Highlights
- MMORPGs like Runescape and Final Fantasy 14 have immersive holiday events that recreate real-life seasonal events and unique celebrations, making them memorable experiences.
- Games like New World, Elder Scrolls Online, and Animal Crossing have holiday events that combine realistic immersion with a fantastic setting, creating fun and adorable celebrations like Christmas and Halloween.
- Star Wars: The Old Republic, Guild Wars 2, Star Trek: Online, EVE Online, and World of Warcraft all have their own unique and memorable holiday events that range from creative interpretations of real-life holidays to futuristic celebrations in space.
Plenty of video games have holidays on their calendar for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's just fun to see the popular seasonal aesthetic in the game, like an orc dressed as Santa Claus, or seeing actual flying reindeer.
Most of the games that include special seasonal events in their annual schedule are MMORPGs, which makes sense because these are games that recreate an entire living world that exists and evolves without the player's direct involvement. Some of these holidays are based on real-world events, while others are unique, but all of them are memorable.
10 Runescape
The sheer number of holidays that are celebrated in the different versions of Runescape is impressive. Not only are there events for all the real-life holidays but there are also plenty of unique ones that only exist in Gielinor.
One example is the "million" events, which commemorate the millions of subscriptions over the years. So far there has been a 200 million and a 300 million party, and considering the continued popularity of this game, likely more on the way.
9 Final Fantasy 14
Like other MMOs that want to mimic the feeling of being immersed in a living world, Final Fantasy 14 mixes holidays based on real-life seasonal events. Their designs are impressive and take full and stunning advantage of the game's graphic capabilities.
Some things in the world's calendar have changed since the launch of the game, but Heavensturn has been a consistent holiday for a few years. It's a Japanese-themed New Year celebration that runs from January 6th to 22nd and is high on the list of player favorites.
8 New World
It's easy to forget that the world of Aeternum is an undiscovered corner of the real world, so it makes sense that this MMO would have a few holiday events that look vaguely familiar. There aren't many in this calendar, which relies more on immersion than other games, but there are two popular holidays that stay in players' memories.
The Winter Convergence Festival is the equivalent of Christmas, complete with lights and gifts, and it looks fantastic. Its summertime counterpart is Medleyfire, the fantastic twin of real-life midsummer, and is equally gorgeous.
7 Elder Scrolls Online
ESO keeps a balance between realistic immersion and a fantastic setting with some familiar and memorable holiday events. The Witches Festival leans hard into the undead and horror aesthetic, being inspired by Halloween, reminding everyone that this isn't a game for kids.
Other holidays include the Jester's Festival, which is April Fool's Day turned up to eleven. There are also annual events that celebrate the launch of the game's various DLCs.
6 Animal Crossing
The roster of holidays in Animal Crossing is impressive, never mind memorable, averaging three or four special events a month. There are the usual real-life based holidays, like Bunny Day for Easter and Lunar New Year, but some events only take place on servers in either the southern or northern hemisphere.
All of the events are equally fun and adorable, just like the residents of the game. Some events take place every week, like fishing tournaments, and there are some unique holidays like Mushrooming Season and Maple Leaf Season.
5 Star Wars: The Old Republic
Some of the holidays in this game are memorable for all the wrong reasons, while others are a fun and creative version of what holidays might look like in a galaxy far, far away. The oddly named Life Day is intended to be the equivalent of Christmas but other than some obvious details, it's a poor copy that tries too hard.
Some other ideas are great, on the other hand, like Nar Shaddaa nightlife, where players can enjoy gambling and other urban diversions. Where else but in the Star Wars universe can a player enjoy this kind of holiday?
4 Guild Wars 2
The creativity of some in-game rewards and holiday-themed gear that are a part of the Wintersday event in Guild Wars 2 are unforgettable. It's obvious from the aesthetic that this is intended to be Christmas, and some of it is very clever even if it's not immersive.
A unique holiday to the game that's equally smart and hilarious is the Super Adventure Festival, which started as an April Fools-inspired holiday and now celebrates the joy of vintage platform dungeons instead.
3 Star Trek: Online
Star Trek: Online is another one of those rare games that use the lore of the real world in its backstory and setting as opposed to a fantasy setting. What makes these holidays so interesting is that many of them commemorate future events that have yet to occur.
Many of these are famous in the lore and have appeared in movies or TV shows that are also part of the vast Star Trek IP. A famous example is First Contact Day, a holiday dedicated to when humans first made contact with beings from another planet.
2 EVE Online
Imagine a thousand spaceships, of varying sizes and designs, on parade through a vast galaxy, and that will create an image of what holiday events look like in EVE Online. It's easy to forget how big and old this MMO really is, but the active and substantial community, along with the game developers, helps to organize several holidays, parties, and annual events.
Winter Nexus is pretty incredible, combining a general celebration of all things wintery along with seasonal decorations. How could anyone forget the Christmas they spent in space?
1 World Of Warcraft
It's not just an MMORPG, it's a world, and ever since the early days, the Azerothian calendar has included several holidays. Each one is based on a holiday in real life, and sometimes the adaptation is a faithful one, but more often it's a goofy parody of the event in real life.
The devs at Blizzard have done a lot to make these holidays unforgettable. There are holiday bosses, high-level items that only drop during seasonal events, and most coveted of all, the Violet Proto-drake mount. It's one of the hardest to get, only awarded after a year of completing a certain list of the most difficult holiday achievements.