Grand Theft Auto Online Treats Gamers To A Nostalgic Halloween Surprise

Players in Grand Theft Auto: Online will be able to celebrate the spooky season in style, as Rockstar kicks off a “monthlong celebration of Halloween happenings on and above the streets of Southern Los Santos, culminating in close encounters of a wholly different kind.” The event will bring a whole host of masks, disguises, outfits and costumes that will be available at discount prices. There’s also a return to a locale that should offer nice hit of nostalgia as gamers eagerly wait for Grand Theft Auto VI.

While Halloween goodies are par for the course in the live game service space, there is one unexpected part of this event that longtime fans will appreciate. Players will be making a return to North Yankton, which is the location where Grand Theft Auto V’s story kicks off. Players will be able to “dispatch the marching tides of undead in a new Community Challenge.” This will be the first time this location will be featured in any way within GTA: Online.

North Yankton is the perfect choice to let players wipe out hordes of zombie as they take in a bit of nostalgia. It’s a sleepy little town covered in snow that looks like it could have been ripped out of a horror movie, which should help set the right vibes for the event. It has a graveyard that was featured prominently during a key event between two of the protagonists of GTA V. It’s a good bet this same graveyard plays a role in some way as the zombies take over the small town.

It's always fun when online games lean into seasonal events with holidays like Halloween, and this looks like it’s hitting all the right notes. Especially with the choice to let players return to a location not revisited within the game in over a decade.