Pokemon GO has laid out the full plan for its 2026 Halloween celebration, and it follows the formula fans have come to expect from the annual spooky season: Dark and Ghost types everywhere, decorated PokeStops and Gyms, and a batch of brand-new costumed Pokemon. This year the event is split into two parts and runs from late October into the first days of November.
When the Halloween event runs
The celebration is divided into two windows, each with its own content:
- Part 1: October 27 – November 1
- Part 2: November 1 – 5
As soon as the event kicks off, the nighttime music in the game switches over to the Lavender Town theme, a tradition Pokemon GO has kept up for years. PokeStops, Gyms, and even the encounter screen get their seasonal decorations, and you can work through themed Field Research Tasks plus a stack of bonuses tied to the event’s GO Pass.
Four debuts, including shiny Greavard
For a lot of players the main draw of limited-time events is new Pokemon, and Scopely is delivering four debuts this time. Three of them are costumed spawns:
- a Pikachu in a pancake-inspired hat and capelet
- a Zubat wearing a top hat
- a Sinistea sporting a Drifloon bow-tie
All three costumed Pokemon will also appear in one-star raids, and with a bit of luck you can run into their shiny forms. The fourth debut is the shiny version of Greavard, the Ghost type that originally joined the game during the 2023 Halloween event. If you want to keep tabs on everything happening in the game, our Pokemon news hub collects it all in one place.
Shop items, stickers, and map pickups
Spenders get a few new things to look at too. The shop is adding “Gothic” avatar clothing items and a selection of new Halloween-themed stickers, which can also be found in-game by spinning PokeStops or opening gifts. GO Pass Deluxe throws in Patissier avatar clothing, extra special encounters, and Rare Candy XL.
You will also spot items scattered across the map during the event. Tapping them hands you a random bonus, such as an encounter with an event-themed Pokemon, Rare Candy, and more. Niantic-era style retail tie-ins have become part of the routine as well, and we covered one of those in our piece on the Mega Gengar raids.
Sableye and the Super Max Level system
The final piece lands with Part 2. Starting then, you can use the Super Max Level system to push Sableye’s Mega Level higher, which unlocks the Night Shade+ Charged Attack while it is Mega Evolved. The power of that attack scales with the Pokemon’s Mega Level, so there is a reason to keep grinding levels rather than stopping at the unlock.
Where to go next
If you are catching up on recent Pokemon GO content, we also wrote about the Minior debut tied to real meteor showers, and Halloween is not limited to the mobile game either – there is a separate article on Pokemon Pokopia and its own seasonal event.
FAQ
It runs in two parts. Part 1 takes place from October 27 to November 1, and Part 2 follows from November 1 to November 5.
Three costumed Pokemon arrive: a Pikachu with a pancake-inspired hat and capelet, a Zubat in a top hat, and a Sinistea with a Drifloon bow-tie. The fourth debut is shiny Greavard.
Yes. The costumed Pokemon also show up in one-star raids, and with some luck you can encounter their shiny forms.
From Part 2 onward you can raise Sableye’s Mega Level through the Super Max Level system, which lets it learn the Night Shade+ Charged Attack while Mega Evolved. The attack gets stronger as the Mega Level goes up.
GO Pass Deluxe adds Patissier avatar clothing, extra special encounters, and Rare Candy XL on top of the regular event bonuses.