Hallow-Xmas 5: The Countdown Begins

Hallow-Xmas, Eyewire, citizen science, Halloween, Xmas, holiday

‘Tis the month of October, and for the fifth time
We come to you all with a quaint little rhyme
Explaining the holiday lovely and dear
That comes at the end of an Eyewire year.

If you know what it is since you’ve seen it before
Then you’ll know all the bonuses we’ve got in store;
But if you are new to these weeks full of fun
It’s time you read up, before things have begun!

The Outer Realms cells of our great dataset
Have a mish-mashed tradition you can’t soon forget:
It’s called Hallow-Xmas, and two mighty teams
Face off for a prize beyond everyone’s dreams.

We start in the fall when the pumpkin is spicy
And end as the Xmas trees start to get lights-y.
Which time is your favorite? Think hard when you choose:
You can’t switch when it starts, even if you might lose.

December 13th, when the battle is done,
Join chat as Grim Reaper reviews who has won.
We hope you’ll take part if for no other reason
Than how this is Eyewire’s most wonderful season!

This fifth edition of Hallow-Xmas will run for eight weeks, starting October 21st, with awards granted December 13th!

Aside from lasting one week less than usual, nothing else about our Hallow-Xmas format has changed this year — it’s a simple, prolonged VS competition where your bonuses at the end will be enormous!

Please note the following situations on Eyewire while Hallow-Xmas 5 takes place:

  • Once we enter the competition time period, we’re suspending events like routine Happy Hours, 48-hour VS matchups, Accuracy Happy Hours, and Marathons. Regular HH scheduling will resume on closing ceremony day, and we will update you about 2025’s competitions when we roll into January.
  • Open promotions will still take place on their own schedule in October, November, and December.
  • Unlike in other competitions, Scythe Complete bonuses will factor into team and individual scoring so that we can take completed cells down over the next couple months. If you’re a Scythe or Mystic, it’s up to you whether you want to pursue Hallow-Xmas bonuses via completing or normal gameplay.

With that, let’s check out your team options, plus the available bonuses, badges, and swag!

Team Halloween

  • Did you always identify more with the Addams Family or the Munsters than with the Brady Bunch? Maybe this team’s for you!
  • Even if ghosts, goblins, bats, and broomsticks aren’t your style, perhaps you’ve looked forward all year to Pumpkin Spice Season.
  • You might also be a candy corn defender.

Team Xmas

  • Some people might not like when the endless carols and Christmas pop songs start on the radio, but you live for that moment!
  • Snow, cold, and darkness don’t phase you at all when you can have hot cocoa, a beautifully lit tree, and your loved ones together.
  • Forget candy corn, it’s all about candy canes!

Bonuses, Badges, and Swag

  • Starting Lineup – top 10 players on each team, who earn 75% of their score in bonus points
  • All Other Players – earn 50% of their score in bonus points
  • Winning Team – 500,000 additional points (you’re reading correctly!)
  • Each Team’s MVP – 100,000 additional points (you’re still reading correctly!)

The winning team is determined by average points per player, with 2x weight given to Starting Lineup players. To qualify for any of the above bonuses or affect the team score, players must earn a minimum baseline of 50,000 points. You can earn that many points in our nine week window by earning just 5555 points per week!

One other way to earn points is by the number of cells completed during this event. Think of it like a giant marathon!

  • If you trace at least 1,000 cubes in these nine weeks, you’ll earn 5,000 points for every cell that finishes in that time.
  • If you trace at least 5,000 cubes in these nine weeks, you’ll earn 10,000 points for every cell that finishes in that time.
  • Scythe Completed cubes count toward your traced cubes like they do for a marathon: 3 SCs = 1 regular cube.

Besides the winning team earning the Winning Team badge, everyone who qualifies for a bonus will also earn the unique participation badge for the Hallow-Xmas Remix, and the MVPs for each team will get to rename a cell of their choice from any cells completed during the competition weeks! (To avoid the unlikely chance that both MVPs wish to name the same cell, the winning team’s MVP gets first pick.)

As for swag, the Starting Lineup on the winning team will receive Eyewire sticker + magnet packs for their accomplishment! In recognition of a battle well-fought, the MVP for the opposing team will also receive one of those packs.

Hallow-Xmas Closing Ceremony

Begins at 4:00 PM EST on Friday 12/13

Come celebrate the end of this competition, where admins will recognize everyone’s achievements. And as always, our overlord the Grim Reaper will personally conduct the ceremony!

Artwork by Amy Sterling