Borderlands 3 search the galaxy for a ghost: how to start Descent into Heck in Borderlands 3

(Image credit: 2K Games)

Searching the galaxy for ghosts in Borderlands 3? If you're in a Halloween mood while playing Borderlands 3, you don't have to wait until October for the Bloody Harvest seasonal event. A patch in 2021 made the Halloween content available year-round—all you have to do is click "Play" on the Borderlands 3 main menu, and then click the "Events Disabled" option to toggle to Bloody Harvest.

Borderlands 3's first seasonal event introduced a new quest 'Descent into Heck', which ties in with a whole host of Halloween-y happenings around the cel-shaded universe. Completing this quest will ultimately allow a portal to be opened to the new area of Heck where, if you have the skills, you'll get the chance to face off against Captain Haunt.

Where to search the galaxy for ghosts in Borderlands 3

To get the seasonal quest started, head to your Sanctuary III ship and find Maurice on the top level. When you speak to them, they'll offer you the quest which will requires you to search the galaxy for ghosts, collect their Hecktoplasm, and bring the spooky substance back.

Once you've picked up the quest, various new Haunted enemies will appear throughout the galaxy; your targets are smothered in a weird glow and drop Hecktoplasm when killed. They can be found anywhere, so keep your eyes open. For example, there are a few haunting the Meridian Seaport area of Lectra City.

Once you've located one, defeat it, and a ghost will escape the body—it's shaped like a skull, so you can't miss it. Take it out quickly as they make a beeline towards you and explode, inflicting you with the new Terror debuff.

Once you've defeated 25 of these enemies and collected their Hectoplasm, you can head back to Maurice and start packing your bags for a journey to a scary new world. Make sure you're adequately equipped before you head through, though: the enemies beyond are no pushover. Aside from your main target, Captain Haunt, there are a lot of undead Maliwan soldiers and special Rakk-O-Lanterns that you'll need to deal with. Good luck.

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.