Skip to main content

Pokémon Go reveals cute costumes and Darkrai raids in time for Halloween

With Pokémon Sword and Shield set to launch next month on the Nintendo Switch, trainers will still have plenty of content to keep them occupied until then. To celebrate the spookiest time of the year, Niantic has announced a series of spine-tingling Halloween events in Pokémon Go, including the introduction of new Pokémon, double rewards, and new seasonal items, as well as a slew of adorable pocket monsters dressed in costumes.

From at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on Friday, October 17, until 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on Friday, November 1, players participating in tier five raids will have the chance to snag Darkrai. This seasonal event will also offer the opportunity to capture the Forbidden Pokémon, called Spiritbomb, by completing a few different Special Research tasks.

Of course, it would not be a Halloween event without costumes and candy. Any Pokémon you transfer, catch, or hatch will reward you with double candy. This year’s Halloween event will also feature several iconic Pokémon dressing up as other Pokémon (no, we are not kidding).

Four of the most iconic Pokémon from the Kanto region are expected to be dressing up and celebrating the holiday. Bulbasaur will be dressed in Shedninja costumes, Charmander will be sporting Cubone costumes, Squirtle will be equipped with a Yamask hat, and Pikachu will be dressed up as Mimikyu. The development team also confirmed that Shiny versions of these Pokémon would also be up for grabs.

Pokemon Go
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Niantic also confirmed that more dark and ghost-type Pokémon will be spawning in the wild during the duration of this year’s Halloween event. So if you’re looking to add a Gastly or Litwickto your collection or complete the Pokédex, this would be the perfect time to do so.

The following shadow Pokémon will also be added into the game at the start of this year’s Halloween event: Beedrill, Cacnea, Duskull, Electabuzz, Kakuna, Lapras, Magmar, Mareep, Nuzleaf, Sableye, Trapinch, and Weedle. Lastly, the style shop will add some seasonal-themed items, including a Litwick hat and Zubat bag available for purchase. Niantic confirmed that these additions would be added permanently into the game going forward.

Editors' Recommendations

Taylor Lyles
Based out of Baltimore, Maryland, Taylor is a contributing writer for Digital Trends covering the latest news in the computer…
Marvel World of Heroes is the next AR game from Pokémon Go studio
marvel world of heroes announcement niantic

A new augmented reality game from Niantic is on the way, and this time it's being created in partnership with Marvel and will feature plenty of iconic faces from the comics. The game was announced today during Disney & Marvel's games showcase and has a 2023 release window.

MARVEL World of Heroes | Announcement Teaser

Read more
Pokémon Go studio cancels four titles, including its Transformers game
pokemon go developer introduces ar pet game peridot

Niantic, the hitmaker behind Pokémon Go and Pikmin Bloom, is buckling up for some hard times. The company announced it has canceled the production of four games and laid off 8% of its staff.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Niantic CEO John Hanke wrote a companywide email saying that around 85 to 90 employees were getting laid off. Hanke explained that the company has been "facing a time of economic turmoil" and has resorted to "reducing costs in a variety of areas." That meant canceling four games, including Transformers game, Heavy Metal, and Hamlet.

Read more
Pokémon Go developer’s next project is an AR basketball game
pokemon go developers next project is an ar basketball game nba all world logo

Niantic is trading Pokéballs for basketballs. The Pokémon Go developer has announced its partnership with the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) to develop NBA All-World, the sports entity's very first official AR mobile game.

NBA All-World | Unleash a New Era of Hoop

Read more