Shadow of the Mad King 2025

The veil between worlds has thinned again, and whispers of the Mad King echo across Tyria. Starting October 7 until November 4, at noon Pacific Time (UTC-7), the Shadow of the Mad King festival beckons daring adventurers to step into a season of dark revelry. Haunted laughter drifts through the air, doors creak open to strange realms, and the scent of candy corn lingers with an unsettling sweetness. Will you answer the call before the portal closes? — Official website

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The veil between worlds has thinned again, and whispers of the Mad King echo across Tyria. Starting October 7 until November 4, at noon Pacific Time (UTC-7), the Shadow of the Mad King festival beckons daring adventurers to step into a season of dark revelry. Haunted laughter drifts through the air, doors creak open to strange realms, and the scent of candy corn lingers with an unsettling sweetness. Will you answer the call before the portal closes?

— Official website

Shadow of the Mad King is a Halloween-themed festival that launched on October 7, 2025, and will end on November 4, 2025. The celebration brings many seasonal events and activities in Lion's Arch and starting areas. During the festival, the barriers separating Tyria from the Underworld start to weaken, resulting in many paranormal phenomena, and the arrival of the Mad King Thorn, who opens the doors to the Mad Realm to all of the festival visitors.

Returning features

Primary article: Halloween

Lion's Arch loading screen

Zones

• Mad King's Labyrinth
• Mad King's Raceway

Activities

• Ascent to Madness
• Lunatic Inquisition
• Mad King's Clock Tower
  • Stopped Clock Tower
• Mad King's Labyrinth
  • Defeat the strange foe that came through the haunted door
  • Defeat the strange foes coming through the haunted door
  • Defeat the strange foes that came through the haunted door
  • Reach the finish line! (Mad King's Labyrinth)
  • Slay the Labyrinthine Horror
• Mad King's Raceway
  • Reach the finish line! (Li'l Eddie's Bunny Bounce)
  • Reach the finish line! (Pumpkin Paradise)
  • Reach the finish line! (Roll into Madness)
• Mad King Says
• Reaper's Rumble

Scavenger hunts

• Mad Memoires

Adventures

• Time Trial: Labyrinth Lunatic
• Time Trial: Li'l Eddie's Bunny Bounce
• Time Trial: Pumpkin Paradise
• Time Trial: Roll into Madness

Achievements

•  Halloween Daily
•  Halloween Rituals
•  Shadow of the Mad King
•  Lunatic Wardrobe
•  Festival Collections
  •  Royal Flame Weapons
  •  Lunatic Court's Finery
  •  Mad Armory: Carapace of Chaos
  •  Mad Armory: Last Rites
  •  Tricks and Treats
  •  The Goldclaw Holiday Collection: Heart of Thorn
  •  Festival Frequenter: Invitation to the Mad Realm
•  Black Lion Collections: Bloody Prince's Toybox

Vendors

• Black Lion Weapons Specialist
• Candy Corn Vendor
• Candy Corn Vendor (Weekly)
• Deft Lahar
• Lunatic Alchemist
• Lunatic Weaponsmith Markham
• Mysterious Craftsraven
• Sparking Stone

Items and rewards

For list of all Halloween rewards and items, see: Halloween/items

For list of Halloween Gem Store items, see: Category:Gem Store Halloween items

Wizard's Vault

Special
(Festival) Complete the (Annual) Halloween Rituals Achievement	300
Complete the (Annual) Halloween Rituals achievement in the Halloween festival.
(Festival) Complete the (Annual) A Royal Tradition Achievement	100
Complete the (Annual) A Royal Tradition achievement in the Halloween festival.
(Festival) Complete the (Annual) Masters of the Labyrinth Achievement	100
Complete the (Annual) Masters of the Labyrinth achievement in the Halloween festival.
(Festival) Complete the (Annual) Raceway Regular Achievement	100
Complete the (Annual) Raceway Regular achievement in the Halloween festival.

2025 features

New achievements

• Rare Collections: Black Lion Gobblers Collector — Unlock gobblers obtained from the Black Lion Trading Company. The Wizard's Gobbler uses this achievement to allow you to purchase their respective items.  You may have to travel to Lion's Arch with the item in your inventory to update progress. (0)
• Festival Collections: Friend of Dragons — Unlock all 6 festival plush dragon backpack skins in your wardrobe. (10)

New skins and equipment

• Lunatic Jester's Trouser Trove
  • Apostate's Lunatic Jester's Trousers (light)
  • Apostate's Lunatic Jester's Trousers (medium)
  • Apostate's Lunatic Jester's Trousers (heavy)
• Plush Zhaia Backpack
• New Chained weapons
  • Chained Spear
• New Unchained weapons
  • Unchained Axe
  • Unchained Dagger
  • Unchained Focus
  • Unchained Greatsword
  • Unchained Hammer
  • Unchained Longbow
  • Unchained Mace
  • Unchained Pistol
  • Unchained Rifle
  • Unchained Scepter
  • Unchained Shield
  • Unchained Short Bow
  • Unchained Staff
  • Unchained Spear
  • Unchained Sword
  • Unchained Torch
  • Unchained Warhorn

New items

• Bag of Popped Candy Corn
• Trader's Candy Core Chest
• Unchained Chest

New miniatures

• Mini Candy Core Golem

New decorations

Guild hall decorations

• Festive Fall Tent
• Ominous Fortress Buttress
• Ominous Fortress Ruins—Left
• Ominous Fortress Ruins—Right

Homestead decorations

• Festive Fall Tent
• Ominous Fortress Buttress
• Ominous Fortress Ruins—Left
• Ominous Fortress Ruins—Right

New recipes

• Homestead Recipe Book: Halloween, Volume 10
• Recipe: Bag of Popped Candy Corn
• Recipe: Festive Fall Tent
• Recipe: Ominous Fortress Buttress
• Recipe: Ominous Fortress Ruins—Left
• Recipe: Ominous Fortress Ruins—Right

Gem Store

• Graveyard Homestead Pack
  • Graveyard Charrgoyle
  • Graveyard Column
  • Graveyard Curved Stone Path
  • Graveyard Fence
  • Graveyard Fog
  • Graveyard Gate
  • Graveyard Straight Stone Path
  • Graveyard Tombstone
• New Black Lion Chest — Witch’s Decree Chest
  • Witch Cauldron Chair
• New Black Lion Statuette — Vintage Black Lion Chest Exclusives
  • Box of Deathly Avian Shoulder Skins
    • Deathly Avian Mantle Skin
    • Deathly Avian Pauldrons Skin
    • Deathly Avian Shoulderpads Skin
  • Box of Deathly Bull's Shoulder Skins
    • Deathly Bull's Mantle Skin
    • Deathly Bull's Pauldrons Skin
    • Deathly Bull's Shoulderpads Skin
  • Box of Deathly Shoulder Skins
    • Deathly Mantle Skin
    • Deathly Pauldrons Skin
    • Deathly Shoulderpads Skin

Mail

Magister Tassi Happy Halloween! Once again, Halloween falls across Tyria. The doorways between our world and the Mad Realm are opening, and the ancient Krytan monarch, Mad King Thorn, walks the streets of Lion's Arch again! I've assured the Captain's Council that it's all relatively safe—this time—but I'm sure they'd appreciate a brave adventurer like yourself making an appearance. Not to mention the opportunities for field research in the Mad Realm itself ! Visit me at the Grand Piazza at your earliest convenience! —Magister Tassi Piece of Candy Corn (5) Lion's Arch, built upon the wreckage of the Krytan City of the same name, has grown and prospered in the years since the rise of the Orrian Dragon. Founded by pirates and dependent on trade, the city has become a common ground for all the races of Tyria.  Trader's Forum Waypoint —

Magister Tassi Urgent: Do Not Read Out Loud Keep this quiet, but I've been seeing...unusual readings from the Mad Realm this year. Travelers have seemed quite shocked upon exiting the Labyrinth. I've heard...whispers. Any changes to Halloween could be of great significance. And I don't need to remind you, but the doors to the Mad Realm go both ways. At your earliest convenience, could you journey to the Labyrinth and report back on anything...say, out of the ordinary? Out of the ordinary for a spectral quasi dimension, of course. For the sake of documentation. —Magister Tassi Lion's Arch, built upon the wreckage of the Krytan City of the same name, has grown and prospered in the years since the rise of the Orrian Dragon. Founded by pirates and dependent on trade, the city has become a common ground for all the races of Tyria.  Trader's Forum Waypoint —

Event schedule

Previous period

Next period

00:00 UTC

Gallery

See also: Shadow of the Mad King 2024#Gallery

Promotional material

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External links

• Announcement, X.com
• Shadow of the Mad King 2025 Is Now Live!, GuildWars2.com
• Shadow of the Mad King Halloween Rewards Trailer (2025) | Guild Wars 2, YouTube.com
• Get Your Homestead Ready for Halloween With This New Decoration Pack, GuildWars2.com
• Graveyard Homestead Pack and Witch Cauldron Chair | Guild Wars 2, YouTube.com

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Festivals

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2025 Festival and Special Event releases

Lunar New Year Super Adventure Festival Dragon Bash Festival of the Four Winds Shadow of the Mad King A Very Merry Wintersday