I have a complicated relationship with moons. Most moons just hang there and judge my sleep schedule. Nalcott’s Blood Moon, however, shows up like a landlord with fireworks: it wants attention, it wants drama, and it absolutely wants my Sanity bar. So when Starfall Inversion neared its end and the Visional Wheel turned once more, I read the Lunar Revelry notes with the enthusiasm of someone who has already been bitten by a lunar rabbit. The original window began after the September 24 PT update, with an ending time that was TBC; as of 2026, the wheel keeps turning, so check the in-game calendar before you make moon plans.
The moon has main-character energy
The Blood Moon is not subtle. It rises over Nalcott, manipulates the place for its own amusement, and provokes conflict among humans with tempting treasures. Its avatar, the Lord of Moonlight, is the boss you need to defeat for the ultimate reward. I respect the commitment to theatrical villainy, even if I do not respect what it does to my Sanity.
The affected scenarios are a familiar crew:
| Scenario | My moon mood |
|---|---|
| Manibus (excluding novice) | 😬 Classic chaos |
| Evolution’s Call | 😵💫 Evolution, but spooky |
| Prismverse’s Clash | 🌀 Prismatic panic |
| The Way of Winter | 🥶 Cold and cursed |
| Endless Dream | 😴 Nightmares included |
Every day from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, as day turns to night, the Blood Moon rises. That is 30 minutes in real time, double the length of S0: Lunar Oracle. During this window, Deviants grow stronger, and Metas get infected with Lunacy, which steadily diminishes Sanity. So yes, the moon is basically a night shift manager who hates breaks.
The Lord of Moonlight has no respect for personal space
The Lord of Moonlight is the avatar of the Blood Moon itself. Its appearance is ever-changing, and it is far more powerful than the Lunarspawn it blesses with life and madness. It descends on Nalcott to instigate conflict for its own pleasure and entertainment. Honestly, same energy as a streamer who enjoys chat chaos a little too much.
During a Blood Moon, you are subject to the moon’s gaze. When that gaze reaches a certain intensity, the Lord of Moonlight takes on your appearance and summons Lunarspawn to protect itself. On the verge of death, it uses an Adrenaline Shot and summons clones. In some cases, it transforms into a powerful Morphed Lord of Moonlight, which yields better rewards when defeated. When it defeats a Meta, it levels up, grows stronger, and takes that Meta’s Lunar Whispers. The Meta who defeats it acquires all the accumulated Lunar Whispers. In Endless Dream, the Lord of Moonlight is unaffected by Dream Zones, keeping its difficulty in line with other scenarios. Fair? No. On brand? Absolutely.
Sector democracy, but with moon monsters
To pass the Blood Moon’s trial, you must unite and work together to defeat the Lord of Moonlight and seize its treasure. Metas are organized into sectors to assist one another. The Blood Moon divides Nalcott into sectors, and each sector must band together. Defeat the Lord of Moonlight within the event period to gain Lunar Essence, which you can submit to earn an equal number of sector points.
There are seven rounds of 1v1 trial matches between sectors, and each round lasts one week. When submitting Lunar Essence, you can vote for a Lunar Omen to inflict on the opposing sector. This affects the abilities of their Lord of Moonlight. There are six Lunar Omens total, and the more Lunar Essence your sector submits, the stronger the omen’s effects. The three Lunar Omens with the most votes take effect in the opposing sector, creating different levels of difficulty. The sector that earns the most sector points during the week gets 1 victory point. I love democracy, but I love it slightly less when the ballot box is full of moon curses.
Lunar Whispers, Lunacy, and my poor Sanity
Lunacy causes you to steadily lose Sanity, down to a minimum of 20%, when outside your territory. Defeat enemies to recover Sanity. During a Blood Moon, you can earn Lunar Whispers by defeating enemies and participating in various game modes. When you have Lunacy, the lower your HP, the more Lunar Whispers you obtain. Lunar Whispers are time-limited and expire after 24 hours. If you black out, you recover from Lunacy and lose a certain quantity of Lunar Whispers. My calendar now has two moods: moon o’clock and regret o’clock.
When infected with Lunacy, you can see hidden Oracle Crates in settlements and more deviated plants in the wilderness. However, gathering resources in the wilderness may trigger Deviant attacks. Wilderness Deviants go berserk, growing more aggressive and dealing increased damage. Unique Blood Moon enemies also appear in settlements to hunt Metas. Hidden Oracle Crates require a certain number of Lunar Whispers to open. Survival items from Lunar Oracle return too, including Lunacy Stimulant, Lunacy Suppressant, and the Unusual Braised Meat and Roulette Dumplings recipes.
Loot, weapons, and mods that make me feel things
Collect Lunar Whispers to unlock rewards including new weapon skins and collectibles. You can also use Lunar Whispers to redeem rewards from past Visional Wheels at the Shop. Lunar Revelry introduces new weapons and mod suffixes, plus some Cradle adjustments.
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SKS - Pathfinder: chance to trigger Frost Vortex on hit, chance to generate Deviant Particles on hit, and when charged, fires an ice spike.
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P90 - Holographic Resonance: chance to trigger The Bull’s Eye on hit, and deals AoE DMG after a certain number of hits.
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Added the Lunar Revelry exclusive mod suffix Crescent for Gloves and Helmet.
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Adjusted the effects of the Rejuvenating and Against All Odds mods.
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Some Cradle effects are adjusted to fit the new Visional Wheel season.
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Lunar mods from S0: Lunar Oracle return and are included with Crescent mods in a mod selection crate.
Blood Moon game modes can drop special items, recipes, formulas, Lunar and Crescent mod selection crates, Lunar animals, and Morphed Deviations. Explore strongholds and defeat Lunarspawn to open Oracle Crates, which may contain returning Blood Moon Morphed Deviations: Lonewolf’s Whisper, Festering Gel, Snowsprite, By-the-Wind, Zeno-Purifier, and Pyro Dino. The Lord of Moonlight mode can also open Oracle Crates with three new Blood Moon Deviations: Electric Eel, Atomic Snail, and ZapCam.
Server housekeeping, because the moon has paperwork
After the update, servers with the Visional Wheel tag automatically change to Lunar Revelry. All Starfall Inversion phenomena stop completely, and special items no longer drop. Starfall Inversion is unavailable for new scenarios in early access. In 2026, the safe move is simple: check your server tag, check the event window, and do not stand outside your territory at 7:01 PM wondering why your Sanity is filing a complaint. The Blood Moon is dramatic, the rewards are real, and the Lord of Moonlight will absolutely copy your outfit. I will be there, squinting at the sky, pretending this was my idea.