Exteel

Halloween is less than two weeks away and NCsoft has its hands full with plans for holiday events in Aion, City of Heroes, Lineage, Lineage II, Guild Wars and Exteel. We've already told you about Aion's "Harvest Revel" event, which begins Oct. 25 and runs through Oct. 31. We've also reported on the festivities in Lineage and Lineage II, so let's jump right into the other MMOs.

The annual Halloween event in City of Heroes returns today as zombies, werewolves, Jack-o-Lanterns and other monsters descend upon Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. The attacks will end on Nov. 3, so you'll have plenty of time to participate.

Mad King Thorn returns in Guild Wars from Oct. 23 to Nov. 2 with a bag of tricks and treats. You can also participate in a new series of quests and a costume PvP brawl. Orange and purple paint will be free in Exteel from Oct. 28 to Nov. 4, and players will receive +50% bonus credits during the Halloween celebration. You can read all of NCsoft's holiday plans after the jump.

Kotaku has posted the newest Aion video tour, and this one focuses on the Beluslan zone. The area is covered in ice, and the official tour guide tell us why: "Kurngalfsberg, once a thriving city, fell under the disapproving gaze of Ereshkigal, one of the Dragon Lords in the world of Aion, and in a fit of ire he encased it in ice. ... Kistenian and his fellow Flame Daevas hope to breathe life back into it with the help of the ancient tree people, the Elim."

If you've watched the video and are still curious about what's going on at NCsoft, you can read a letter written to the community by Lance Stites, the executive producer a NCsoft West's game production studio. The letter basically updates readers on staff additions and changes to the Lineage, Exteel, Lineage II and Aion teams.

Stites lists some of the tasks that are being completed as Aion nears its September launch date. "I know that many fans are extremely anxious, impatient even, awaiting the release of Aion. I can assure you the team is fully engaged in the release of this product," he said. You can read the full letter below.

Today marks the release of version 2.2.3.3 in Exteel, and the patch adds two maps each to the Clan Battle and Capture the Flag battle modes. Capture the Flag receives the maps Falicia Canyon and Strato Field, and Clan Battle gets Simulation Arena and Strato Field.

In addition, the Fever Rain missile booster has been added for NCcoin, room level filters have been altered, a "repair all" button as been added, and you can now join players on your friend and Clan lists in battles or rooms by clicking the "Contact" button.

You can read the full patch notes, which also contain bug fixes, here.

The Exteel team is offering a special gift to everyone who logs in until Dec. 29: a 50% credit reward bonus!

To celebrate the Christmas holiday season this year Santa will increase all credit rewards by 50%, starting 12:00AM CST on Wednesday, December 24, and lasting through 12:00AM Monday, December 29.

You can also participate in the Exteel fan screenshot contest, which runs until Jan. 1. Just submit a screenshot on the Exteel Facebook page for a chance to win NCcoin prizes. The full rules can also be found below.

Thursday, Dec. 4 marks the one-year anniversary of Exteel, and Clan NCsoft will be battling other clans from 2-4 p.m. CST as part of the celebration. If you'd like to participate, submit your request in the Clan Forum starting Thursday at 9 a.m. CST. It's first-come, first-served, so ask early.

Also, starting tomorrow all XP rewards will get a 50% boost. You have until Dec. 10 to enjoy the extra XP.

Lastly, a content update will be applied tomorrow during maintenance, which begins at 10 a.m. CST. Four new -S grade weapons and four new Ultra skills will be added. The full patch notes can be found here or below.