Our closed beta test has been underway since December of 2005. By the time we launch our beta will have been going for a year and a half, which means we are getting lots of terrific real-world feedback and solving lots of problems. Betas are a lot of work for players and developers alike.

But betas are also fun. Since it was Halloween, we decided to do something a little bit special and celebrate the holiday in style!

Our content lead, Jess Lebow, led the charge. He recruited artists and mission designers to work up some neat stuff and in just two days, we were ready to go. I'll run down the list of nifty things we did in the four new-player towns of Marsh Harbour (pirate), Jenny Bay (British), Barilla (Spanish), and Tampa (French).

• All four towns got jack-o'lanterns placed everywhere.
• A spooky pumpkin-headed pirate appeared on the docks, begging for treats.
• A new mission, "Mutiny of the Damned," appeared, giving a sneak peek at some of the lore we're working on. Captains betrayed and murdered by Cortez came back from the watery deep piloting black galleons and seeking revenge against the living.
• The open sea became a stormy, rainy night instead of our usual Caribbean blue.
• Defeating the Damned black galleons rewarded special avatar loot, including a pumpkin lollipop, a trick or treat basket, and a flaming candelabrum. The candelabrum was the rarest drop and all the items were untradeable, so players had to earn them.

On Halloween night, we unveiled all this stuff for our beta testers to enjoy and several devs logged in to play as well. I made some screenshots and also collected a couple from beta testers. Check 'em out and I hope your Halloween was as fun as ours!

- John Scott Tynes, Producer of Pirates of the Burning Sea