Dressing up our vehicles for Halloween has become a bit of an annual ritual. Every fall, the list of tricks gets longer, the treats get better, and the response from our community gets a little more electric.

So for 2026, we decided to call in backup. We’ve collaborated with Sony Pictures to bring the Ghostbusters universe to all Rivian vehicles. Starting tomorrow, an over-the-air software update rolls out to transform every Rivian into a ghost-hunting machine. Turn on Halloween Mode for sounds, lights and clues that unlock hidden characters and even a few unexpected surprises.

Ghostbusters is the centerpiece of a season-long celebration that extends beyond the software, featuring a new campaign, retail space and community events, and full-scale Ecto-R1 builds popping up across the country. We also asked one of the only men who’s answered this particular call before to help us launch it… Ghostbusters legend Bill Murray.

Ghostbusters App

This year, Halloween Mode gets its own dedicated Ghostbusters in-vehicle app that pulls together everything spooky we’ve built for the season in one place. Open it while parked and your driver display instantly transforms; switch it on before driving and key visual cues stay active, saving the full feature set for when you put the vehicle in Park. A single red toggle switch controls the entire experience—syncing interior lighting, themed audio, and exterior displays the moment you flip it.

Engage Trick or Treat Mode and your driver and rear displays are taken over, the Ghostbusters theme song starts playing, and the exterior lights and sound effects switch over to match. You can customize the track or exterior effects right from the center display. Most of this doesn’t require you to be in the vehicle at all. The Rivian app carries the same controls in your pocket—Trick or Treat, exterior effects, music, sound effects and more!

What’s Inside the Update

Lights & Sounds Select between Ecto-1, Proton Pack, Slimer, Ghost Trap, Peter Venkman, or Random. Each pairs custom exterior LED sequences with iconic soundscapes. Trigger a show on demand or enable Motion Mode to let your vehicle react whenever someone walks past.

Custom Lock Sounds Swap your lock sound to Ecto-1 on R1 Gen 1 or choose between Ecto-1, Proton Pack, or Chant on R1 Gen 2 and R2.

Scavenger Hunt Interactive clue cards send you hunting for hidden characters tucked inside familiar screens—Drive Modes, Gear Guard settings, side cameras, and the Energy app. Uncovering a Ghost Guard or Slimer character triggers a unique animation and audio.

Voice Assistant Rivian Assistant picks up a distinctively eerie tone for the season. Ask it to run an exterior light show, read a hunt clue, or play a specific sound effect.

‘Mallow Mash A center-screen arcade experience where you pop Mini-Pufts marshmallow men against the clock while parked.

Answering the Call

A launch this spooky meant calling in an expert, so we tapped a familiar face to help us handle a little local paranormal activity. In a new spot out today, original Ghostbuster, Bill Murray, answered the call to help us clear out an unwanted guest.

The spot opens on Halloween eve in a quiet suburban house caught in supernatural chaos, with lights flickering and the original green ghoul, Slimer himself, chomping his way through what's left of the fridge. But just as things reach a tipping point, a familiar siren outside catches the spirit's attention. When you need the big guns, you call the original.

To make sure we captured the Ghostbusters universe in all its glory, we partnered with film director Gil Kenan, Co-Writer of Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Director/Co-Writer of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, and worked with Bob Industries to produce it.

Reimagining an Icon: The Ecto-R1

Creating a physical homage to the Ecto-1 was a no-brainer, though designing Ecto-R1 required a delicate balance: honoring the 1984 classic while staying true to the Rivian design language.

The build starts from the ground up: 22" Aero wheels with their covers painted white and the wheels brightened from their usual dark finish to a bright silver, a nod to the chrome hub caps on the original car. A signature red graphic sweeps across the body line, anchored by the iconic No-Ghost logo on the hood and front doors.

The roof rack is where our design team really leaned into the details. While every functional accessory including the sirens, spotlights, radar dish, and side tanks mirrors the original film car, the rack structure itself is pure Rivian with its distinctive stadium silhouette. We also integrated a subtle compass design visible only from a top-down view. While the vintage emergency lights were sourced and restored, the custom frame and every accessory housing were fabricated in-house by our Special Projects team.

Paranormal Architecture

Bringing a cinematic universe into our vehicles is only possible because of Rivian’s end-to-end, vertically integrated hardware and software architecture. Our in-house tech stack allows us to seamlessly push creative, real-time experiences straight to the vehicle's displays, lighting, and sound systems. It’s a playful showcase of our vertical integration, highlighting that the same technology powering your daily drive can turn your vehicle into something entirely unexpected.

“Everyone remembers where they were when they saw Ghostbusters for the first time. Bridging that nostalgic magic with our vehicles was such a dream project for the team. We wanted to give owners that same sense of childhood wonder. Having control over every pixel, light and speaker let us turn the vehicle into an immersive playground that brings those movies to life in a really unique way.” — Wassym Bensaid, Chief Software Officer

Join the Celebration

There's no shortage of ways to celebrate with the Rivian community this season.

Our retail spaces in Laguna Beach, Austin, Venice, Miami Brickell, San Francisco, and New York City Meatpacking District are throwing local celebrations featuring the physical Ecto-R1 builds on display, limited-edition merch, and themed refreshments to match the occasion. Beyond our spaces, catch us at the NYC Village Halloween Parade, our Menchie's Frozen Yogurt popup in Los Angeles, and more!

Check out our full lineup of events hereOpens in new tab.

How to Get the Update

To access these features, ensure your vehicle software and Rivian mobile app are updated to the latest versions (R2 is 2026.36.40 version and R1 is 2026.36.0.). Once updated, a prompt will appear on your driver display asking if you'd like to “hunt some ghosts,” taking you straight to the Ghostbusters app.

Halloween Mode is live from October 9 through November 2, 2026. So grab your friends, family, neighbors, and enjoy some good, old-fashioned ghost hunting!