Butcher.” This influence may extend to the Vondel AO.
Vondead
Vondel is joining Al Mazrah for Halloween. Now known as Vondead, the area has been evacuated and features special altars that can be used to summon demons and zombies to battle.
“Additional supernatural activities have occurred across Vondel, which has forced a complete evacuation of the city and surrounding area,” Activision said. “A demonic incantation by a sorceress has unleashed a zombie outbreak, bringing nightmares to life as the canals of Vondead run red with blood. Up in the firmament, a rare Blood Moon hangs ominously in the sky, casting Vondel in an eerie, scarlet-tinged darkness.”
Special Haunting equipment
Three new special pieces of equipment are a part of The Haunting and exclusive to Warzone, plus the Captured Souls that will be a part of the event across both BR and multiplayer.
Here are all of the new items coming to the game and their descriptions from Activision.
Captured Souls (Al Mazrah, Vondead)
“As part of the Soul Capture Event across Warzone and MW2, you will obtain Souls by racking up kills and defeating monstrous beings. These Souls are instantly awarded once you pick them up; you can keep them or trade them for a variety of impressive rewards after each match is complete.”
Haunted Box
“The revolting Zombies roaming Al Mazrah and Vondead drop more than their entrails; expect them to occasionally leave a strange-looking loot box behind, which can also be found throughout the maps. Well worth seeking out as it spills out plates, ammunition, and equipment, acting like a mutated Armor and Munitions Box. Take extreme care when opening these boxes, lest you’re devoured by the living maw that has possessed these containers.”
Bloodseeker Grenade
“Fashioned into the shape of a vampire bat by an unknown evil, this parasitic ‘living grenade’ latches on to enemies and highlights them in thermal vision; this is particularly helpful (or harrowing) in the nighttime operations you’re undertaking! Unconfirmed reports state this oddity is unable to clamp on to Operators who are underwater.”
Trick and Treat: Jump Scares
“It takes additional intestinal fortitude to drop into Warzone combat when every lootable container across Al Mazrah or Vondead has the potential to set off an intense and visceral jump scare. Survive these horrifying hallucinations to claim the rewards contained within the container.”
