All changes coming to WoW’s revamped Hallow’s End event in 2023

Hallow’s End is one of the most beloved holidays in World of Warcraft. Each year, the spooky season comes and players can travel between Azeroth’s various inns and taverns to collect buckets of candy, wear frightening masks, and of course, battle the iconic Headless Horseman. 

This year, WoW’s Hallow’s End event is getting a massive update, with changes slated to arrive to the Headless Horseman encounter, in addition to an all-new quest line that reveals the backstory of the iconic villain. 

Whether you’re looking to dive headfirst into a bucket of candy, endlessly farm the Horseman’s flying mount, or simply sit in Goldshire and bob for some apples, Hallow’s End has a little something for everybody. And in 2023, the holiday is going to feature a whole lot more to do. Here are all of the changes, updates, and additions coming to WoW’s Hallow’s End holiday in 2023. 

A new story-driven quest line is coming in WoW Hallow’s End 2023

This Hallow’s End, you’ll be able to complete a new quest line that deals entirely with the character of the Headless Horseman, one of WoW’s most iconic and recognizable villains. This quest chain, which is available to start in either Stormwind or Orgrimmar depending on your faction, will take you to the Scarlet Monastery, where you’ll witness the Headless Horseman’s origin story, while also getting a bit of background information on the Scarlet Crusade. 

Although you don’t need to complete the quest line to gain access to the Headless Horseman encounter, it’s definitely worth completing. This new storyline is a key part of this year’s Hallow’s End experience, and is one of the freshest pieces of content the iconic in-game holiday has ever received. 

WoW‘s famous Headless Horseman encounter gets a rework

The Headless Horseman battle that you’ve known in the past is no more. The fight with the big man himself is completely different with this year’s edition of Hallow’s End, as all of his mechanics and abilities have been reworked. This completely different fight features a host of new abilities, including an AoE cone attack called “Pumpkin Breath,” as well as a spreadable Fear debuff called “Insidious Cackle,” among others. 

What’s more is that all of these new abilities can be amplified if you attempt the Headless Horseman encounter on its new “hard mode” difficulty. Hard mode can be activated by “accepting the curse” of all four Wicker Men that can be found on the left-hand side of the boss’ room prior to starting the encounter. Just as you enter the Scarlet Monastery to take on the Horseman, click on all of the Wicker Men standing near the side of the road. If you accept all of their curses, you’ll notice an immediate difficulty spike in the encounter, but will be rewarded with a special achievement should you emerge victorious. 

General WoW Hallow’s End 2023 updates and additions

Beyond the major reworks coming to the Headless Horseman encounter, as well as the character’s backstory and lore, there will also be some more general and run-of-the-mill updates coming to Hallow’s End this year. 

Players can expect some new rewards, such as a Hallow’s End-themed Dragonriding customization for the Windborne Velocidrake, which will drop alongside the legendary Horseman’s Reins mount in the Headless Horseman encounter. Additionally, one new open-world achievement, “Tricks and Treats of the Dragon Isles,” has been added and can be obtained by visiting all of the candy buckets in Dragonflight zones. 

Hallow’s End 2023 will begin in WoW Dragonflight on Oct. 18 and run until Nov. 1, the day after Halloween.