All Hallows Returns: The Witches Festival Formula

The Elder Scrolls Online’s Patch 45 marks the annual return of the Witches Festival, the game’s flagship spooky seasonal event. Running for approximately two weeks, the event is a massive draw for both veteran and casual players due to its lucrative rewards and temporary buffs.

Key factual elements of the Witches Festival:

  • Double XP Bonus: The core appeal of the event is the $100\%$ Experience Point (XP) boost, granted by consuming the special Witches Festival Witchmother’s Brew memento. This makes it the premier time for leveling new characters, grinding skill lines, and gaining Champion Points (CP).
  • Plunder Skull Rewards: The event rewards are distributed via Plunder Skulls, containers that drop from any main boss during the event (dungeon bosses, delves, world bosses, public dungeon bosses, etc.). These skulls contain event-exclusive furnishings, style pages, unique recipes, and crafting materials.
  • Event Tickets and Impresario: Players earn Event Tickets daily by defeating a boss after using the brew. These tickets are redeemed at the Impresario for the year’s specific collectible rewards, typically pieces of an evolving morphing collectible (like a mount or pet) and previous event cosmetics.

The developers’ intent is straightforward: maximize player engagement and time spent in-game during a key seasonal period by offering the highest possible XP boost and limited-time cosmetic rewards.

Community Reaction: XP Grind and Cosmetic Chase

The community response is defined by universal excitement for the XP bonus and a focused, intense chase for specific rare drops.

  • Massive XP Grind: The promise of double XP drives massive player participation. Reddit and official forums are flooded with players sharing “power-leveling” routes and build guides specifically optimized for maximizing experience gain during the event window. This high engagement is nearly unanimous.
  • RNG and Rare Drops Critique: The main critique centers on the random number generation (RNG) governing the Plunder Skull drops, particularly for the rare Style Pages (e.g., the new Glenmoril Wyrd armor style). Players often express frustration over running the same content hundreds of times without obtaining the required cosmetic pieces, arguing for better bad luck protection or direct purchase options.

Strategic Impact: Levelling and Economic Spike

The Witches Festival is not just a cosmetic event; it has significant strategic and economic impacts on the game world.

Firstly, it triggers a massive levelling push. Many players save new characters or skill lines specifically for this event, knowing that CP and skill progress is dramatically accelerated. This sudden influx of high-level activity increases the player pool for end-game content.

Secondly, the event causes a spike in the in-game economy. Crafting materials, particularly those needed for XP scrolls and temporary potions, see an increase in demand and price. Furthermore, the tradable Style Pages that drop from Plunder Skulls enter the market, allowing wealthy players to buy the cosmetics they desire instantly.

The Witches Festival in Patch 45 is a guaranteed success. By leveraging the immense appeal of double XP and introducing compelling new cosmetic sets, the developers ensure that Tamriel will be filled with frenzied agents grinding bosses and racing to collect every haunted reward.