The Planet Coaster 2 Spooktacular Pack comes out today, October 29, on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S for $18.99 / £14.99 / €18.99. Steam lists the unlock at 11:00 UTC. It adds Walkthrough Attractions (a first for the series), seven rides, more than 700 scenery pieces and three entertainers, and the free Update 12 arrives for every player on the same day.
This guide covers the exact release time, what is paid and what is free, all seven rides, and how Walkthrough Attractions work, based on Frontier’s own announcement, deep dive and store pages. Prices were checked on October 29 at 04:00 UTC.
- Release: October 29, 2026. Steam unlock 11:00 UTC (11:00 GMT, 7:00 a.m. EDT, 4:00 a.m. PDT).
- Price: $18.99 / £14.99 / €18.99. You need the Planet Coaster 2 base game.
- Platforms: PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PS5, Xbox Series X|S.
- Paid (pack only): Walkthrough Attractions, 7 rides, the Spooktacular and Spooky themes, 3 entertainers, new sounds and effects.
- Free (Update 12): Reaction Points, the new Scared guest reaction, Photo Stand-Ins, 25 dirt and grime decals, bug fixes.
- Walkthrough Attraction basics: one Entrance Gate plus at least one Checkpoint Gate, joined by a guest path.
Table of Contents
When does the Planet Coaster 2 Spooktacular Pack come out?
Frontier’s press release gives October 29 for all three platforms. The Steam store listing sets the release at 11:00 UTC. The UK went back to GMT on October 25, but the US stays on daylight time until November 1, so the gap to US times is one hour shorter than usual this week.
| Region | Unlock time (Steam) |
|---|---|
| UTC / UK (GMT) | 11:00, Thursday October 29 |
| Central Europe (CET) | 12:00 |
| US Eastern (EDT) | 7:00 a.m. |
| US Pacific (PDT) | 4:00 a.m. |
| India (IST) | 4:30 p.m. |
| Australia Eastern (AEDT) | 10:00 p.m. |
Frontier has not posted separate console times. Its last pack, the Silver Screen Pack, went live on Steam at 10:01 UTC on August 19, and the “out now” post said it had launched on every platform. That suggests a late-morning UK release everywhere, but check your console store if the pack doesn’t show up straight away.
Spooktacular Pack price, platforms and what you need
The pack costs $18.99 / £14.99 / €18.99 and needs the Planet Coaster 2 base game ($49.99 / £39.99 / €49.99 list price). Steam is also running a sale on the rest of the series until November 2 at 14:00 UTC, so returning players can fill gaps cheaply. US Steam prices as checked on October 29:
| Item | List price | Steam price now |
|---|---|---|
| Spooktacular Pack (new) | $18.99 | $18.99 at launch |
| Planet Coaster 2 (base game) | $49.99 | $17.49 (65% off) |
| Silver Screen Pack | $14.99 | $11.99 |
| Parades Pack | $18.99 | $14.24 |
| Sorcery Pack | $12.99 | $6.49 |
| Toybox Pack | $12.99 | $6.49 |
| Vintage Funfair Ride Pack | $17.99 | $8.99 |
| Thrill-Seekers Ride Pack | $9.99 | $4.99 |
None of the older packs is required. The Spooktacular Pack only needs the base game. For more horror-themed discounts on other stores, see our Halloween game deals roundup.
What’s in the Spooktacular Pack vs free Update 12
Frontier launches a paid pack and a free update together, as it did with Update 11 and the Silver Screen Pack in August. Here is the split, from the official Steam announcement:
| Feature | Spooktacular Pack (paid) | Update 12 (free) |
|---|---|---|
| Walkthrough Attractions | Yes | No |
| 7 rides (2 coasters, 3 flat rides, 2 tracked rides) | Yes | No |
| Spooktacular theme + Spooky theme (700+ pieces) | Yes | No |
| Entertainers: Wigglebones, King Ghoster, Queen Scream | Yes | No |
| Audio: 29 ambient sounds, 90+ sound effects, 14 music tracks | Yes | No |
| 20 special effects (bats, lightning, rain, spiders, spooky flames, mist, slime) | Yes | No |
| Photo Stand-Ins | 3 Spooktacular boards | Base-game theme boards + a blank board |
| Reaction Points | – | Yes |
| Scared reaction for Vista, Event and Reaction Points | – | Yes |
| 25 dirt and grime decals, bug fixes | – | Yes |
The two themes do different jobs. The Spooktacular theme is built for a run-down ghost town: boarded-up windows, broken planks, rusty corrugated metal, monster teeth and glowing eyes for building fronts. The Spooky theme covers the classic Halloween look: animatronics, pumpkins, crypts, tombstones, skeletons, gargoyles and cobwebs.
All 7 Spooktacular Pack rides
| Ride | Type | What Frontier says it does |
|---|---|---|
| Big M’s Rides – Spectre | Coaster | Modular launch coaster with LSM multi-launches and open seating; highly customisable |
| Jerry St Lauer – Sledge | Coaster | Twisting hills through the night, aimed at guests of all ages |
| Ballista | Flat ride | Non-inverting swinging gondola spun by rotating arms |
| Rumpus Room | Flat ride | Topsy-turvy spinning chamber |
| Horror Heights | Flat ride | Drop tower dark ride |
| Bosetti | Tracked ride | Dark ride where guests float through a ghost story |
| The Huntsman | Tracked ride | Tracked ride around dark corners, built for storytelling |
Big M's Rides – Spectre is the pack's modular LSM multi-launch coaster with open seating. Image: Frontier Developments
If you are planning a family Halloween area, the pack gives you two calmer options (Sledge and the tracked dark rides) next to two high-thrill options (Spectre and Horror Heights). Spectre’s modular launch design is the one to pick if you want to build your own record-chasing layout rather than place a prebuilt coaster.
How to build a Walkthrough Attraction in Planet Coaster 2
Walkthrough Attractions let guests walk through a series of indoor and outdoor spaces. They are part of the paid pack, not Update 12. Frontier’s Walkthrough Attractions deep dive explains that they reuse the normal path and building tools, so the order of work looks like this:
- Place an Entrance Gate and at least one Checkpoint Gate. That is the minimum. An attraction can have one room or many.
- Join them with a guest path using the normal path tool. The path is what moves guests from one end to the other.
- Or skip the building: snap Blueprint sections together to form a route to the exit, or place a finished Walkthrough Attraction Blueprint. Frontier says plenty of blueprints come with the pack, and Workshop blueprints work too.
- Connect the entrance and exit to your park’s path network, or guests can’t get in.
- Link Atmospheric Scenery to each section. Each section gets an overall Atmosphere from the scenery linked to it.
- Choose how guests move: Linear or Wander (see below).
- Add the extras: speakers for music, sound effects, lighting, Event Sequencer displays and Reaction Points.
The path tool sets the route through a Walkthrough Attraction; this Frontier blueprint, Spooktacular Walkthrough – Eerie Industrial 1, shows a $9,706.20 build cost. Image: Frontier Developments
Atmospheres: Scary, Funny, Exciting and Interesting
Frontier names four Atmospheres you can create with scenery: Scary, Funny, Exciting and Interesting (the deep dive says “including”, so there may be more). They change how guests react on the way through. A Funny section has guests laughing all the way to the exit. A section that is too Scary can make them run away in fear.
Linear vs Wander
| Mode | How guests move | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Linear | Checkpoint Gate to Checkpoint Gate at a steady pace | Scare mazes and story rooms where timing matters |
| Wander | Guests take their time between sections | Gardens, exhibitions and big open mazes |
Intensity and guest tolerance
Rides have Excitement, Fear and Nausea ratings. A Walkthrough Attraction gets an Intensity rating instead, based on its Atmospheric Scenery Score. Every guest has their own tolerance for Intensity, and Frontier warns that guests may leave early if a section is too intense. In practice, a mix of Scary and Funny or Interesting sections should keep more guests inside until the end than a maze that is Scary all the way through. That is our reading of how the system is described, not a tested figure.
Walkthrough Attractions are not only for Halloween. Frontier says they work with every base-game and DLC theme, so you could build a shipwrecked pirate ship, a fairytale forest, an alien world or a winter festival walk-through.
Reaction Points and the Scared reaction (free Update 12)
Every player gets Update 12, even without the pack. Its headline is Reaction Points. They are placeable objects, similar to Vista Points. You link them to scenery, set a radius, and choose how guests react as they pass through that area. The update also adds a new Scared reaction that you can assign to Vista Points, Event Points and Reaction Points.
Update 12's free Scared reaction can be set on Vista, Event and Reaction Points. Image: Frontier Developments
Event Points are worth knowing about here. Frontier’s Event Sequencer handbook describes them as Vista Points with a built-in Event Sequencer that groups of guests set off themselves. Points you can usefully reuse for a Halloween build:
- One Event Sequencer holds up to 100 tracks, one for each triggered object (animatronics, effects, fireworks, music).
- Trigger modes are On Trigger Only (for example, set off when a ride car passes), Looping and on Trigger (loops at hourly intervals) and Continuous.
- Use Play Trigger Sequence after adding each new object, so you are not hunting through dozens of tracks for one mistimed effect later.
- Connect speakers to a sequence so the pack’s new sound effects and music play in time with the scare.
Photo Stand-Ins round out the free update. They are themed boards that guests stop at to pose for a souvenir photo. Update 12 adds them for several base-game themes plus a blank one you can decorate yourself, and the pack adds three Spooktacular boards.
Is the Spooktacular Pack worth it?
It depends on what you want to build. Walkthrough Attractions are the only genuinely new type of attraction, and they are pack-only. So if haunted houses, scare mazes or themed walk-through exhibits are the draw, the pack is the only way to get them. If you mainly want scarier decorating with the scenery you already own, the free Update 12 Reaction Points and Scared reaction get you part of the way at no cost.
New to the series? Our Planet Coaster guide covers the original game’s basics. If you are moving on to Frontier’s other management sim, start with the Planet Zoo 2 beginner guide and the full Planet Zoo 2 animal list. On Roblox, the Theme Park Tycoon 2 guide covers the same kind of park building.
FAQ
What time does the Spooktacular Pack release?
Steam lists 11:00 UTC on October 29, 2026: 11:00 GMT, 12:00 CET, 7:00 a.m. EDT and 4:00 a.m. PDT. Frontier hasn’t given separate PS5 and Xbox times.
Are Walkthrough Attractions free in Planet Coaster 2?
No. Walkthrough Attractions come with the paid Spooktacular Pack. The free Update 12 adds Reaction Points, the Scared reaction, Photo Stand-Ins and decals for everyone.
How much is the Planet Coaster 2 Spooktacular Pack?
$18.99 / £14.99 / €18.99 suggested retail price. You need the base game, which is $17.49 on Steam until November 2 at 14:00 UTC (list price $49.99).
Is the Spooktacular Pack on PS5 and Xbox?
Yes. Frontier is releasing it on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on October 29.
What do you need to make a Walkthrough Attraction work?
An Entrance Gate and at least one Checkpoint Gate connected by a guest path, with the entrance and exit joined to your park’s paths.
Sources: Frontier press release via Games Press (Oct 22), Planet Coaster 2 Steam announcement (Oct 22), Deep Dive: Walkthrough Attractions (planetcoaster.com, Oct 26), Update 12 Highlights, Park Manager’s Handbook: Event Sequencer, Steam store page (release time and prices checked Oct 29, 04:00 UTC).
Live: Follow today’s gaming news as it happens
Featured image: AI-generated illustration
