Pokémon Officially Unveils 3 New Costumed Favorites for Halloween

4 days ago 15

Published Oct 18, 2026, 9:16 PM EDT

Hannah covers horror, sci-fi, and games at Collider, where she writes news and features, reviews new releases, and interviews the people who make them. She’s helping build out Collider’s gaming coverage, with Pokémon as one of her specialties. If she isn’t writing about a monster, she’s probably watching one on a tape from her VHS collection.

Halloween is one of the best times to be a Pokémon GO player, especially if your favorite part of the game is collecting Ghost types and seasonal costumes. There’s a particular satisfaction in finding a Pokémon that completes a collection, even when the difference is an accessory small enough to miss on the map. It also makes deciding which duplicates to transfer considerably harder than it needs to be.

The seasonal wardrobe is especially dangerous for anyone who has already convinced themselves they have enough versions of Pikachu. Halloween gives even familiar Pokémon a reason to take up another slot in storage, and the designs don’t have to be elaborate to work. This year, one of the strongest arguments for clearing some space involves a very small top hat.

Pokémon GO's Halloween 2026 Part I runs from October 27 at 10 a.m. to November 1 at 10 a.m. local time, introducing Pikachu in a hat and capelet, Zubat in a top hat, and Sinistea wearing a bow. All three can be Shiny. Costumed Zubat appears in the wild, while the new Pikachu and Sinistea appear in one-star raids.

'Pokémon GO’s Halloween Celebration Has More Than New Costumes

The event also introduces tappable surprises in the wild that can award Pokémon encounters or Candy. Catch bonuses are tied to the Halloween GO Pass: Rank 10 unlocks double catch Candy, and Rank 20 unlocks double catch Stardust. Players with GO Pass Deluxe receive triple bonuses at those milestones instead. The free Halloween pass arrives automatically when the event begins, and progression continues until November 5 at 8 p.m. local time, with unlocked rewards expiring November 7 at 8 p.m. Deluxe costs $7.99, while the $9.99 option includes enough points to reach Rank 11.

The new costumes are easily the biggest draw, and Zubat wearing a tiny top hat deserves a spot in even the most overcrowded Pokémon storage. Pikachu is usually a safe bet for the cutest seasonal addition, but Sinistea showing up in a bow makes that a much harder call this year. There’s also the possibility of finding all three in their Shiny forms, which should keep collectors busy between Halloween plans. Anyone hoping to bring the whole costumed crew home should start clearing some space now.

Pokémon GO’s Halloween 2026 Part I runs from October 27 at 10 a.m. through November 1 at 10 a.m. local time.