I have a love-hate relationship with October. My neighbors put up inflatable zombies, my grocery store starts selling pumpkin spice everything, and I get this unbearable urge to hide in a locker while a guy with a chainsaw wanders past. That's not just seasonal anxiety — that's Dead by Daylight calling me back into the fog.

This year's return of The Midnight Grove is exactly what my horror-craving heart needed. Behaviour Interactive clearly knows how to throw a party. The event runs for two deliciously spooky weeks around Halloween, and the moment you log in, you're smacked in the face with atmosphere. Special hooks look like they were carved from cursed wood, generators flicker with eerie candlelight, and the lobby music makes me feel like I'm about to get jumpscared just selecting a killer. Even the loading screens are scary, which feels a little rude but also perfect.

dead-by-daylight-s-midnight-grove-a-2026-halloween-scream-fest-full-of-pumpkins-and-666666-bloodpoints-image-0

Now, the star of the show this time is Mikaela Reid, a Survivor who apparently brought her own witchy branding to the whole event. The Midnight Grove is packed with rewards, challenges, and an extra-eerie atmosphere, plus special stories written by Mikaela herself. I'm not saying I trust her taste in campfire tales, because her idea of a bedtime story probably involves tarot cards and a haunting. But you have to respect the dedication.

🎃 The jack-o-lanterns scattered around the maps are where things get properly unhinged. Both Survivors and Killers can interact with them. You smash them, and they might complete specific Event Tome challenges, dump a pile of Bloodpoints in your pocket, or roll the dice for a tiny trick or treat. One second you get a minor speed buff and feel like a god; the next you get a speed debuff and regret every life choice that led you to kick a pumpkin. I have never felt so personally judged by a vegetable.

Here's a quick look at what I'm hunting during the event:

  • 🎃 Smashable jack-o-lanterns with buffs, debuffs, and Bloodpoint surprises

  • 👗 Mikaela Reid's Witching Hour Outfit

  • 🩺 The Doctor's Transplant Outfit

  • 🐈‍⬛ A black cat charm with a witch hat

  • 📖 Tome IX: Crescendo tales

The cosmetic unlocks are a beautiful disaster. Over the two-week event, you can chase Mikaela Reid's Witching Hour Outfit, which is exactly what she wore on stage at the Endless Halloween Festival. It's witchy, dramatic, and probably smells like cinnamon and bad decisions. Then there's The Doctor's Transplant Outfit, which is just extra creepy. I don't know what he's transplanting, and at this point I'm too afraid to ask. There are also charms, including a black cat with a witch hat, because Behaviour understands that the real endgame is looking adorable while being sacrificed on a hook.

Tome IX: Crescendo also drops alongside the event, so my lore-brain is well fed. It includes three brand-new Dead by Daylight tales. Two of those stories intersect with each other, showing different perspectives of the same event. That's right, we get The Trickster and Yun-Jin Lee in an abduction scenario that creates two separate journeys for each other. I love when the game makes me feel bad for both sides. The Trickster is a killer, sure, but Yun-Jin's bad day makes my solo queue escape attempts look like a spa retreat.

Here's the part where I almost choked on my candy corn: a one-time login reward of 666,666 Bloodpoints. Just for showing up. New players and long-time fans alike can claim it. That number is so aggressively on-theme that I assume the UI flashed red for a second and whispered 'nice' when I redeemed it. If you've ever wanted to prestige a character without actually earning it, now is your moment.

If you're new, this is also the perfect time to jump in, because the game often runs a free trial across platforms during the event window. I won't list dates because the fog distorts time, but trust me — keep an eye on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and whatever platform you use. There's even crossover energy with For Honor's Halloween event, Survivors of the Fog, because horror universes should hang out more often.

Dead by Daylight continues to live on pretty much every device invented: Android, iOS, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. If you're looking for an excuse to scream at your screen, chase pumpkins, and get 666,666 Bloodpoints for doing absolutely nothing, The Midnight Grove is your October destination. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go smash a gourd and see if it gives me speed or betrayal.