Pokémon Sleep Halloween 2026: Expected Dates, Event Predictions & How to Prepare

Pokémon Sleep has held a Halloween event called Halloween: Double Candy Research every year since 2023.

Halloween 2026 has not been officially announced yet, but based on the event schedule from previous years, there is a good chance that another Halloween event will be held this year.

In this article, I’ll use the 2024 and 2025 Halloween events to predict when Halloween 2026 could take place and what event bonuses we might see.

I’ll also cover what you can start doing now to prepare, assuming the event is similar to Halloween 2025.

Note: Halloween 2026 has not been officially announced as of this writing. Any information about the 2026 event is a prediction based on previous events and will be updated once official details are released.

When Will Pokémon Sleep Halloween 2026 Take Place?

If Pokémon Sleep holds another Halloween event in 2026, I expect it to run from Monday, October 26 to Sunday, November 1, 2026.

The previous two Halloween events were held on the following dates:

• Halloween 2024: October 28 (Monday) – November 3 (Sunday)
• Halloween 2025: October 27 (Monday) – November 2 (Sunday)

Both events ran for one full week, from Monday through Sunday, and included Halloween itself on October 31.

If Pokémon Sleep follows the same schedule in 2026, October 26 to November 1 would be the most natural date range.

Of course, the event has not been announced yet, so the dates and event format could still change.

Halloween 2024 vs. Halloween 2025

The previous two Halloween events give us a useful baseline for predicting what could happen in 2026.

Although some of the exact bonuses changed between 2024 and 2025, the overall structure of the Halloween event remained similar.

Most importantly, increased Candy from sleep research has been one of the defining features of the event.

For that reason, Halloween 2025 is a reasonable starting point when thinking about what Halloween 2026 might look like.

However, we should not assume that every bonus will automatically be stronger than the previous year.

For example, the Ghost-type Main Skill activation bonus dropped from 1.5× in 2024 to 1.25× in 2025, while the Main Skill level bonus increased from +1 to +3.

The exact numbers can change from year to year, so we will need to wait for the official announcement before making any final preparation decisions.

What Could Happen During Halloween 2026?

2× and 3× Candy Bonuses Could Return

One of the biggest bonuses to expect from Halloween 2026 is increased Candy from sleep research.

In both 2024 and 2025, Candy earned through sleep research was doubled on regular event days and tripled on October 31 and the final day of the event.

Since increased Candy is a core part of the Double Candy Research event, it is reasonable to expect a similar bonus if the same event format returns in 2026.

This can be especially useful for Pokémon whose Candy is normally difficult to collect.

If you can encounter the right Pokémon during the event, Halloween can become a good opportunity to stock up on Candy for future training.

Ghost-type Pokémon Will Likely Receive Event Bonuses Again

Previous Halloween events have also provided several bonuses specifically for Ghost-type Pokémon.

During Halloween 2025, Ghost-type Pokémon gathered one additional Ingredient, had their Main Skill activation chance multiplied by 1.25, and received a +3 Main Skill level bonus.

Bluk Berries were also guaranteed to be one of Snorlax’s favorite Berries, making Ghost-type Pokémon easier to use during the event.

If Ghost-type Pokémon remain the focus of Halloween 2026, similar bonuses are likely to return.

However, the exact multipliers and bonuses may change, so there is no need to commit valuable training resources before the official event details are announced.

Will a New Ghost-type Pokémon Be Added?

There is a reasonable chance that Halloween 2026 will introduce another Ghost-type Pokémon.

The previous two events added:

• 2024: Mimikyu
• 2025: Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist

Since new Ghost-type Pokémon have been introduced during Halloween for two consecutive years, another addition in 2026 would not be surprising.

However, there is currently not enough information to make a meaningful prediction about which Pokémon could be added.

Rather than preparing for a specific Pokémon that may never arrive, it makes more sense to wait for the official announcement, check its Pokémon Sleep stats and role, and then decide whether it is worth catching and training.

Could We Get Another Halloween-Costumed Pokémon?

Halloween events have also introduced special-costume Pokémon.

In 2024, a Halloween-costumed Pikachu was introduced, followed by a Halloween-costumed Eevee in 2025.

If this pattern continues, we could see another new Halloween-costumed Pokémon in 2026.

Previous Halloween-costumed Pokémon may also return, giving players another chance to catch ones they missed in earlier events.

At this point, however, there is no reliable way to predict which Pokémon could receive a new Halloween costume. It is better to wait for the official announcement rather than prepare for a specific Pokémon.

Will Halloween 2026 Add a New Ingredient?

Halloween 2025 introduced Large Leek? alongside Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist—

Actually, the important new ingredient Plump Pumpkin was the Halloween-themed ingredient introduced with Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist. However, I do not expect Pokémon Sleep to necessarily add another new ingredient for Halloween 2026.

The 2025 ingredient was designed with a relatively specialized role rather than simply replacing existing Ingredients across every top-tier recipe.

We have also seen a similar approach with newer Ingredients such as Avocado. A new Ingredient does not necessarily create a new strongest recipe in every meal category—for example, Avocado is not used in Desserts/Drinks.

This suggests that new Ingredients can be added without immediately making older Ingredients and recipes obsolete.

For that reason, I currently think Halloween 2026 is more likely to focus on Pokémon and event bonuses rather than introducing another new Ingredient.

This is only a prediction, and a new Ingredient could still be added. For now, however, there is no reason to prepare around the assumption that one will appear.

How to Prepare for Pokémon Sleep Halloween 2026

You Do Not Need to Rush Ghost-type Pokémon Training

If Halloween 2026 provides bonuses similar to Halloween 2025, having strong Ghost-type Pokémon will certainly be useful.

However, I do not think you need to rush Ghost-type Pokémon hunting and training specifically for Halloween.

One reason is that the current Ghost-type roster is not particularly easy to hunt efficiently.

Banette is a useful Berry specialist, but Shuppet and Banette are available on a limited number of research areas, which makes consistently hunting for a strong Shuppet more difficult.

Mimikyu is also a strong enough Pokémon to consider using, but it requires 16 friendship points to befriend. Catching enough Mimikyu to find a strong individual can therefore consume a large number of Biscuits.

Drifloon and Drifblim are more specialized Pokémon. Their performance can depend heavily on how you use their Main Skill, and investing in them may also require valuable Main Skill Seeds.

Because of this, they are not Pokémon I would recommend every player prioritize solely to prepare for Halloween.

Overall, there is little reason to spend large amounts of resources trying to complete a Ghost-type team before the event begins.

Halloween Itself Can Be a Good Time to Hunt Ghost-type Pokémon

Another reason not to rush is that the Halloween event itself is likely to be one of the better opportunities to hunt Ghost-type Pokémon.

Previous Halloween events increased the appearance rates of Ghost-type Pokémon.

If a similar bonus returns in 2026, players should have more opportunities to encounter Pokémon such as Shuppet, Banette, Mimikyu, and other featured Ghost types during the event itself.

The increased Candy from sleep research is also important.

Instead of trying to finish both hunting and training your Ghost-type Pokémon before Halloween, you can use the event to hunt for better Pokémon while collecting extra Candy for future training at the same time.

This makes Halloween different from an event where you need to have a fully trained team ready before the first day.

If you already have a strong Ghost-type Pokémon, it can certainly be useful. But if you do not, there is no need to force the issue before the event.

If You Want to Hunt Now, Banette and Mimikyu Are Good Candidates

If you still want to prepare a Ghost-type Pokémon before Halloween, Banette and Mimikyu are two reasonable candidates.

Banette is a Berry specialist, so it can benefit directly if Bluk Berries are once again guaranteed to be one of Snorlax’s favorite Berries.

A strong Banette can therefore contribute to Snorlax Strength during the event without relying entirely on the temporary Main Skill bonuses.

Mimikyu is harder to hunt because of its 16 friendship-point requirement, but its performance is good enough that a strong individual can still be worth considering.

Neither Pokémon is mandatory for Halloween 2026.

Rather than changing your entire research plan or spending large amounts of Biscuits just for Halloween, it is reasonable to hunt them when you naturally have a good opportunity to do so.

Save Some Biscuits for the Event

One of the most useful things you can do before Halloween is make sure you have enough Biscuits available.

Halloween 2024 introduced Mimikyu, while Halloween 2025 introduced Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist along with a new Halloween-costumed Pokémon.

If Halloween 2026 follows a similar pattern, there could once again be new Pokémon or a new Halloween-costumed Pokémon that you want to catch multiple times.

This is especially important if you plan to hunt for a strong individual. Running out of Poké Biscuits and other Biscuits during the event could make it much harder to take advantage of the increased appearance rates.

There is no need to save every Biscuit you obtain between now and Halloween, but keeping a reasonable supply available before the event begins is a simple and useful way to prepare.

You Can Save Valuable Training Resources Until the Official Announcement

There is also no need to spend valuable training resources specifically for Halloween before the event details are announced.

This includes resources such as:

• Handy Candy
• Dream Shards
• Main Skill Seeds

Ghost-type Pokémon are likely to receive event bonuses again, but we do not yet know exactly what those bonuses will be in 2026.

There is also a possibility that a new Ghost-type Pokémon will be introduced.

If you spend a large amount of resources on an existing Ghost-type Pokémon now, you may have fewer options available if a new Pokémon you want to train is announced later.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with continuing to train a Pokémon that you already use regularly.

The point is simply that you do not need to invest heavily in a Pokémon only because you expect it to be useful during Halloween.

Waiting for the official announcement will give you more information before making that decision.

Keep the Holiday Event in Mind Too

If you are deciding where to invest your training resources over the next few months, it is worth looking beyond Halloween.

If Pokémon Sleep follows its usual seasonal schedule, another Holiday event is likely to take place roughly two months after Halloween.

Previous Holiday events have given Ice-type Pokémon major advantages, making strong Ice-type Pokémon especially useful during the event.

This is another reason not to spend too many resources building a Ghost-type team solely for Halloween.

Halloween itself is likely to give you opportunities to encounter more Ghost-type Pokémon while also earning additional Candy from sleep research. In other words, the event can help you hunt Ghost types and collect some of the resources needed to train them at the same time.

If you are thinking about your team over a longer period, saving resources for Pokémon that will remain useful beyond Halloween—or preparing for later events such as Holiday—can be a better use of limited resources.

You do not need to have a complete Ghost-type team ready before Halloween begins.

Final Thoughts

Halloween 2026 has not been officially announced yet, but based on previous years, October 26 to November 1, 2026 is a reasonable prediction for the event period.

If the event follows the same general format as Halloween 2025, we can expect increased Candy from sleep research, bonuses for Ghost-type Pokémon, increased Ghost-type appearances, and potentially a new Pokémon or Halloween-costumed Pokémon.

However, there is no need to rush Ghost-type hunting and training just for this event.

If you happen to find a strong Shuppet or Mimikyu before Halloween, they can certainly be worth considering. But previous Halloween events have already made Ghost-type Pokémon easier to encounter while providing increased Candy from sleep research.

For most players, a practical approach is to keep some Biscuits and valuable training resources available, continue building useful Pokémon normally, and wait for the official Halloween 2026 announcement before making any major investments.

Once the official details for Halloween 2026 are announced, this article will be updated with the confirmed event bonuses, featured Pokémon, and any other new information.