In October 2020, Activision and the developers of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Warzone introduced the franchise's first major crossover Halloween event. The Haunting of Verdansk lasted between October 20, 2020, and November 3, 2020, transforming Verdansk into a spooky setting full of holiday terrors. Call of Duty fans have been anxious to hear about The Haunting of Verdansk's return in 2021, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is hinting that the event is imminent.
Watchful Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War players have discovered early evidence of Activision's forthcoming Halloween plans hidden in one of the game's maps. A Halloween bucket full of lollipops and candy can be found within one of the Nuketown map's garages. It's an orange bucket with a jack-o-lantern face on it and a weathered finish to make it fit with Nuketown's aesthetic. It isn't interactive and no further Halloween clues are nearby, but the bucket alone has ignited speculation.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War players believe that the Halloween candy bucket is a nod to Season 6's spooky event. Some think that the bucket is potentially Activision's sneaky way of telling players news is coming soon, if not something more specific. One guess that players are sharing is that a new Halloween-themed Nuketown map could be released, similar to the Christmas-themed one that appeared late last year. Players will just have to wait and see what Activision has planned.
While this is the first in-game evidence of Halloween's return to the Call of Duty universe, it's not the first information that Activision has shared about its plans. In a recent Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Warzone roadmap, a seasonal event named The Haunting was promised to begin on October 19. The event will include new limited-time modes, rewards, and more, naturally. That's the full extent of the reveal.
One big topic of speculation is whether Activision will bring back The Haunting of Verdansk's dark map changes for this year's seasonal event. The updated Verdansk '84 battle royale map hasn't had a dark version of itself released since, but players are hopeful for a surprise return of the nighttime setting.
This week, Activision will be launching Season 6 of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Warzone. The update arrives on October 7 and will likely take up Call of Duty players' attention for a while. As such, a reveal for 2021's Haunting event may be another couple of weeks away, but perhaps there will be more teasers to discover in Season 6.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One,and Xbox Series X/S.
