Pokémon GO events in October 2026 open with Team GO Rocket taking over the Harvest Festival and bringing Shadow Zekrom on October 2, hit their peak with Zorua Community Day on Saturday, October 10, and close with Halloween 2026 Part I from October 27 to 31. Every time on this page is local time, so an event listed as 2 to 5 p.m. runs from 2 to 5 p.m. wherever you play.
October is the second month of the Twilight Trails season, which runs until December 1. The table lists every dated event in order. Below it are the details week by week, then the full raid rotation, every Spotlight Hour and the claim deadlines that are easiest to miss.
| Dates | Event | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 27 to Oct 20 | Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration (US stores) | Mega Gengar raids at Best Buy, GameStop and Target |
| Sep 29 to Oct 5 | Harvest Festival: Applin Picking | Shiny Applin debut, branching Timed Research |
| Oct 2 to Oct 5 | Harvest Festival: Taken Over | Shadow Zekrom debut, Shiny Shroodle in 12 km Eggs |
| Oct 3, 2 to 5 p.m. | Gigantamax Cinderace Max Battle Day | Shiny Gigantamax Cinderace debut |
| Oct 4 to Oct 10 | World Space Week | Astronaut Pikachu debut in one-star raids |
| Oct 6 to Nov 3 | GO Pass: October | Kyogre encounter, Lucky Trinket on Deluxe |
| Oct 10, 2 to 5 p.m. | Zorua Community Day | Zoroark with Sucker Punch, 3× catch XP |
| Oct 13 to Oct 19 | Fall Marathon: Buddy Trek | Bramblin debut, Shiny Electrike boost |
| Oct 17, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Sandile Hatch Day | 1/2 hatch distance, 2× hatch Candy |
| Oct 24, 2 to 5 p.m. | Dynamax Max Battle Day | Featured Pokémon not yet announced |
| Oct 27 to Oct 31 | Halloween 2026 Part I | Details not yet announced; Part II runs Nov 1 to 5 |
| Oct 31, 2 to 5 p.m. | Super Mega Raid Day | Featured Mega not yet announced |
Harvest Festival and Shadow Zekrom: October 1 to 5
The first weekend of October stacks three events on top of each other: the Harvest Festival, its Team GO Rocket takeover and a Max Battle Day on Saturday.
Harvest Festival: Taken Over (October 2 to 5)
Runs: Fri, Oct 2, 12:00 a.m. to Mon, Oct 5, 8:00 p.m. · Headline: Shadow Zekrom · Debut: Shiny Shroodle
Team GO Rocket takes over the last four days of the Harvest Festival. Progress in GO Pass: Harvest Festival earns a Super Rocket Radar, which tracks down Giovanni at PokéStops, and beating him is your chance to rescue Shadow Zekrom, which is appearing in Pokémon GO for the first time. GO Pass rewards can be claimed until Wednesday, October 7, at 8:00 p.m.
Grunts also carry three new Shadow Pokémon: Wimpod, Fomantis and Sandygast. Shiny Shroodle hatches from 12 km Eggs for the first time, Shiny Slugma odds go up, and a Charged TM can remove Frustration from Shadow Pokémon while the event runs. Field Research hands out Fast TMs, Charged TMs and Mysterious Components.
Harvest Festival: Applin Picking (through October 5)
Runs: Tue, Sep 29, 10:00 a.m. to Mon, Oct 5, 8:00 p.m. · Debut: Shiny Applin · GO Pass Deluxe: US$4.99
The base Harvest Festival started on September 29 and runs underneath the takeover. Shiny Applin makes its Pokémon GO debut, Smoliv has a raised Shiny rate, and wild spawns include Shroomish, Foongus, Skwovet, Lechonk and Smoliv, with Applin and Snorlax as rarer finds.
The branching Timed Research asks you to pick a path after its first step: the Flapple path rewards Tart Apples, the Appletun path Sweet Apples and the Dipplin path Syrupy Apples. GO Pass: Harvest Festival is free, with a US$4.99 Deluxe upgrade or US$6.99 for Deluxe plus six ranks.
Gigantamax Cinderace Max Battle Day (October 3)
Time: Sat, Oct 3, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. · Battle: Six-star Max Battles · Debut: Shiny Gigantamax Cinderace
Gigantamax Cinderace fills Power Spots for three hours on Saturday, October 3, and its Shiny form can appear for the first time. During those hours the Max Particle cap rises to 1,600, every Power Spot hosts a Gigantamax battle, and Power Spots give 8× Max Particles and refresh more often. From midnight to 5:00 p.m., exploring gives 2× Max Particles at a quarter of the usual distance.
Up to three Special Trades are allowed that day, and the daily Remote Raid limit doubles from 10 to 20 from October 2 at 5:00 p.m. to October 3 at 8:00 p.m. Pacific time. A US$4.99 ticket adds Timed Research worth 25,000 XP, 6,400 Max Particles and a Max Mushroom, plus 2× XP from Max Battles.
Astronaut Pikachu and Zorua Community Day: October 4 to 10
World Space Week (October 4 to 10)
Runs: Sun, Oct 4, 12:00 a.m. to Sat, Oct 10, 11:59 p.m. · Debut: Astronaut Pikachu · Research deadline: Mon, Oct 12, 11:59 p.m.
A new costume, Astronaut Pikachu, arrives for World Space Week as part of a Pokémon partnership with the European Space Agency to promote space exploration. It appears in one-star raids, the easiest raid tier, and its Shiny form is available from the first day.
Free Timed Research also includes an Astronaut Pikachu encounter. Finish the tasks and claim the rewards before Monday, October 12, at 11:59 p.m., two days after the event itself closes.
Zorua Community Day (October 10)
Time: Sat, Oct 10, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. · Exclusive move: Sucker Punch on Zoroark · Special Research: US$1.99
Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokémon, is the October Community Day Pokémon, and both Shiny Zorua and Zorua with a Special Background can appear. Evolve Zorua during the event or within four hours after it ends, so by 9:00 p.m., to get a Zoroark that knows the Fast Attack Sucker Punch.
These bonuses run from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.:
- 3× XP for catching Pokémon
- 2× Candy for catching Pokémon
- 2× chance of Candy XL from catches for Trainers level 31 and up
- Three-hour Incense, except Daily Adventure Incense
- Snapshot surprises when you take photos during the event
These run longer, from 2:00 to 9:00 p.m.:
- One-hour Lure Modules that attract Zorua
- One extra Special Trade, for a maximum of two that day
- 50% less Stardust for trades
The US$1.99 Special Research ticket includes three Zorua encounters with a Special Background, a Premium Battle Pass and a Rare Candy XL. It can be gifted to friends at Great Friend level or higher.
Fall Marathon and Sandile Hatch Day: October 13 to 19
Fall Marathon: Buddy Trek (October 13 to 19)
Runs: Tue, Oct 13, 10:00 a.m. to Mon, Oct 19, 8:00 p.m. · Debut: Bramblin · Shiny boost: Electrike
Bramblin debuts during Fall Marathon: Buddy Trek, through GO Pass tasks and Incense. Wild spawns include Ponyta, Doduo, Electrike and Blitzle, with Skarmory possible, and Shiny Electrike odds are raised all week. From October 16 at 10:00 a.m., Incense also has a better chance of Shiny Hisuian Growlithe.
Free Timed Research rewards 16,800 XP and an encounter with Pikachu wearing a marathon visor. Rank 20 of the event GO Pass gives 5× Mega Energy from exploring with Electrike or Manectric as your buddy once you have Mega Evolved Manectric. Deluxe costs US$4.99, or US$6.99 with six ranks.
Sandile Hatch Day (October 17)
Time: Sat, Oct 17, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. · Bonuses: 1/2 hatch distance, 2× hatch Candy · Ticket: US$1.99
Sandile hatches far more often from 2 km Eggs for six hours, with a higher Shiny chance. Spinning PokéStops gives 2 km Eggs more often, and hatch distance is halved. The hatch bonus does not stack with bonuses from other events or GO Passes.
Free research gives an Incubator and XP. The US$1.99 ticket cuts hatch distance to a quarter instead of a half and adds research with a Star Piece and two Super Incubators.
Halloween 2026 Part I and the Last Week of October
Dynamax Max Battle Day (October 24)
Time: Sat, Oct 24, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. · Featured Pokémon: Not yet announced
A second Max Battle Day is set for Saturday, October 24, this time for a Dynamax Pokémon. The featured Pokémon has not been named. The Twilight Trails season plan lists Dynamax Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf for a Max Battle Day this season, without giving a date.
The October 3 Max Battle Day raised the Max Particle cap to 1,600 for three hours and switched on extra Power Spots. If October 24 follows the same format, it is worth banking Max Particles in the days before.
Halloween 2026 Part I (October 27 to 31)
Runs: Tue, Oct 27, 10:00 a.m. to Sat, Oct 31, 8:00 p.m. · Part II: Nov 1 to Nov 5 · Details: Not yet announced
The annual Halloween event returns in two parts. Part I runs from Tuesday, October 27, to Saturday, October 31, and Part II from Sunday, November 1, at 10:00 a.m. to Thursday, November 5, at 8:00 p.m. Spawns, costumes and bonuses have not been announced.
Ghost types already show up late in the month: Mega Sableye takes over Mega Raids on October 28, Dynamax Sableye is the Max Monday Pokémon on October 26, and Gastly is the Spotlight Hour Pokémon on October 29.
Super Mega Raid Day (October 31)
Time: Sat, Oct 31, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. · Featured Mega: Not yet announced
Halloween itself brings a Super Mega Raid Day. Super Mega Raids are the toughest Mega Raids in the game, built for a group of at least eight Trainers who each bring at least one Mega-Evolved Pokémon.
The featured Mega has not been named yet. The same weekend, from 12:00 a.m. on October 31 to 11:59 p.m. on November 1, there is no daily limit on how many GO Points you can earn.
October 2026 Raid Schedule: Legendary, Mega and Shadow Bosses
Raid bosses change on Wednesday mornings at 6:00 a.m., and each Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. a Raid Hour fills gyms with that week’s Legendary. Here is the full rotation:
| Dates | Five-star raids | Mega Raids | Raid Hour (Wed, 6 to 7 p.m.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30 to Oct 6 | Xerneas | Mega Victreebel | Sep 30: Xerneas |
| Oct 7 to Oct 13 | Yveltal | Mega Blastoise | Oct 7: Yveltal |
| Oct 14 to Oct 20 | Dialga | Mega Dragonite | Oct 14: Dialga |
| Oct 21 to Oct 27 | Palkia | Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y | Oct 21: Palkia |
| Oct 28 to Nov 3 | Giratina (Origin Forme) | Mega Sableye | Oct 28: Giratina (Origin Forme) |
Five-star Shadow Raids run on weekends only. Shadow Thundurus (Incarnate Forme) has its last weekend on October 3 and 4, then Shadow Landorus (Incarnate Forme) takes over every weekend from October 7 to November 3, with a chance at a Shiny.
Max Mondays run from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with more active Power Spots that refresh more often and a different Dynamax Pokémon each week:
- October 5: Dynamax Sizzlipede
- October 12: Dynamax Rookidee
- October 19: Dynamax Sneasel
- October 26: Dynamax Sableye
Pokémon GO Spotlight Hours in October: Thursdays at 6 p.m.
Every October Spotlight Hour falls on a Thursday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. One Pokémon spawns far more often for the hour, and its bonus applies to all Pokémon, not only the featured one:
| Date | Featured Pokémon | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Oct 1 | Seedot | 2× Catch XP |
| Thursday, Oct 8 | Elgyem | 2× Catch Candy |
| Thursday, Oct 15 | Stufful | 2× Transfer Candy |
| Thursday, Oct 22 | Morelull | 2× Catch Stardust |
| Thursday, Oct 29 | Gastly | 2× Evolution XP |
The bonus is the reason to plan around these hours. Stufful’s 2× Transfer Candy on October 15 is the time to clear storage, and Gastly’s 2× Evolution XP on October 29 doubles XP for every evolution, not only Gastly’s, so save a backlog of evolutions for that hour.
GO Pass: October and Twilight Trails Season Bonuses
GO Pass: October runs from October 6 at 10:00 a.m. to November 3 at 10:00 a.m. Its featured Pokémon is Kyogre, which can be Shiny, and the free track includes a Rare Candy XL, a Premium Battle Pass and a Lucky Egg. Deluxe costs US$7.99, or US$9.99 with 10 ranks, and adds a Lucky Trinket and a Super Incubator. The Lucky Trinket expires on November 8 at 11:59 p.m.
The Twilight Trails season, which runs from September 8 to December 1 at 10:00 a.m., ties four milestone bonuses to GO Pass rank:
- Rank 1: extra Candy from trades, plus a guaranteed Candy XL for Trainers level 31 and up
- Rank 25: higher daily gift limits
- Rank 50: 2× Daily Adventure Incense duration
- Rank 75: more XP and Stardust from hatching Eggs
The season is also bringing Paldea Pokémon such as Maschiff and Mabosstiff to the game for the first time, plus Mega Staraptor and Mega Chandelure. Ten years after launch, Pokémon GO still ranks among the best-selling mobile games of all time.
In the US, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration runs until October 20 at 10:00 p.m., a nod to the trading card game’s anniversary within the wider Pokémon franchise. Mega Gengar appears more often in Mega Raids at participating Best Buy, GameStop and Target stores, and Pokémon GO gift cards from those retailers redeemed by October 31 add a Gengar Knit Cap avatar item.
October Deadlines That Are Easy to Miss
Several October rewards have a claim window that ends at a different time from the event itself:
- Shadow Zekrom: claim GO Pass: Harvest Festival rewards by Wednesday, October 7, at 8:00 p.m.
- Astronaut Pikachu: finish and claim the World Space Week research by Monday, October 12, at 11:59 p.m.
- Sucker Punch Zoroark: evolve Zorua by 9:00 p.m. on October 10.
- Shiny Hisuian Growlithe: the boosted odds apply only to Incense, from October 16 at 10:00 a.m. to October 19 at 8:00 p.m.
- Unlimited GO Points: October 31 and November 1 only.
- TCG 30th Celebration research: complete it by November 20 at 10:00 p.m.
Early November Pokémon GO Events
A few October events spill into November, and the next dates are already set:
- Halloween 2026 Part II: November 1 at 10:00 a.m. to November 5 at 8:00 p.m.
- GO Pass: October ends: November 3 at 10:00 a.m.
- Last day for Giratina, Mega Sableye and Shadow Landorus raids: November 3, until 10:00 p.m.
- November Community Day: Saturday, November 21
- Twilight Trails season ends: December 1 at 10:00 a.m.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Pokémon GO Community Day in October 2026?
October Community Day is Saturday, October 10, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. local time, featuring Zorua. Evolve Zorua by 9:00 p.m. to get Zoroark with the exclusive Fast Attack Sucker Punch.
What time is Spotlight Hour in Pokémon GO?
In October 2026, Spotlight Hour runs on Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. local time. It features Seedot, Elgyem, Stufful, Morelull and Gastly, each with a different bonus.
When does the Pokémon GO Halloween 2026 event start?
Halloween 2026 Part I starts on Tuesday, October 27, at 10:00 a.m. and ends on Saturday, October 31, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Part II runs from November 1 to November 5.
How do you get Shadow Zekrom in Pokémon GO?
Earn a Super Rocket Radar through GO Pass: Harvest Festival between October 2 and 5, use it to find Giovanni at a PokéStop, and defeat him for the chance to rescue Shadow Zekrom. Claim the GO Pass rewards by October 7 at 8:00 p.m.
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