The Season of Skulls is a themed, season-long event that offers unique rewards and challenges for its duration – similar to the Cataclysm. In addition, a strange fog creeps over the land, luring deadly enemies out of the shadows.
Not only Fort Tarsis gets a seasonal makeover (including the launch bay and the guard posts outside the fort), but the land of Bastion has new events and changes everywhere.
The latest updates can always be found on the official forums.
In 2019, the whole season took place during a course of 6 weeks.
In 2020, it was reduced to a simple Festive holiday called Festive: Season of Skulls to favor the work on the next iteration of Anthem.
Overview[]
Decoration in Fort Tarsis
As a thick and ominous fog gathers among the trees and strange sounds echo in the distance, the people of Bastion gather together to rise up against the darkness with determination, defiance, and celebration.
Fort Tarsis stands proud with towering bonfires, colorful banners, and the bones of its vanquished foes–-a bastion of security amid the chaos. The Season of Skulls marks a change from the grim necessity of survival to the celebration of life and courage in the face of darkness.
How to Begin[]
Launch Bay
There are no level requirements for the Season of Skulls content, anyone at any level is welcome to enter. But you will need to have completed the Incursion story to gain access to the Echoes of Reality level. If you played any of the Cataclysm the lay of the land will be quite familiar to you, but there are definitely some surprises in store. To begin your experience select the “Season of Skulls” option on the Game Modes menu. You'll take on formidable arenas filled with enemies – master them for your chance to climb each season's leaderboards.
Getting Started[]
Similar to the Echoes of Reality, there will be inversions applied by the game that change how you play but don't directly impact your score. They'll shake up gameplay and, in some cases, make it more challenging. Inversions will also reward different kinds of play and will change from week to week throughout the duration of the season.
You have a limited amount of time to maximize your score during arena runs, so use it wisely. Understanding how to increase your score by planning out your arena strategies and keeping score multipliers in mind will also mean more Crystals. You can find out why they're important and what you can use them to purchase below.
Before you suit up and fly off to face the horrors awaiting you just outside the walls, take some time to look around Fort Tarsis. Keep an eye out for hidden clues that will reveal some of the more intriguing secrets about the Season of Skulls.
Anomalies and Enemies[]
If you've unlocked Freeplay, you can also encounter season-related events, and this is where you'll find challenging new Anomalies – similar to the Storm Gates you faced during the Cataclysm.
The Anomalies are faction-themed, select Arcanists, Freelancers, or Sentinels events on the map and battle your way through challenging enemies like brutal skull-clad Scars and elementals and terrifying Mistborn Skorpions. Complete them to unlock a tough “boss” event which will change weekly and offer up some of the best rewards.
A never before seen Hidden Place called the Somber Halls is available for a limited time during the season.
Currency and War Chests[]
You'll earn Crystals throughout the event that you can then use to purchase War Chests and items at Herschel's Hut (in the Fort Tarsis market, near the doors to the courtyard), which will be updated weekly. The Season of Skulls also brings increased Legendary drop rates plus the opportunity to purchase a Legendary-only War Chest. If cosmetic items are your goal don't look just for them in the store. Instead, complete weekly and seasonal challenges to unlock each new look!
Seasonal Short Stories[]
These are the 5 Season of Skulls short stories which add to Anthem's lore:
- Pirndle Blatch Saves the Day
- Lighter
- Dusty's Deal
- The Fire Inside
- The Unwinding Box: A Warning for Naughty Children
Freeplay Events[]
Three new time limited freeplay legendary world events were added for the Season of Skulls.
Conjunctions[]
There are 5 conjunctions during each week of the Season of Skulls. All their details can be found here.
Challenges During the Event[]
There are several seasonal challenges, along with new Daily and Weekly challenges relevant to the seasonal theme.
| Type | Challenge Name | Description | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Dark Arenas | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality |  200
|
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Foul Echoes | Complete Echoes of Reality within Season of Skulls | 200
|
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Discordant Notes | Collect 50 notes (Inside Echoes of Reality) | 200
|
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Beast Slayer | Defeat any Boss (Escari/Fury/Titan/Swarm Tyrant/Bristleback inside the conjunction) | 200
|
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Grim Exterminator. | Defeat 30 Mistborn Skorpions | 200
|
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Vermin Fiend | Defeat the Elder Escari | 200
|
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Howling Apparition | Defeat the Dominion Fury | 200
|
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Nameless Behemoth | Defeat the Titan | 200
|
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Crawling Horror | Defeat the Swarm Tyrant | 200
|
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Ghastly Monstrosity | Defeat the Bristleback | 200
|
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Dark Ranger I | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Ranger | Melee War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Dark Ranger II | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Ranger | Ranger Gear War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Dark Ranger III | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Ranger | Ranger Melee War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Dark Ranger IV | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Ranger | Ranger Support War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Dark Ranger V | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Ranger | Ranger War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Unsettling Interceptor I | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Interceptor | Melee War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Unsettling Interceptor II | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Interceptor | Interceptor Gear War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Unsettling Interceptor III | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Interceptor | Interceptor Melee War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Unsettling Interceptor IV | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Interceptor | Interceptor Support War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Unsettling Interceptor V | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Interceptor | Interceptor War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Uncanny Storm I | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Storm | Melee War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Uncanny Storm II | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Storm | Storm Gear War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Uncanny Storm III | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Storm | Storm Melee War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Uncanny Storm IV | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Storm | Storm Support War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Uncanny Storm | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Storm | Storm War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Monstrous Colossus I | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Colossus | Melee War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Monstrous Colossus II | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Colossus | Colossus Gear War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Monstrous Colossus III | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Colossus | Colossus Melee War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Monstrous Colossus IV | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Colossus | Colossus Support War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Daily | Monstrous Colossus | Complete any 3 Arenas inside Echoes of Reality as Colossus | Colossus War Chest |
| Path to Glory/ Weekly | Gloom Chaser | Join the effort to collapse the storm:
|
First Time: Wrap: Bone Grit
Repeat:
|
| Path to Glory/ Weekly | Pack Hunter | Join the effort to defeat the unnatural creatures:
|
Week 1: First Time:Graphic: Carpal Guard
Repeat:
Week 2 Onwards: Graphic: Carpal Guard (No repeat Rewards) |
| Season of Skulls/ Cataclysm | Dawn Patrol | Complete these Seasonal Freeplay World Events 10 times* Arcanist Research
|
Decal: Dawned Omen |
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Deadly Ambush | Defeat Vara in Grandmaster 1+ within 2 minutes | Decal: Grim Warning
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Swift Strike | Defeat Vara in Grandmaster 2+ within 3 minutes | Decal: Wasteland
|
| Exploration/ Bastion Collectibles
or Season of Skulls/ Endurance |
Lost in Darkness | Find the 10 shrines across Bastion | |
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Bone Collector: Experience | Collect 10 skulls within Echoes of Reality | 200
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Bone Collector:
Talented |
Collect 50 skulls within Echoes of Reality | 200
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Bone Collector: Adept | Collect 100 skulls within Echoes of Reality | 200
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Score: Sombre Courage | Score 100,000 in a single cataclysm run 18 times. |  60
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Score: Bloody Purpose | Score 1,000,000 in a single cataclysm run 9 times. | 120
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Score: Dark Resolve | Score 5,000,000 in a single cataclysm run 3 times. | Graphic: Slick Marrow
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Elimination: Displel the Shades | Defeat 500 enemies in Echoes of Reality | 60
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Elimination: Turn the Hordes | Defeat 2000 enemies in Echoes of Reality | 120
|
| Seaon of Skulls/ Endurance | Elimination: Banish the Monsters | Defeat 5000 enemies in Echoes of Reality | Decal: Beware
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Grandmaster of Sorrow | Silence Cataclysm in GM1+ once | 200
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Grandmaster of Despair | Silence Cataclysm in GM2+ once | 200
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Grandmaster of Anguish | Silence Cataclysm in GM3 once | Decal: The Skull's Standard
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Defeat the Undying | Defeat Vara 5 times within Echoes of Reality | Decal: Cranial Pierce
|
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Night Hunter | Defeat all conjunction bosses 1 time:
|
Graphic: Calcic Regalia |
| Season of Skulls/ Endurance | Indomitable | Complete all Season of Skulls challenges:
|
Banner: Freelancer 01
Armor Packs:
(Note: Only the Armor parts are the rewards) |
Week 1[]
Start: Wednesday, October 16th
Freeplay[]
To unlock the weekly anomaly, complete the three previously mentioned seasonal events.
- Boss Event
- Escari Elder: Up, Up and Away
Echoes of Reality Arenas[]
Inversions[]
- Turbo Gear - Gear recharge rate is increased
- Ultimate Boost - Ultimate meter from kills is increased
Challenges[]
Note that these are in addition to regular Daily/Weekly/Monthly challenges and are not the only ones active during this time.
- Daily: Vermin Fiend
- Daily: Dark Ranger III
- Daily: Monstrous Colossus III
- Daily: Unsettling Interceptor III
- Daily: Uncanny Storm III
Week 2[]
Start: Tuesday, October 22
Freeplay[]
Again, to unlock the weekly anomaly, complete the three previously mentioned seasonal events: Arcanist Research, Freelance Pilgrimage, and Sentinel Bonfire. If you completed them in a previous week, the anomaly will automatically be unlocked.
- Boss Event
- Fury: The Undying
Echoes of Reality Arenas[]
Each week, another arena is added to the list, keeping any from previous weeks as well.
- Crucible of Astrid (Added)
- Casja's Forge
- Sea of Takaro
- Diana's Landing
Inversions[]
- Close Encounters - Shotguns and SMGs deal increased damage
- Lightning Rod - Close-range kills chain lightning to nearby enemies
Challenges[]
- Daily: Howling Apparition
- Daily: Uncanny Storm II
- Daily: Dark Ranger II
- Daily: Monstrous Colossus II
- Daily: Unsettling Interceptor II
Store Refresh[]
Here's what you'll find in the Seasonal Store this week. As a reminder, Crystals can only be obtained from in-game events and activities, such as the Echoes of Reality.
The War Chest: Legendary is a new item to the game that guarantees a random Legendary drop upon opening.
Leaderboard Refresh[]
Just like during the Echoes of Reality event, leaderboards will refresh weekly, giving everyone a clean slate as they try to get the top score.
Week 3[]
Start: Tuesday, October 29
Freeplay[]
To unlock the weekly anomaly, complete the three seasonal events if you haven't already: Arcanist Research, Freelance Pilgrimage, and Sentinel Bonfire. If you completed them in a previous week, the anomaly will automatically be unlocked.
- Boss Event
- Titan: Shaper Disturbance
Echoes of Reality Arenas[]
Each week, another arena is added to the list, keeping any from previous weeks as well.
- Britaheim (Added)
- Crucible of Astrid
- Casja's Forge
- Sea of Takaro
- Diana's Landing
Inversions[]
Bring your ranged guns for this week.
- Immunity Pack
- Ammo pickups grant brief immunity to damage
- Precision Operator
- Snipers and Precision rifles do increased damage
Challenges[]
- Daily: Nameless Behemoth
- Daily: Uncanny Storm IV
- Daily: Dark Ranger IV
- Daily: Monstrous Colossus IV
- Daily: Unsettling Interceptor IV
Store Refresh[]
As a reminder, Crystals can only be obtained from in-game events and activities, such as the Echoes of Reality or in Freeplay.
As mentioned previously, the War Chest: Legendary is a new item to the game that guarantees a random Legendary drop upon opening it.
Week 4[]
Start: Wednesday, November 6
Freeplay[]
To unlock the weekly anomaly, complete the three seasonal events if you haven't already: Arcanist Research, Freelance Pilgrimage, and Sentinel Bonfire. If you completed them in a previous week, the anomaly will automatically be unlocked.
- Boss Event
- Titan: Shaper Disturbance
Echoes of Reality Arenas[]
Each week, another arena is added to the list, keeping any from previous weeks as well.
- Ring of Magnus (Added)
- Britaheim
- Crucible of Astrid
- Casja's Forge
- Sea of Takaro
- Diana's Landing
Inversions[]
- On the Edge
- At low armor, damage dealt increases
- Soldier's Reward
- Killing an enemy restores a small amount of shields
Challenges[]
- Daily: Crawling Horror
- Daily: Uncanny Storm I
- Daily: Dark Ranger I
- Daily: Monstrous Colossus I
- Daily: Unsettling Interceptor I
Week 5[]
Start: Tuesday, November 12
Freeplay[]
To unlock the weekly anomaly, complete the three seasonal events each week: Arcanist Research, Freelance Pilgrimage, and Sentinel Bonfire.
- Boss Event
- Bristleback: Sentinel Monument
Echoes of Reality Arenas[]
Each week, we'll add another arena to the list, keeping any from previous weeks as we go.
- Castle Kelrik (added)
- Ring of Magnus
- Britaheim
- Crucible of Astrid
- Casja's Forge
- Sea of Takaro
- Diana's Landing
Inversions[]
Bring your ranged guns for this week.
- Air Support
- Defeating an enemy while hovering grants increased damage while on the ground for a short time; stacks up to 5 times
- From the Skies
- Heat build-up while hovering is decreased
Challenges[]
- Daily: Ghastly Monstrosity
- Daily: Beast Slayer
- Daily: Grim Exterminator
- Daily: Uncanny Storm V
- Daily: Dark Ranger V
- Daily: Monstrous Colossus V
- Daily: Unsettling Interceptor V
Week 6[]
Final Week
Start: Tuesday, November 18
Freeplay[]
To unlock the weekly anomaly, complete the three seasonal events each week: Arcanist Research, Freelance Pilgrimage, and Sentinel Bonfire.
- Boss Events (all from previous weeks)
- Escari Elder: Up Up and Away
- Fury: The Undying
- Titan: Shaper Disturbance
- Swarm Tyrant: No One Likes Spiders
- Bristleback: Sentinel Monument
Echoes of Reality Arenas[]
All arenas are open this week!
- (Final Boss Fight)|Throne of Echoes
- Castle Kelrik
- Ring of Magnus
- Britaheim
- Crucible of Astrid
- Casja's Forge
- Sea of Takaro
- Diana's Landing
Inversions[]
This week's inversions all revolve around ammo and will no doubt force you to think strategically.
- Broken Magazine
- Weapons have no spare ammo, but enemies drop ammo more often
- Running on Empty
- Firing the last shot in a weapon's clip increases all damage for a short time
Challenges[]
This is the last chance to complete any uncompleted challenges from previous weeks! Best of luck, Freelancers.