GTA Online Halloween Event: Latest update adds spooky freemode events

We're still waiting for Rockstar Games' official announcement regarding this year's Halloween event in GTA Online, but that doesn't mean there isn't something spooky going on in Los Santos. Here's everything you need to know about the newest freemode events to hit GTA Online ahead of the Halloween event.

LATEST - New Halloween freemode events added

Looking to get spooky a little early? GTA Online's just had the Phantom Car and Slasher freemode events added to its selection of in-game events.

These only occur between 21:00 and 5:00 and can only be triggered if you're driving a car or on foot. You can check out the specifics below:

On top of this, it's the perfect time to get reacquainted with all the Peyote Plant animals! These are going to be scattered about Los Santos for the Halloween Surprise event - we don't know if they're going to be in the same places as last time, though.

Here are all the animals you can turn into when you find one...

• Land animals & birds:
  • Boar
  • Border Collie
  • Cat
  • Chicken
  • Cougar
  • Great Cormorant
  • Coyote
  • Cow
  • Crow
  • Elk
  • Husky
  • Pig
  • Pigeon
  • Poodle
  • Pug
  • Rabbit
  • Golden Retriever
  • Rottweiler
  • Seagull
  • West Highland Terrier
• Sea creatures:
  • Dolphin
  • Fish
  • Hammerhead shark
  • Killer Whale
  • Stingray
  • Tiger Shark

There are over 50 Peyote Plant locations in Los Santos and you should be randomly assigned an animal from the above list when you consume one. That being said, though... There are two unique ones to look out for.

If you head to the Clinton Residence and look in the garden, you should find a Peyote Plant that lets you turn into Chop - Franklin's dog.

In addition to this, at the base of Mount Chiliad, you should find one that can turn you into Bigfoot. You'll need to consume this between 03:00 and 08:00, though, and while it's foggy. If not, you'll just be assigned another animal.

START DATE - When do we think it'll kick off?

At the moment, we don't know for sure when the GTA Online Halloween Surprise Event is due to start.

Looking at previous iterations of the event does give us some idea, though. Here's when all the previous Halloween Surprise Events started:

• 2015
  • October 29th to November 16th
• 2016
  • October 28th to November 15th
• 2017
  • October 27th to November 6th
• 2018
  • October 30th to November 5th
• 2019
  • October 31st to November 6th
• 2020
  • October 29th to November 4th

In recent years, Rockstar Games has cut down the Halloween Surprise Event in GTA Online from three weeks to one. It's a shame, but this might just be how things are from now on.

With this in mind, we think GTA Online's next Halloween Event is going to take place from October 28th until November 4th - Thursday to Thursday over Halloween, basically.

LEAK - Phantom Car Random Event

It looks like we're getting something new in the GTA Online Halloween Event this year - a Phantom Car Random Event.

From monkeypolice188's thread, you can see that it looks like this is going to be a Random World Event that is based on a scene from 1983's Christine.

In this Random World Event, someone will rob the Blaine County Savings Bank in a car with "custom flame sounds and effects, as well as a custom detuned horn" while the music from GTA Online's Slasher mode plays. It doesn't look like the car will chase after the player, but rather another AI pedestrian. It's not the most exciting in-game event, but a sign that we could see a few more spooky things crop up during GTA Online's Halloween Event this year.

CARS - Halloween-themed vehicles should be back

Every year, Rockstar Games brings back their selection of Halloween-themed vehicles for the Halloween Surprise Event in GTA Online and we don't think this year's iteration of the event is going to be any different.

Below, we've listed some of the vehicles you should expect to pick up for a discount during the event:

• Albany Fränken Stange
• Albany Lurcher
• Chariot Romero Hearse
• LCC Sanctus
• MTL Nightmare Cerberus
• Declasse Nightmare Brutus
• HVY Nightmare Scarab
• Vapid Nightmare Imperator
• Annis Nightmare ZR380

We could also see one of these pop up as the Podium Vehicle - or the LS Car Meet's Prize Ride - during the event.

PEYOTE - These magical plants are expected to return

Peyote Plants are a bit of a weird one that everyone seems to forget about - but they're one of the more interesting things Rockstar Games throws at us for the GTA Online Halloween Surprise Event each year.

There are over 70 of these plants dotted about Los Santos and consuming one will allow you to turn into an animal for a short period of time. A few of these are fairly basic, but some of them are a little bit wilder.

We don't think Rockstar Games is going to lean heavily on this, but it's something worth looking out for.

EVERYTHING ELSE - LTMs, Clothing, and more

In previous years, Rockstar Games has thrown Double GTA$ and RP out there in some of the game's spookier Adversary Modes. We don't think they're going to stray from this with 2021's Halloween Surprise Event in GTA Online and that means we should see some of the modes below appear as Featured Adversary Modes:

• Slasher
• Lost vs Damned
• Alien Survival

On top of this, anything you can think of that's related to Halloween will most likely be discounted. This means Masks, Costumes, and some of the more gruesome weapons should be available for less for the duration of the event.