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Scream Fortress XVIII, Team Fortress 2's Halloween 2026 event, started on October 1, 2026 and runs through November 7, 2026. Valve's update added five community Halloween maps (HolyHell, Scarypass, Trainsawlaser, Medi-Evil and Scaredy-Cat), the Haunted Hoard Case with 23 community cosmetics, five new taunts and 21 new Unusual effects, and it reset every Halloween contract so you can earn the rewards again.
In short: Scream Fortress XVIII is TF2's Halloween event for 2026, live from October 1 to November 7. Play it from the Special Events category in Casual. Halloween Contracts are back and reset, each paying a classic Halloween item and a chance at the new Haunted Hoard Case. Every player who launches the game gets a Soul Gargoyle, which unlocks Merasmissions and Halloween item transmutations. During the event, cosmetic and taunt cases roll the new Halloween 2026 Unusual effects.
When Scream Fortress 2026 starts and ends
Valve shipped the update on Thursday, October 1, 2026, opening its notes with "Scream Fortress XVIII has arrived!" The same notes say the event runs through November 7, 2026. Valve did not give an end time. A smaller patch followed on October 2 with fixes, covered below.
The TF2 Wiki counts this as the 18th Halloween event since the Haunted Hallowe'en Special in 2009. Other games' Halloween dates are in our Halloween 2026 game events list.
The five new Halloween maps
All five are community maps. You queue for them from the Special Events category in Casual, and the TF2 Wiki notes that the older Halloween maps have their own Special Event menu there too. Game modes are from the TF2 Wiki:
| Map | Game mode |
|---|---|
| HolyHell | Control Point |
| Scarypass | Payload |
| Trainsawlaser | King of the Hill |
| Medi-Evil | Capture the Flag (Medieval) |
| Scaredy-Cat | Control Point |
Medi-Evil got a change the day after launch: Valve raised its timer to 10 minutes (it was 8) and removed overtime.
Haunted Hoard Case, taunts and Unusual effects
The new Haunted Hoard Case holds 23 community-made cosmetics, the Haunted Hoard Collection, and Valve says it has a chance to give a taunt Unusualifier as a bonus item. Five community taunts went into the Mann Co. Store: Hippocratic Hypocrite, Showrunner's Spirit, Barrel Roll, One-Eyed Punt! and Sear You Later.
There are 21 new Unusual effects, 11 for hats and 10 for taunts. While the event runs, every cosmetic and taunt case grants the Halloween 2026 effects instead of its normal ones. Valve notes this does not apply to crates.
Halloween Contracts and the Soul Gargoyle
All Halloween Contracts were reset on October 1, so contracts you finished in past years can be done again, and there are new ones for this year's five maps. Each completed contract gives a classic Halloween item and a chance at a Haunted Hoard Case.
Every player who launches TF2 during the event gets a Soul Gargoyle if they do not already have one. It tracks your Merasmissions and the souls you collect, and it is what unlocks Halloween item transmutations. Souls come from killing enemies, playing the map objective and grabbing the Soul Gargoyles that spawn in the maps.
The October 2 patch
- Fixed an exploit that let Heavy and Sniper move at full speed while aiming.
- Medi-Evil: timer up to 10 minutes from 8, overtime removed.
- Fixed the Autumn Breeze Unusual effect's visibility problems.
- Fixed Jack-o'-Potion sounds playing for everyone on the server.
- Some Halloween contract objectives were swapped for new ones.
A TF2 Halloween costume for every class
If the event has you thinking about dressing as a merc for Halloween, PropFortress makes finished, wearable TF2 pieces. Below is one thing to wear and one thing to carry for each class, from its own store. Every link is an affiliate link, and every price was read from PropFortress's store in US dollars on October 5, 2026.
| Class | Wear it | Carry it | Price on PropFortress (checked Oct 5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scout | Scout Headset | Bat | USD 51.75 and USD 80.00 |
| Soldier | Soldier's Helmet | Soldier grenade | USD 80.50 and USD 31.05 |
| Pyro | Pyro Gas Mask | Pyro tank backpack | from USD 69.00 and USD 172.50 |
| Demoman | Nothing wearable listed | Bottle and Demoman grenade | USD 40.25 and USD 23.00 |
| Heavy | Nothing wearable listed | Sandvich | USD 69.00 |
| Engineer | Nothing wearable listed | Wrench and PDAs | USD 74.75, PDAs from USD 51.75 |
| Medic | Medic backpack | Ubersaw | USD 287.50 and from USD 92.00 |
| Sniper | Nothing wearable listed | Kukri or Huntsman | USD 86.25 or USD 143.75 |
| Spy | Noh Mercy mask or Dead Head mask | Disguise Kit and Butterfly Knife | masks from USD 57.50 and USD 46.00, kit from USD 46.00, knife USD 56.35 |
Pyro: the gas mask is the whole costume
The Pyro Gas Mask for Cosplay comes in three sizes, measured across the cheekbones: small (11 to 12.5 cm), medium (12.5 to 14 cm) and large (14 to 15.5 cm). Price on PropFortress: USD 69.00, USD 74.75 and USD 86.25 (checked October 5, 2026). Add the Pyro tank backpack, which the listing says weighs 2 lb and has a twist-open lid with storage inside, for USD 172.50.
Soldier: the helmet
The Soldier's Helmet is 23 x 27 x 17.5 cm and sized for an average adult male head; PropFortress recommends adding soft foam padding inside. Price on PropFortress: USD 80.50 (checked October 5, 2026). Its grenades are sold singly, USD 31.05 for the Soldier's.
Spy: two masks
The Noh Mercy mask has a Hannya demon face with brows, fangs and horns, comes in team colors, and includes a prop cigarette. Price on PropFortress: from USD 57.50 (checked October 5, 2026). PropFortress says its Dead Head mask is built for Spy cosplayers, from USD 46.00. For a mask that is not tied to a class, the Masked Fiend has removable horns, USD 115.00. Finish the Spy with the Disguise Kit, which comes with six dummy cigarettes in the plus-cigarettes version.
Medic: the backpack
The Medic backpack measures 44 x 40 x 16.6 cm and comes apart for transport. Price on PropFortress: USD 287.50 for the backpack, or USD 575.00 with the Medigun and hose (checked October 5, 2026).
For a weapon to go with the costume, every class's guns and melee are compared, with sizes, on TF2 weapons in real life, and the full list of TF2 props we track is on the TF2 props page.
Print it yourself
Our count: the PropBuilds TF2 print library held 304 approved print files on October 5, 2026. Only 8 of them are masks, helmets or goggles you can wear, and 6 of those 8 are for the Pyro. If you want to print a costume, the Pyro is by far the best-supplied class.
The TF2 print library has those 6 Pyro mask files, a Soldier's helmet and Engineer goggles, plus 2 files for the Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker axe. PropFortress also sells its own Pyro Mask STL for USD 15.00. Check each file's page for its licence and print size before you start. For more wearable game helmets, see our video game Halloween helmets and masks guide.
TF2 collectibles on Amazon
If you would rather have something for the shelf, a few TF2 collectibles are still listed on Amazon: the Funko POP Scout, NECA's Series 2 Heavy (BLU) 7-inch figure and a Balloonicorn in Pyroland plush blanket. Check the current price on Amazon. These are affiliate links.
Prices change. Each PropFortress price above was read from its store in US dollars on October 5, 2026; check the listing before you buy. PropFortress may show local currency outside the US.
FAQ
When does Scream Fortress 2026 end?
Scream Fortress XVIII runs through November 7, 2026, according to Valve's update notes. Valve gave the end date but not an end time, so plan to finish your Halloween contracts before that day rather than on it.
What are the new TF2 Halloween maps in 2026?
There are five, all made by the community: HolyHell, Scarypass, Trainsawlaser, Medi-Evil and Scaredy-Cat. The TF2 Wiki lists HolyHell and Scaredy-Cat as Control Point, Scarypass as Payload, Trainsawlaser as King of the Hill and Medi-Evil as Medieval Capture the Flag. Join them from the Special Events category in Casual.
How do you get Halloween items in TF2?
Complete Halloween Contracts. Valve says each one gives a classic Halloween item and a chance at a Haunted Hoard Case, and every old Halloween contract was reset on October 1, so you can earn those rewards again. The five new taunts are sold in the Mann Co. Store.
How do you transmute Halloween items in TF2?
Through the Soul Gargoyle. Valve's notes say it grants access to Merasmissions and Halloween item transmutations, and every player who launches the game during the event gets one if they do not already have it. You fill it by collecting souls: killing enemies, playing map objectives and picking up the Soul Gargoyles that spawn in the maps.
Can you buy a real TF2 Pyro mask?
Yes. PropFortress sells a wearable Pyro Gas Mask in small, medium and large, sized by cheekbone width. Price on PropFortress: from USD 69.00 (checked October 5, 2026). If you would rather print one, our TF2 print library lists 6 Pyro mask files.
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Sources: Team Fortress 2 update notes (October 1, 2026); Team Fortress 2 update notes (October 2, 2026); Official TF2 Wiki, Scream Fortress 2026.
Header photo: Cosplay of Team Fortress 2 at Made In Asia 2013 by Miguel Discart on Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0; cropped, with an overlay added. The edited header is shared under the same licence.