Updated Oct 13: Rivian Ghostbusters Halloween Mode went live on October 9 and runs through November 2.
Since October 9, owners have been able to turn an R1T, R1S, or R2 into what Rivian software chief Wassym Bensaid calls “Ecto-R1 or Ecto-R2”. Rivian’s October 8 story said the theme was a collaboration with Sony Pictures, and the page carries a copyright line for Columbia TriStar Marketing Group.
Rivian teased it on X Wednesday morning with a 12-second clip captioned “There’s something strange coming to your neighborhood. Stay tuned.” The video puts the Ghostbusters no-ghost logo on the door of a white Rivian, then cuts to “10.09.26” and “Who you gonna call?” It also carries a copyright line for Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, the marketing arm of Sony Pictures, which owns Ghostbusters. That makes this an officially licensed theme from the studio, not a fan-made lookalike. Bensaid quoted the teaser with a simple “This year’s halloween will be epic!”
How it gets to your Rivian
Rivian said an R1 needs software 2026.36.0 and an R2 needs 2026.36.40, and the Rivian mobile app has to be on the latest version too. Owners who already took the 2026.36 line for Pet Cam and Rivian Assistant on the R2 should match those build numbers. Bensaid’s earlier image still shows an R2 center display reading “Ecto-R2 is now on software version 2026.36.” Once the build Rivian names is installed, the driver display asks if you’d like to “hunt some ghosts” and opens the Ghostbusters app.
Rivian also hid the clue in the release notes. The 2026.36 notes for Gen 1 and Gen 2 R1 and for the R2 all end with a short poem: “Find the new app with a ghost and a slash, and turn your drive into a Halloween bash. Trick-or-treat mode answers once and for all, the spookiest question: ‘Who ya gonna call?’” So expect a new Ghostbusters-branded app on the center display and a trick-or-treat mode.
What Halloween Mode actually does
Halloween Mode has its own Ghostbusters app. Open it while parked and the driver display changes over. Turn it on before a drive and the key visuals stay up, with the full feature set waiting until the vehicle is back in Park. A single red toggle syncs the interior lighting, the themed audio, and the exterior displays.
Trick or Treat Mode takes over the driver display and the rear displays, starts the Ghostbusters theme song, and switches the exterior lights and sound effects to match. You pick the track and the exterior effects on the center screen. The Rivian phone app carries Trick or Treat, exterior effects, music, and sound effects, so the show runs from outside the vehicle. Rivian’s photos also show a watch screen labeled Venkman with Trick-or-Treat switched on, and Slimer lying on the charge bar of the driver display while the vehicle charges.
The light and sound themes are Ecto-1, Proton Pack, Slimer, Ghost Trap, Peter Venkman, and Random. Each one pairs an exterior LED sequence with its own sounds. Trigger a show on demand, or turn on Motion Mode and the vehicle reacts when someone walks past.
Lock sounds depend on the hardware. An R1 Gen 1 can use Ecto-1. An R1 Gen 2 and the R2 can use Ecto-1, Proton Pack, or Chant.
Clue cards send owners looking for characters hidden in Drive Modes, Gear Guard, the side cameras, and the Energy app. Finding a Ghost Guard or a Slimer plays that character’s animation and audio. Rivian Assistant picks up an eerie voice for the season and can run a light show, read a hunt clue, or play a sound. Rivian says Assistant requires a Connect+ subscription. In Park, ‘Mallow Mash is a center-screen game about popping Mini-Pufts against the clock.
The Bill Murray spot and the Ecto-R1
The spot went up on Rivian’s YouTube channel on October 8, with Bill Murray as the original Ghostbuster. Rivian sets it on Halloween eve, in a quiet house with the lights flickering and Slimer eating through the fridge, until a siren outside gets his attention. Rivian made it with Gil Kenan, co-writer of Ghostbusters: Afterlife and director and co-writer of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, and with Bob Industries.
The Ecto-R1 builds are full-scale display vehicles. Rivian’s photos show an R1S, with the 1984 car’s equipment on the roof. They use 22-inch Aero wheels with the covers painted white and the wheels finished bright silver. A red graphic runs the body, and the No-Ghost logo sits on the hood and the front doors. The rack carries sirens, spotlights, a radar dish, and side tanks on Rivian’s stadium-shaped frame, plus a compass that shows only from above. Rivian says the emergency lights are restored vintage pieces, and the Special Projects team fabricated the frame and the accessory housings.
Those builds are at Rivian spaces in Laguna Beach, Austin, Venice, Miami Brickell, San Francisco, and the New York City Meatpacking District, with limited-edition merch and themed refreshments. Rivian also lists the NYC Village Halloween Parade and a Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt popup in Los Angeles. The list is on Rivian’s Halloween page.
Wassym Bensaid, in Rivian’s story: “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.”
It also fits the track record. Rivian calls this its “fifth year of fear.” In 2024 it licensed Knight Rider and Back to the Future for its first Car Costumes, and last year it went with its own Spooky Swamp theme. Its Halloween modes have also been temporary in past years, so plan on a limited window.
Tesla shipped its own Halloween Mode in update 2026.38.3 this week, but a licensed movie car is a different kind of flex.
FAQ
When does the Rivian Ghostbusters update arrive?
It arrived on October 9, 2026, and Halloween Mode runs through November 2.
Which Rivians get the Ghostbusters theme?
Rivian names the R1 and the R2, which covers the R1T and R1S. The builds are 2026.36.0 on the R1 and 2026.36.40 on the R2. Lock sounds split by hardware: Ecto-1 on an R1 Gen 1, and Ecto-1, Proton Pack, or Chant on an R1 Gen 2 and the R2.
Is it officially licensed?
Yes. Rivian says it collaborated with Sony Pictures, and the story is copyrighted by Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. Gil Kenan and Bob Industries worked on the Bill Murray spot.
Do I need software 2026.36?
Yes, at the build Rivian names. An R1 needs 2026.36.0 and an R2 needs 2026.36.40, and the Rivian mobile app needs to be updated. The driver display then asks if you’d like to “hunt some ghosts.”
Halloween Mode went live on October 9 and comes down on November 2. Get an R1 to 2026.36.0 or an R2 to 2026.36.40, answer the prompt on the driver display, and the red toggle does the rest.