Pokémon Pokopia’s Halloween event brings Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist until November 1

Dates and how it works

The event, which Nintendo of America calls “Pumpkaboo’s Sweet Surprises!”, starts on Saturday, October 17, at 5:00 a.m. and ends on Sunday, November 1, at 4:59 a.m., based on the console’s local time. The Pokémon Company had already announced these dates on September 30, and Nintendo published the full details today.

It works in four steps. First, talk to Pumpkaboo near the Pokémon Center and complete its request to befriend it. Next, collect pumpkin candy, an event-only item: you get it by camouflaging yourself as furniture or objects Pokémon like and surprising them as they approach. The candy can be exchanged at the Pokémon Center for furniture and decorations inspired by a midnight festival, and those items can be used to build a habitat that attracts Gourgeist, Pumpkaboo’s evolution.

What you need to start it

Simply opening the game isn’t enough. You need to download update 2.0.1: you can check the version from the software’s Options on the HOME Menu, and the event begins once the title screen shows ver. 2.0.1. You also need to have completed a town’s important request, rebuilt the Pokémon Center and learned Camouflage from Zorua in Bleak Beach. Nintendo notes that if you meet these requirements on November 1 itself, the event will still occur.

Your Nintendo Switch 2’s date and time must match the real ones, and the console has to be connected to the internet the first time you play the event. If you meet the conditions while the event is already running, Nintendo says you first need to move to another town once or choose “Save & Quit” from the main menu.

Good to know

The event doesn’t take place on Cloud Islands or in Bubbly Basin. To play it in multiplayer with Link Play, you need to use Palette Town and talk to Pumpkaboo before starting the shared session; it isn’t available in Spectator Mode. As usual, online features require a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

The good news is there’s no need to rush: both Nintendo and The Pokémon Company confirm that Pokémon you befriend during the event will remain in your town after it ends. What they haven’t detailed yet is the full list of furniture, how much candy each item costs or the exact combination of items Gourgeist’s habitat requires.

Background

Pokémon Pokopia is a life simulation game exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 that launched on March 5, 2026, according to Pokémon’s official game page.