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The 2020 Halloween Event Details Announced

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Article by Brian Tein
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The Halloween event is coming! This will be the 5th anniversary of Pokemon Go's first ever event, and is generally considered to be one of the biggest events of the year, along-side Christmas and Go Fest. So what does 2020 bring to us? Let's get into it!

Halloween 2020

The Halloween Event
Event Start Event End
October 23, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. PDT November 3, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. PST

The Event

  • Ghost Types will appear in the wild, in raids, and will hatch from eggs more frequently
  • Sableye dressed as Litwick will be available in the wild and eggs
  • Gengar will appear in raids with a special Mega Banette costume. Note that Mega Banette has not been announced for this event, we simply have Gengar dressing up as it.
  • Spiritomb will be available via the latest Halloween Special Research line, "A Spooky Message Unmasked", and will also be available via Field Research. It will also be available in shiny forme for the first time!
  • Galarian Yamask will be available for the first time, and current datamine information suggests that it will indeed be able to evolve into Runerigus!
  • Darkrai is coming back to raids! Expect our raid guides to be updated in the coming days!
  • Mega Gengar is joining Mega Raids, and if you managed to complete the Mega Buddy Challenge earlier this year, you will be granted access to a special research line that will grant Mega Gengar Energy!
  • Themed Research Tasks will be available
  • New Halloween Avatar Items will be available 
  • Special boxes will be available in the shop
  • Snapshots will give special encounters
  • 2x Catch and Transfer Candy

Special Note on Costumed Gengar and Sableye

While it's likely that these Pokemon will be able to Mega Evolve in a manner similar to Sunglasses Blastoise, it's probably best to wait for confirmation before raising either of them.

Alolan Marowak Raid Day: October 31

Start Time End Time
11:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Another less than expected event, on Halloween day we're getting an Alolan Marowak Raid Day. This Ghost/Fire Type Pokemon was slated to have a raid day last year around this time and was stated to be able to learn its Ghost Type signature attack, Shadow Bone, as a part of the event. However, this fell through and we currently have no word on Shadow Bone this year.

worth noting here is the fact that Alolan Marowak has been down-graded to a three star raid boss, meaning it can be reliably soloed. This is especially true with Mega Gengar's debut and Darkrai's return!

Full Announcement

Full Text

Trainers,

Halloween is frighteningly close! Get ready for some spooky shenanigans this year! Galarian Yamask makes its Pokémon GO debut in new Halloween-themed Special Research, and completing certain Field Research tasks may lead to an encounter with Spiritomb—you might even encounter a Shiny one! Dress up in ghastly new avatar items, prepare face off against spine-chillingly cool Pokémon in raids, and take part in Halloween-themed mini events like Catch Mastery: Ghost Day and the Halloween Cup! Regardless of where your dark heart leads you, there’s plenty to enjoy this Halloween!

Date + Time

Friday, October 23, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) to Tuesday, November 3, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8)

Features

  • Ghost-type Pokémon will be appearing more often in the wild, will be featured in raids, and will be hatching more frequently from Eggs.
  • This year, Gengar and Sableye will be wearing costumes! Face off with costumed Gengar in raids and keep an eye out for costumed Sableye in the wild—it may even hatch from an Egg!
  • Galarian Yamask will appear in Pokémon GO for the first time! Complete the new Halloween 2020 Special Research, A Spooky Message Unmasked, to help Professor Willow uncover the mysteries surrounding this Pokémon.
  • Spiritomb can be encountered by completing certain Field Research tasks and by completing the new Halloween 2020 Special Research story, A Spooky Message Unmasked. If you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny one!
  • Trainers who completed the Mega Buddy Challenge Timed Research will be able to participate in exclusive Timed Research that will reward Gengar Mega Energy.
  • Darkrai will be featured in five-star raids!
  • Enjoy Halloween-themed Field Research tasks!
  • New avatar items will be available in the Style Shop! Get dressed for Halloween with a Pikachu Mask, Gengar Onesie, Sableye Goggles, Sableye Mask, or Banette Mask! You can also try out the new Spooky Pose!
  • Keep those eyes peeled for the Creepy Crate, Boo Bundle, and Pumpkin Pack boxes in the shop!
  • Take a snapshot for some spooky surprises!

Bonuses

  • 2× Transfer Candy
  • 2× Catch Candy

This year’s Halloween event will contain a number of ways to celebrate.

  • Alolan Marowak Raid Day — On Saturday, October 31, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time, Alolan Marowak will be appearing more often in raids.
  • Catch Mastery: Ghost Day — On Sunday, October 25, 2020, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. local time, Ghost-type Pokémon will be appearing more often in the wild and there will be event-exclusive Timed Research available to complete. More details here.
  • GO Battle League: Halloween Cup — From Monday, October 26, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) to Tuesday, November 3, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8), the Halloween Cup will be live in the GO Battle League. In this format, only Poison-, Bug-, Ghost-, Dark-, and Fairy-type Pokémon with 1500 CP or less will be allowed to participate. You can also earn encounters with costumed Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle!!

Hope you have a spooky good time, Trainers! Let’s GO!

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from your local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change. Be sure to follow us on social media, opt in to receiving push notifications, and subscribe to our emails to stay updated. For the latest on in-game events and feature updates, be sure to check this help center article.

—The Pokémon GO team

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About the Author(s)

Gamepress Pokemon Go site lead with a focus on theorycrafting and gameplay optimization and a background in business management and freelance writing.  A bit of a hermit, but also an outdoors enthusiast who loves cycling and hiking. Long-time Gamepress fan who is very proud to be a part of the team.

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