Pokemon GO is handing out a free Halloween treat to everyone who logs in. During the Halloween Part I event, a free Timed Research will automatically complete for all Trainers, giving each player 6 Rare Candy and an encounter with Pikachu dressed up in a hat and capelet.
The official Pokemon GO account shared the news late last week.
Event Dates
Halloween Part I starts tomorrow, Tuesday, October 27, at 10 a.m. local time and runs until Sunday, November 1, at 10 a.m. local time. The free Timed Research needs to be claimed before the event ends, so players should open the app at least once during the week to collect the Rare Candy and Pikachu encounter.
Rare Candy is one of the most useful items in the game, since it can be turned into Candy for any Pokemon. Six pieces will not max out anything on their own, but they are a nice boost for a Pokemon that is hard to find in the wild.
Three Costumed Debuts
The event introduces three new costumed Pokemon, and all three can be encountered as shiny:
- Pikachu wearing a hat and capelet
- Zubat wearing a top hat
- Sinistea wearing a bow
Pikachu and Sinistea will also appear in one-star raids, while top-hat Zubat shows up in the wild.
Trick Or Treat Surprises
Halloween Part I adds Trick or Treat surprises to the wild. Interacting with one can lead to an encounter or give players a treat in the form of a Pikachu, Zubat, Sinistea or Rare Candy reward.
Other wild spawns include top-hat Zubat, Duskull and Halloween Mischief Piplup. Lucky Trainers may also run into Halloween Mischief Drifblim. Event-themed Field Research tasks will be available from PokeStops throughout the week.
GO Pass: Halloween 2026
The event comes with a new GO Pass: Halloween 2026, which runs from October 27 to November 5 at 8 p.m. local time. Rewards need to be claimed by November 7 at 8 p.m.
- Tier 1 (Rank 10): 2x Candy for catches, or 3x with GO Pass Deluxe
- Tier 2 (Rank 20): 2x Stardust for catches, or 3x with GO Pass Deluxe
GO Pass Deluxe costs US$7.99, while GO Pass Deluxe + 10 Ranks costs $9.99. The Deluxe track adds extra rewards such as the Patissier Top and Pants, Rare Candy XL and Premium Battle Passes. Players who buy through the Pokemon GO Web Store get bonus items with their upgrade, and a web-exclusive GO Pass Deluxe + 10 Ranks Ultra Box adds 20 Ultra Balls, 10 Max Revives, 10 Max Potions and 5 Premium Battle Passes as a gift with purchase.
Spooky Style And Sounds
The in-game shop is getting the Gothic Skirt Set, Gothic Shorts Set, Gothic Socks and Gothic Boots, and new Halloween stickers are also available. A remix of the Lavender Town theme will play every night during the event, and Halloween decorations will appear on encounter screens, PokeStops and Gyms.
Lavender Town has been tied to ghost Pokemon since the original games, so the remix is a fitting choice for a week focused on spooky spawns.
More Halloween On The Way
Developer Scopely has the rest of the season lined up. On Saturday, October 31, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time, the Chandelure Super Mega Raid Day will mark the debut of Mega Chandelure, with boosted shiny odds for Chandelure from Super Mega Raids. Mega Chandelure can be raised all the way to the new Super Max Mega Level, where it learns an extra Charged Attack called Ominous Wind+.
Halloween 2026 Part II follows from Sunday, November 1, at 10 a.m. to Thursday, November 5, at 8 p.m. local time. It brings the debut of Shiny Greavard, wild Litwick, costumed Rowlet and a rare Gengar in its Spooky Festival costume, and Mega Sableye will be able to reach Super Max Level for the first time. Best of all for players who like free rewards, Part II has a second auto-completing Timed Research with another 6 Rare Candies and an encounter with Sinistea wearing a bow.
That means Trainers who simply open the app during both parts can walk away with 12 Rare Candy without completing a single task.
Are you planning to hunt for a shiny costumed Pikachu, or is the free Rare Candy all you need from this year's Halloween event?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.