With over three decades of operation, Halloween Horror Nights has cultivated a rich universe of lore teeming with sinister villains and chilling backstories. While villains and icons like Major Sweets and Jack the Clown may seem frightful enough, the event’s universe also hides corrupt corporations with far darker intentions. Among the most infamous at HHN is Bzzzcon, a shady company weaving a legacy of greed and horror into the event’s ever-expanding mythology.
Although BzzzCon (sometimes referred to as “BuzzCon”) made its debut at HHN 31 in 2022, the lore hints at a deeper history—suggesting their reach stretches much further than we once imagined. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. For now, let’s rewind to the Roaring Twenties, where one of BzzzCon’s earliest incidents takes center stage in this year’s scare zone, Mutations: Toxic Twenties.
And if you’re ready to experience this twisted history for yourself this year, don’t forget—you can purchase discounted Halloween Horror Nights admission directly through Orlando Informer. Learn more here.
BzzzCon Origins in HHN’s Mutations: Toxic Twenties
Digging into the lore, BzzzCon’s roots trace back as far as late 1928. While they kept most of their dastardly doings hushed, the company had a notable presence in New York during the early days of the Golden Age and Prohibition. It was there that “Diamond” Joe Malone and his group of mobsters attempted a bank heist gone wrong. On the run from authorities, their escape erupted into a high-speed chase through the city streets.
Unfortunately, it ended with Malone’s crew crashing into a BzzzCon truck that was carrying toxic cargo. The impact sent the hazardous material everywhere, including a Flapper party being held at a local speakeasy. Attendees attempted to flee to the streets, but it was too late, as the toxins had already begun mutating their DNA. Upon escape, they went from harmless partygoers to midnight monsters.
Rumors had long circulated that BzzzCon engaged in shady practices, with whispers of a toxic rat poison that mutated rather than exterminated the vermin it targeted. Accidental as it was, the news of the mobsters crashing into a company vehicle should have been enough to make BzzzCon halt its questionable operations. However, the corporation would find itself at the center of another disaster nearly three decades later.
Expanding Lore in Bugs: Eaten Alive
In 1952, BzzzCon sought a rebranding to separate itself from the Malone incident. The company shifted its focus to pesticides and related home appliances, even introducing a new mascot, B-Cide the bee. They had developed Extermin-Air, a pesticide designed to flow through household ventilation systems, eliminating pests while also cooling your home. The concept was well-received, with investors throwing in to fund BzzzCon’s latest endeavour. This prompted them to debut it at the 1952 World Tech Fair.
Representatives and staff arrived months in advance to set up shop in Pavilion 31. Installing concrete walls that held all of BzzzCon’s latest equipment, the space was designed to impress expo attendees as a glimpse into the “home of the future.” However, when the time came for the much-anticipated Extermin-Air showcase, the invention malfunctioned, filling the tent with a green, toxic fog. Instead of eliminating the bugs, it caused them to multiply, then mutate to enormous proportions, while also sending them into a frenzy.
As attendees and staff scrambled to escape, they were met with swarms of nightmarish insects. Armies of ants overran the home, massive roaches claimed the model kitchen, and some creatures even twisted into upright monstrosities. Many believed the most terrifying sight was the grotesque spider-beast that dominated the pavilion—but worse still were the victims themselves, transformed into living hives, their bodies crawling with thousands of mutant insect eggs.
Other BzzzCon Easter Eggs and Appearances at HHN
Canonically, it seems BzzzCon is just getting started after the stories woven in Mutations: Toxic Twenties and Bugs: Eaten Alive. Outside of the main lore, BzzzCon Easter eggs appeared in two of the fictional B-movies within 2024’s Slaughter Sinema 2 house: Blood and Chum, where the company is suspected of mutating and driving a killer shark into a frenzy, and Night of the Undead Clowns, where BzzzCon’s overflowing landfills gave rise to zombie clowns attacking humanity. Universal is certainly no stranger to using Slaughter Sinema as a springboard for future concepts—but that’s not where things get interesting.
This year, BzzzCon made its presence known not in one but in two corners of HHN. The obvious connection lies within Mutations: Toxic Twenties—but the more subtle reference appears in Dolls: Let’s Play Dead. Keen-eyed house-goers may notice that BzzzCon batteries are found powering a portion of Lyla’s dollhouse of torture. Are Lyla and her toys part of yet another twisted BzzzCon experiment? Is that how her victims were reduced to toy size? Perhaps it’s nothing more than a clever Easter egg. For now, the answer remains a mystery—but it certainly sparks curiosity about how this sinister company connects to the house, and what role it might play in HHN’s future..
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