Friday 12th October/... Online trick or treaters beware! Killer spooks and paranormal beasties are on the prowl in the stunning cartoon world of NEXON’s hugely successful and free to play MMORPG, MapleStory Europe.

As part of a month long event celebrating the world-renowned festival of Halloween, MapleStory Europe players can look forward to a wealth of special, horror-themed additions to the game, including creepy new quests to solve and ghoulish new items to be won.

The event, which takes place from October 18th to November 8th, tells the story of Jonas Prendergast, a famed MapleStory toymaker who, following the tragic death of his daughter Sophilia, locks himself away in his mansion never to be seen again. Years later – and just as Halloween approaches! – strange sounds can be heard emanating from the haunted Prendergast mansion: could old Prendergast really still be alive? Only by completing the special Halloween quests will players learn the truth, as they enter the Prendergast mansion, face off against an army of spooks and solve the riddle of Sophilia’s mysterious death, once and for all!

As part of the celebration, MapleStory Europe’s Cash shop – the unique online store where players can purchase special items and cool accessories for their character using real money – is set to feature several new Halloween-themed items. These include a Dracula Cape, a ‘Maple-Stein’ hat, a Safety Charm that allows players to keep their experience, even after death, and a brand new pet: the Junior Reaper, a charming baby version of the Grim Reaper who’ll faithfully follow their owners, while playing their mini guitar.

“Halloween is one of the most celebrated cultural events in the world and it’s only fitting that we recognise that in true MapleStory Europe fashion,” commented Calvin Yoo, Director of International Business Development at NEXON Europe Ltd.

“We’re delighted that we can continue to both welcome new players and reward our regular players with such an entertaining programme of special in-game events, and our Halloween event is the biggest and most exciting yet.”

MapleStory originally launched in South Korea in April 2003 and quickly went on to become one of the most successful online games of all time, with over 72million registered accounts across the world. MapleStory Europe, which launched in May 2007, is the latest iteration of the completely free to play franchise, and offers gamers in Europe the chance to play MapleStory in five different languages – English, French, German, Spanish and Dutch.

For further information on MapleStory Europe, and to sign-up to the game and take part in the Halloween event, please visit www.mapleeurope.com.