Fellowship's Halloween event ditches microtransactions for actual rewards; rival devs, take note

I love Halloween. Pumpkin spice lattes, dimly lit rooms, the odd horror movie - sure, it's cold outside, but there's an innate sense of magic in the air. What I don't love, however, are Halloween events in videogames. Every year the best multiplayer games drop new skins and cosmetics, and every year they lock the best ones behind a paywall. Want that cute witch hat? $5. Fancy the full look instead? Make it $20. I don't want to pay $20 for my little witch outfit, though; I'm sick of it. That's where Fellowship comes in. I've been playing the dungeon-focused World of Warcraft competitor on and off over the last week or so, and felt myself roll my eyes when Chief Rebel said 'Halloween update.' Another MTX fiesta, great. Thankfully, I've been proven wrong.

Entitled 'The Haunting of Stronghold,' the eponymous Fellowship (aka you and your pals) have discovered the ruins of an old fort out in the wilds. Deciding to set up shop there, you quickly realize that the spirits that once owned this hallowed place aren't exactly pleased that you've casually co-opted their fortress, and have returned to Stronghold to pay you a visit. As a result, the game's hub zone has undergone a transformation with spooky new visuals and audio, while a fresh face has appeared on the vendor roster.

But the main thrust of the event is the cosmetics. Purchasable via the Caretaker of Fallen Heroes, there are two new mounts (the Haunted Broom and Broomstick of the Wicked) and fresh outfits for each of the game's heroes. All of these are unlockable using Gold, which is collected in-game, with the Haunted Broom costing 120, while the Broomstick of the Wicked clocks in at 480.

Hero cosmetics do have an unlock requirement, but honestly, it's pretty inoffensive. All you have to do is play ten dungeons on your chosen hero, and pay 60 gold for the actual cosmetic itself - that basically pays for itself. You're free to complete any dungeon instance across quickplay and challenge, with no ultra-specific pre-requisites. Earning rewards by just… playing the game? What a wild idea; it may even work!

But that's not all. Haunting of Stronghold drops alongside a huge new patch, which takes aim at some of the most-maligned parts of the game's UI. A new bar called 'Important Hero Buffs' has been added to the UI, and only tracks buffs that come from each character's unique abilities and talents. Then, there's the ability tracker timer, which highlights active powers in yellow so that they're easier to keep track of, as well as the "growth direction" setting so that you can choose how your buffs grow from a central point. The full patch notes are here, but these are some pretty good changes.

While most triple-A games continue to push microtransactions, we're seeing a lot of companies kick them to the kerb in an attempt to win back their playerbases. Just yesterday MMO titan Jagex opened a community poll to remove one of Runescape's most controversial MTXs, and by the looks of things that's exactly what's going to happen. Sure, buying a sick-looking skin is nice, but knowing that you worked to achieve something is even sweeter. I love what Chief Rebel's done here, especially given that it's in recognition of the game's launch woes, and I hope other developers wake up and smell the pumpkin-spiced coffee.

Fellowship's Haunting of Stronghold Halloween event runs from today, Thursday October 30, until Thursday November 13. You can pick up the game for $24.99 / £20.99 here.

If this has inspired you to pick up Chief Rebel's 'MODA,' here's our Fellowship tier list to ensure you're locking in the right heroes for the job. Alternatively, if you're looking for something a little more WoW but don't fancy paying yet another subscription, we have a guide to all the best free MMOs.

Is there a skin that holds a special place in your heart? Let us know on Discord. Mine is League of Legends' Prestige True Damage Senna - boy that grind was something else.