The Elder Scrolls Online’s Witches Festival Returns October 21 With Bonus XP and New Rewards

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The Elder Scrolls Online is bringing back its Witches Festival event on Wednesday, October 21 at 10AM ET, and it’ll run until Wednesday, November 4. During the event, players get a passive 100% XP bonus, can collect Plunder Skulls from bosses, and can chase both returning rewards and new Zhekleg armor style pages.

To start, grab “The Witchmother’s Bargain” from the Quest Starters section of the in-game Crown Store, or pick it up at Olyve’s Brewery in Glenumbra, Stonefalls, or Auridon. If you’ve already finished the quest in a previous year, you don’t need to do it again. Completing it unlocks the Witchmother’s Whistle collectible, which summons a cauldron that turns your character into a skeleton after drinking from it.

There are also two event daily quests, each available once per day per character. “Plucking the Crow” is aimed at small groups and rewards a legendary Dremora Plunder Skull, Crownborne Horror. “The Lord of Fear” is built for larger groups and rewards a legendary Dremora Plunder Skull, Lord Hollowjack.

  • The first qualifying boss kill of each type per day grants a legendary Dremora Plunder Skull and 300 Trade Bars.
  • Later boss kills award regular epic-quality Plunder Skulls.
  • Dremora Plunder Skulls can drop Dremora outfit style pages, with the page type tied to the boss type killed.
  • New unbound Zhekleg armor style pages are part of this year’s reward pool.
  • Other possible drops include Glenmoril Wyrd maps, Witchy Writs, furnishings, recipes, motif items, and alchemy reagents.
  • The special Crowborne Horror and Lord Hollowjack skulls have a very rare chance to include jackpot rewards with full Zhekleg or Dremora style page sets.

The Impresario will also return during the event, selling older Witches Festival rewards for Trade Bars, including Crowborn Hunter, Soulspun Wicker, and Grave Dancer outfit style pages. This year’s Sanguine-themed collectible fragments will be available too, including the first fragment for the upcoming Grotto of Desires house.

Further reading: Official ESO Witches Festival 2026 announcement