Halloween 2026 + Gameplay Update

As Halloween draws near, the residents of The Cursed Apple have put out some decorations to celebrate their favorite holiday. The Hideout gains a spooky new look, our heroes don masks, and NYC is now littered with pumpkins and curious Halloween Cauldrons that grant willing trick-or-treaters delicious candy.

New this year - Halloween Cauldrons

As you walk down the streets of Manhattan during a match, you'll come across bubbling cauldrons boasting a tempting display of treats. With a Heavy Melee, break the cauldron to pick up a piece of Candy and stash it in your pocket for later. When you're feeling a bit snacky, you can consume the candy to grant yourself a boost of energy with the temporary Sugar Rush buff. - Who said candy is bad for you?

The Halloween festivities are available in-game now through November 2nd, 2026. Happy Haunting!

Gameplay Update

General

Mid-Boss

• Mid-Boss: Adjusted the terrain layout where the midboss is, the area is a little bigger now and has more cover
• Mid-Boss: Health increased by 20%
• Mid-Boss: Health gained per minute increased by 20%
• Mid-Boss: Resistance reductions are now only 50% as effective against the Mid-Boss
• Mid-Boss: Roar now happens at 25% HP instead of 50%
• Mid-Boss: Bounty reduced from 3000 (+50/min) to 1500 (+25/min)
• Mid-Boss: The Rejuvenator now drops as 3 crystals placed evenly around the Mid-Boss pit (random positions), instead of 1 crystal in the center
• Mid-Boss: Each Rejuvenator crystal breaks in 1 heavy melee and grants the team 1 Rejuvenator (total per Mid-Boss kill unchanged at 3)
• Mid-Boss: The full heal for breaking a Rejuvenator now applies to each crystal (previously only on the first hit)
• Mid-Boss: Rejuvenator crystals now give a bounty to the player that breaks them (500 +9/min)
• Mid-Boss: Rejuvenator crystal drop time increased from 6s to 7.5s

Other Changes

• Breakables growth values reduced by 10%
• Fixed some boxes taking longer to respawn if another box's or powerup's pickup was left on the ground
• Haunts base bounty and growth increased by 10%
• Haunts HP and Damage output increased by 10%
• Haunted Souls secure rate is now 25% slower
• Haunted Souls secure rate is now up to 50% faster than baseline based on how far behind you are in Net Worth compared to the enemy team's average (max rate at a 20% Net Worth gap)
• Comeback gold from non-hero sources increased from a max of 26% to 30% (when behind by ~20% Net Worth)
• The bonus NPC souls multiplier when behind now also increases tick souls for the 2 poorest players
• Healing Snacks heal increased from 10% Max HP to 14%
• Steam Vents now increase stamina regeneration by 150%
• Move slow to air drag ratio increased from 0.35 to 0.5
• Move speed in tunnels reduced from +70% to +50%
• Haunts - Past Dues: Now channels their special attack, creating a build-up aura on the ground that applies sleep slowly to Heroes standing within it over time. Killing the channeling creature destroys the aura.
• Fixed some bugs with Walker stomp logic
• Latest 6 heroes are no longer categorized as "new" anymore. This means they have normal hero unlocking requirements for ranked and can now be banned.

Items

• High-Velocity Rounds: Bullet Velocity reduced from 60% to 45% (upgrades unaffected)
• Express Shot: Secondary Fire Weapon Damage and growth reduced by 5%
• Point Blank: Slow duration increased from 2s to 2.5s
• Hunter's Aura: No longer affects or counts enemies outside of line of sight or through walls
• Shadow Weave: No longer has Ambush Fire Rate or Melee Damage
• Shadow Weave: Now has +50% Ambush Weapon Damage
• Shadow Weave: Ambush bonuses now build up over 6s of being stealthed before reaching full power (invis progress UI pulses when it is charged up)
• Shadow Weave: Abilities used to break stealth now benefit from the Ambush bonus on their own damage (previously the bonus was applied after the ability had already gone off)
• Toxic Bullets: Anti Heal increased from 35% to 40%
• Armor Piercer: Chance increased from 55% to 60%
• Glass Cannon: Weapon Damage increased from 80% to 85%
• Spiritual Overflow: Spirit power increased from 6 to 8 (from component changes)
• Crippling Headshot: Anti-Heal increased from -35% to -40%
• Golden Goose Egg: Damage Penalty reduced from -15% to -12%
• Spirit Sap: Cooldown increased from 18s to 22s
• Spirit Sap: Cast range reduced from 40m to 35m
• Mystic Slow: Dash Distance slow increased from -10% to -12%
• Decay: Incoming Heal reduction increased from -50% to -55%
• Radiant Regeneration: Regen on Spirit Damage scaling reduced from 0.35 to 0.25
• Radiant Regeneration: Heal on Ability Cast now only triggers when you are in combat (like Spellslinger)
• Radiant Regeneration: Heal on Ability Cast reduced from 65 to 40
• Radiant Regeneration: Heal on Ability Cast boon scaling reduced from 1.7 to 1.4
• Silence Wave: Bonus Health increased from +50 to +90
• Torment Pulse: Melee Resistance increased from 18% to 22%
• Echo Shard: Post cast time reduced from 0.5s to 0.2s
• Focus Lens: Cooldown reduced from 45s to 40s
• Focus Lens: Fixed damage dealt to a barrier not counting toward the repeated damage
• Lightning Scroll: Damage now scales with Spirit Power (0.35)
• Lightning Scroll: Dash Distance slow increased from -10% to -12%
• Rebuttal: Parry Cooldown reduction reduced from -1.75s to -1.25s
• Battle Vest: Weapon Damage increased from 18% to 22%
• Bullet Lifesteal: Weapon Damage increased from 6% to 10%
• Bullet Lifesteal: Bullet Lifesteal increased from 13% to 15%
• Healbane: Multiple sources now stack on the enemy with diminishing returns (previously didn't stack)
• Healbane: Heal on Hero Kill reduced from 275 to 170 + 3/Boon
• Healing Booster: No longer builds from Extra Regen
• Healing Booster: No longer grants +3 Health Regen
• Healing Booster: Out of Combat Regen increased from +1 to +2
• Return Fire: Now returns the damage you take from Haze's Fixation
• Return Fire: Fixed the shop tooltip not listing the 10% Bullet Resistance
• Spirit Lifesteal: Spirit Power increased from 6 to 8
• Spirit Lifesteal: Spirit Lifesteal increased from 13% to 15%
• Spirit Shielding: Spirit Resist reduced from 18% to 15%
• Bullet Resilience: Bullet Resistance increased from 30% to 35%
• Bullet Resilience: Out of Combat Regen increased from 3 to 5
• Fury Trance: Active Move Speed increased from +1m to +1.5m
• Fury Trance: Bullet Lifesteal increased from 14% to 15%
• Fury Trance: Weapon Damage increased from 6% to 10%
• Healing Nova: Now scales with Spirit Power (1.1) instead of Boons (6)
• Metal Skin: Now increases your gravity by 20% while active
• Infuser: Active Lifesteal increased from 70% to 75%
• Infuser: Spirit Lifesteal increased from 13% to 15%
• Infuser: Spirit power increased from 6 to 8
• Juggernaut: Health Regen increased from +8 to +15
• Leech: Bullet Lifesteal increased from 28% to 30%
• Leech: Spirit Lifesteal increased from 28% to 30%
• Vampiric Burst: Active Lifesteal increased from 70% to 75%
• Vampiric Burst: Bullet Lifesteal increased from 13% to 15%
• Vampiric Burst: Weapon Damage increased from 6% to 10%
• Spellbreaker: When the item procs, it continues to reduce any other spirit damage that happens as a result in that damage stack (for example, getting hit by charged shot that procs tankbuster now both get reduced)
• Divine Barrier: Cooldown increased from 45s to 55s

Heroes

Abrams

• Base gun damage increased by 5%
• Siphon Life: T3 increased from +18 DPS to +22
• Shoulder Charge: Fixed enemies being held in place longer if you don't hit a wall

Apollo

• Riposte: Pommel Hit changed from a stun to an immobilize and parry disable
• Riposte: Pommel Hit disable duration increased from 0.8s to 1.5s
• Riposte: T2 disable duration increased from +0.4s to +0.6s
• Riposte: Fixed the counterattack dash sometimes missing its target or launching Apollo away when the target moves, rounds a corner, or is displaced
• Riposte: Fixed the counterattack dash missing when Apollo is right on top of the target
• Flawless Advance: Being stunned or put to sleep during the ability now refunds that stab and keeps your remaining recasts instead of putting it on cooldown
• Itani Lo Sahn: No longer interrupted by Sleep

Baba

• Spirit Resist scaling reduced from 0.1 to 0.07
• Threadsap: Spirit Steal duration reduced from 22s to 16s
• Threadsap: When a victim cleanses the Threadsap debuff, the matching spirit Baba gained is also removed
• Granny Long Legs: Light Melee knockback distance reduced from 10m to 8m
• Granny Long Legs: Heavy Melee cooldown reduced from 1.4s to 1.2s (default is 1.0s)
• Granny Long Legs: Heavy Melee slow duration reduced from 4s to 2s
• Granny Long Legs: Heavy melee stomp now only hits the closest Rejuvenator in range
• Baba's Brew: No longer has an initial brew time
• Baba's Brew: Brew order is now random each time she casts it
• Baba's Brew: Cycle time between each type of brew increased from 1s to 1.5s
• Baba's Brew: UI indicator color now matches the current brew
• Baba's Brew: Silence duration reduced from 3s to 2.75s

Billy

• Rising Ram: T3 increased from +10% Max Health for 16s to +15% for 20s
• Blasted: Cooldown reduced from 27s to 25s

Calico

• Leaping Slash: T3 increased from +60 Damage to +90
• Ava: T3 increased from 6s duration to 8s

Celeste

• Shining Wonder: Damage reduced from 140 to 125

Deadman Danny

• Chimera Mk1: Jetpack can no longer be used while cursed
• Chimera Mk1: Fixed bug causing it to not deal damage when held through a Close The Deal
• Chimera Mk1: Items and abilities that pull to the ground now work more reliably against Danny
• Chimera Mk1: Slows now reduce the jetpack's in-air impulse more effectively, and even more if movement abilities are silenced
• Close the Deal: Fixed some incorrect behavior when used at the top of the belltower

Doorman

• Luggage Cart: T2 increased from +75 Damage on Wall Impact to +90
• Luggage Cart: T3 increased from -15s Cooldown to -18s

Drifter

• Base gun damage increased by 3%
• Bloodscent: T3 increased from +11% Amplified Damage to +12%
• Eternal Night: T3 increased from +2.5s Duration to +2.75s

Graves

• Move speed reduced from 7 to 6.7
• Bullet damage per boon reduced by 4%
• Grasping Hands: Can now be more easily double jumped over
• Grasping Hands: Deploy time increased from 0.6s to 0.8s
• Borrowed Decree: T2 no longer has -0.3s Time To Spawn
• Borrowed Decree: T3 now also provides -0.3s Time To Spawn

Grey Talon

• Charged Shot: T2 now also has -2s Charge Delay
• Charged Shot: T3 no longer has -3s Charge Delay
• Charged Shot: T3 now also lets the shot bounce once off a wall (can't hit a target more than once)
• Guided Owl: Now launches in the exact direction you're aiming, including steep downward angles (previously always launched at least 45° upward)

Infernus

• Napalm: T2 lifesteal increased from 15% to 20%
• Concussive Combustion: T3 now increases spirit scaling by 0.4

Haze

• Smoke Bomb: Fixed T3 dispelling debuffs that can't be dispelled (like the Specter Crash from Nurse's Wretched Vapors)

Kelvin

• Frozen Shelter: Cooldown increased from 185s to 190s
• Frozen Shelter: T1 increased from -20s Cooldown to -30s
• Frozen Shelter: T2 now also reduces enemy fire rate by -20%
• Frozen Shelter: T3 regen increased from +65 to +75

Lady Geist

• Essence Bomb: spirit scaling increased from 1.22 to 1.35

Lash

• Grapple: T3 now also increases Jump Velocity by +4m
• Death Slam: Targeting indicator changed from a cone to a cylinder to more accurately match the ability's range (visual change only)

McGinnis

• Mini Turret: Damage vs troopers increased from 50% to 65%
• Mini Turret: Health per boon increased from 9 to 10

Mirage

• Traveler: Channel time increased from 2s to 3s
• Traveler: Onterrupt/cancel cooldown increased from 4s to 5s
• Traveler: Now gets interrupted if you are Stunned/Immobilized/Slept or have slowing hex on you
• Traveler: Now grants the old T2 barrier in the base ability (with no scaling)
• Traveler: The minimap now moves to the center of the screen and is enlarged while targeting
• Traveler: Added a targeting reticle under your cursor on the minimap that your allies can see, so they can tell where you're thinking of going before you click
• Traveler: Your destination is now marked on your and your allies' minimaps until you arrive, and stays there briefly after landing
• Traveler: T2 changed from "400 Barrier that scales with spirit" to "-65s Cooldown"
• Traveler: T3 changed from "-90s Cooldown" to "Cannot be interrupted by damage"
• Traveler: T3 now also adds barrier spirit scaling (0.8)

Mo & Krill

• Spirit per boon reduced from 1.1 to 0.6
• Spirit damage on all abilities reduced by 10% (base values and growth/upgrades)
• Bullet damage per boon increased by 4%

Nurse Harrow

• Base gun damage reduced by 10%
• Leech Therapy: Fixed enemies being unable to see the glow on the hunting leeches
• Leech Therapy: Fixed leeches attaching to targets while the game is paused
• Leech Therapy: Fed leeches duration on the ground changed from a fixed 180s to 120s + 3s/min
• Wretched Vapors: T3 increased from +15% Rush Speed to +20%
• Healing Needles: Heal Per Shot reduced from 25 to 22
• Healing Needles: T2 Heal Per Shot reduced from +20 to +16
• Healing Needles: Spirit scaling increased from 0.2 to 0.24
• Lurking Terrors: Fear buildup time increased from 1.3s to 2s
• Lurking Terrors: Enemies no longer build fear when Nurse is more than 50 degrees above or below their view
• Lurking Terrors: T3 changed from "Immune to damage while channeling" to "Takes 50% Reduced Damage while channeling"

Paige

• Base bullet damage reduced from 35 to 32
• Bullet damage growth per boon increased from 0.52 to 0.61

Paradox

• Paradoxical Swap: Cooldown reduced from 110s to 95s

Rat King

• Base bullet damage reduced by 5%
• Bullet damage growth reduced by 20%
• Scrap Grenade: Damage reduced from 70 to 60
• Scrap Grenade: T2 damage reduced from +70 to +60
• Scrap Grenade: T3 damage reduced from 300 to 275
• Scrap Grenade: Fuse timers increased by 0.1s (first bounce from 0.8s to 0.9s, later bounces from 0.7s to 0.8s, T3 final explosion from 1.5s to 1.6s)
• Scrap Grenade: Meleeing the grenade now gives it at least 0.4s before it explodes (if less than 0.4s was left on its fuse, the fuse is extended to 0.4s)
• Rule, Ratannia!: Knockup duration reduced by 50%
• Rule, Ratannia!: Cooldown increased from 160s to 180s
• Rule, Ratannia!: Now goes on cooldown when stunned/slept before placing it. In that case, the flag is placed in that position but without any of the initial impact effects (damage/knockup)

Seven

• Static Charge: T3 stun duration increased from 0.9s to 1.1s

Shiv

• Alt Fire damage per boon reduced by 5%
• Fixed the Alt Fire last-shot sound only playing when you had 1 bullet left
• Serrated Knives: Rage damage increased from 3.5% Current Health to 4%
• Serrated Knives: T3 now also increases rage damage spirit scaling by +0.01
• Bloodletting: Fixed damage ticks playing audio
• Killing Blow: Recast duration reduced from 16s to 12s

Silver

• Base health regen increased from 2.5 to 3
• Entangling Bola: Fixed Unstoppable flying targets being made to fall
• Entangling Bola: Fixed not grounding Grey Talon during his Rain of Arrows
• Go For The Throat: Now counts weapon damage from Point Blank and Opening Rounds

Solomon

• Gun now deals -20% headshot damage
• Base bullet damage reduced from 30 to 25
• Polished slide animations, added new ability and item aim poses, and adjusted run-to-stop timing
• Setup Bishop: Square height reduced from 4m to 1m
• Setup Bishop: On Square spirit scaling increased from 0.64 to 0.85
• Setup Bishop: T1 increased from +15% slow to +25%
• Setup Bishop: T3 Spirit Resist reduction is now applied on impact instead of by squares
• Setup Bishop: T3 increased from -2.5% to -5% Spirit Resist per stack (max reduction unchanged)
• Rook Battery: Damage scaling reduced from 1.3 to 0.9
• Rook Battery: T3 reduced from -12s cooldown to -10s
• Develop Queen: Cooldown increased from 210s to 240s
• Develop Queen: Damage scaling increased from 1.4 to 1.6
• Develop Queen: Delay for stun tiles increased from 1s to 1.2s
• Develop Queen: Improved warning effects on the stun tiles to make it clear its just those tiles rather than the full area
• Develop Queen: Fixed hitting things outside of the intended square volumes
• Develop Queen: Base ability now has the checkmate behavior for heroes under 100 Health (scales +5/boon)
• Develop Queen: T2 now increases checkmate threshold by 150
• Move Piece: Range to grab pieces increased from 50m to 65m
• Move Piece: Improved placement: pieces no longer fall through geometry or end up under the map, land closer to where you aim, and can now be placed closer to walls and in hallways

Venator

• Ira Domini: Blessed stake damage reduced from 115 to 95
• Ira Domini: Blessed stake damage boon scaling increased from 3 to 3.6

Victor

• Aura of Suffering: T3 increased from +15% Damage to +16%

Violet

• Some moderate performance improvements (still more to do here)
• Still Life: Stun duration reduced from 1.0s to 0.9s
• Still Life: Line of sight is now required when the channel ends, even during the grace period
• Still Life: Now shows a text bar to the victim
• Still Life: Sketches now grant +2% healing amp from Nurse Harrow, Kelvin, Ivy, Dynamo, Paige, and Rem instead
• Still Life: Sketches changed to give Spirit Power instead of Weapon Damage for Grey Talon, Infernus and Mina
• Still Life: T1 health regen is now only granted while drawing (still refreshes for 4s on pickup)
• Still Life: T1 health regen scaling reduced from 0.25 to 0.15
• Still Life: T3 stun duration increased from +0.35s to +0.45s
• Abstract Landscape: Cooldown increased from 165s to 180s
• Abstract Landscape: Duration spirit scaling reduced from 0.04 to 0.01
• Abstract Landscape: Now ends early if Violet dies
• Abstract Landscape: Cooldown between times you can be affected by it increased from 0.5s to 0.75s
• Abstract Landscape: T3 no longer has "Ink is no longer destroyed"

Viscous

• Alt fire damage growth per boon increased by 5%
• Splatter: T1 increased from +36 Damage to +45 Damage
• Goo Ball: Fixed being able to heavy melee or activate Ethereal Shift during the cast delay
• Goo Ball: Fixed the direction indicator not appearing

Warden

• Alchemical Flask: Now travels 40% faster (overall cast range unchanged)
• Alchemical Flask: Weapon Damage reduction increased from -25% to -30%
• Willpower: Speed bonus increased from +15% to +20%
• Last Stand: T2 increased from +40.5 DPS to +50
• Last Stand: T2 cooldown reduction increased from -30s to -40s

Wraith

• Card Trick: Heal reduced from 60 to 45
• Project Mind: Cooldown increased from 46s to 50s
• Project Mind: Initial cast time for projectile increased from 0.75s to 1s

Yamato

• Power Slash: Spirit scaling increased by 6% (base and T3)
• Flying Slash: Cast Range reduced from 26m to 23m
• Flying Slash: Enemy targets are now marked with an overhead symbol as soon as the grapple is cast, instead of only when the hook lands
• Flying Slash: T3 Cast Range reduced from +15m to +8m
• Shadow Transformation: Cooldown increased from 150s to 160s (moved to T2)

Street Brawl

Deadman Danny

• Chimera Mk1: Cooldown reduction per boon reduced from -0.4s to -0.25s
• Chimera Mk1: Cooldown refund on hit from T3 reduced from 50% to 30%

Nurse Harrow

• Leech Therapy: Leeches on the ground are now removed on round reset
• Lurking Terrors: Duration reduced from 7s to 5s
• Lurking Terrors: T3 reduced from +3s Duration to +2s

Paige

• Bookwyrm: T2 Trail Duration reduced from +2s to +1s

Rat King

• Scrap Grenade: Radius reduced from 8m to 6m
• Scrap Grenade: Large explosion radius reduced from 14m to 10m
• Rule, Ratannia!: Radius reduced from 20m to 16m
• Rule, Ratannia!: T2 Radius reduced from +8m to +6m
• Rule, Ratannia!: Duration reduced from 12s to 9s

Violet

• Abstract Landscape: Duration reduced from 6s to 5s
• Abstract Landscape: T3 reduced from +4s to +3s