Ghouls and goblins wander the streets, jack o’lanterns sprout like flowers, and everything seems a bit spookier than usual. What else can it be besides Halloween?
On the heels of version 11.0.0, we've put together a seasonal update to celebrate this All Hallows Eve. You’ll see some familiar faces and features this year, but Parabellum has given us the perfect opportunity to develop a few new things as well. Just read on...
The Return of SCP-330
During Halloween 2020, we introduced SCP-330, Take Only Two — a bowl of candy where each treat has a different boon or drawback to the person that consumed them. It was instantly memorable and the subject of at least two hotfixes after the release of the update. We've been dying to bring it back; Halloween provides the perfect reason to do exactly that.
Take no more than two, please.
The candy bowl differs from last year’s version in several key ways:
- With the advent of the new inventory system, we've been able to create scripts to support nested inventories. In this case, it takes the form of a bag of candy. Rather than each individual candy taking up a slot, players will automatically gain a bag of candy when taking items from SCP-330. This can hold up to six candies, with the bag only taking a single slot in the inventory.
- When a player dies, they will drop their bag of candy as an item. Attempting to pick up this bag will merge its contents into any bag you are carrying yourself; or add it to your inventory if you don't already have one.
- All the candies’ effects have been remade. Expect mixed results, with 100% less explosions.
- Instead of simply sitting at the bottom of SCP-012's unused chamber, SCP-330 has a brand new redesigned chamber. This chamber has replaced SCP-012's room. It features a control room separate from the test chamber, and a door that can only be controlled from the inside. Be careful not to linger.
Why go through all the trouble of making a new containment chamber for a temporary feature? Probably the most important change for SCP-330 is that it's here to stay. After Halloween, we'll be including an altered version of SCP-330 as a permanent addition to the game. We're aiming for version 11.1 or 11.2 to have this, but nothing is set in stone.
Something to bear in mind: SCP-330’s candies have dramatic effects for Halloween. Once it releases in its permanent form, they’ll be less impactful but still significant. In the meantime, we hope you like the changes we've made!
SCP-2176
You may have seen our teaser for this one. The idea for creating this SCP came from our Patreon community. Unique, interesting, and often anomalous, items are something we feel are a unique part of SCP: Secret Laboratory. For some time we've been wanting to add more and, just like SCP-330, now was a great time to do it.
Meet SCP-2176 - Ghostlight™. Outwardly, it's a fluorescent light bulb with an eerie green hue. Like other SCP items, it can be found in pedestals throughout the facility.
SCP-2176's key ability is creating electrical interference when thrown. Being a light bulb, it's very fragile, and shatters on impact. This releases the contained ectomorphs to wreak havoc on nearby systems. It can also be dropped, which will cause it to crack, and shatter after a short delay. Once the bulb has been picked up, it's too fragile to drop again without it cracking — use caution!
The light bulb's effects differ depending on the context in which it's used. If SCP-079 has locked down the room, shattering it inside that room will lift the lockdown. Tesla gates will be overloaded and will shut down briefly, allowing players to pass through them unharmed. Experiment to find out how to best use it.
We're also very happy to reveal that, along with being part of the Halloween event, SCP-2176 will be another permanent feature. We'll be aiming to introduce SCP-330 and SCP-2176 in the same patch. It all depends on the features’ stability and the feedback that we get.
Visual Updates
A large collection of reskins and decorations have made their way to the facility. Many of these are back from 2020 -— many classes have retained their seasonal look, but some, like SCP-049 and 096, appear a bit different. The October decorations are in full swing, and Jackie has made his triumphant return.
Of course, we've taken the time to introduce additional decorations. In celebration of the harvest season, the fog has taken on an earthy shade and handheld flashlights have been replaced with rustic oil lamps. The facility is darker, meaning that portable light sources and the candlelight provided by decorations are not only atmospheric, but an important navigational tool...
Patch Notes
- Reintroduced SCP-330, Take Only Two, with new mechanics
- Added SCP-2176, Ghostlight™
- Replaced SCP-012’s containment chamber with a new room: Test Chamber 01. It features the same loot, as well as SCP-330 behind a unique door.
- SCP-049, SCP-049-2, SCP-096, and both SCP-939 variants have received visual updates
- Darkened the lighting in most rooms
- Fog, volumetric lights, and the skybox have received colour updates
- The flashlight has been reskinned to a lantern that sheds light in a radius
- Fixed misaligned October clutter in SCP-173's chamber
- Added a mouse
Conclusion
There once was a bowl of treats
filled to the brim with sweets.
It took only one man
to take more than you can
for his hands to end up at his feet.
We found ourselves a shiny new light
To block out the dark of night
But a ghost it contained
that lacked some constraint
Made it end up locked in the Site.
Things have been crazy, that much is true
And it’s all right after the update, too!
But we’ve learned that games can bring us together,
and give us memories that people remember.
So tonight, we hope you enjoy this debut.
Have a happy and haunting Halloween!