Rivian Ghostbusters is this year’s Halloween theme. Starting October 9, owners can turn their R1T, R1S, or R2 into what Rivian software chief Wassym Bensaid calls “Ecto-R1 or Ecto-R2”, a nod to the Ecto-1 the Ghostbusters drive in the films.
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
The costume rides on software 2026.36, which started rolling out to R1 and R2 today. That is the same update that brought Pet Cam to the R2 and Rivian Assistant to the R2, along with Gmail and secondary Google Calendar support for the Assistant. The image Bensaid posted shows an R2 center display reading “Ecto-R2 is now on software version 2026.36.”
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.
Because the teaser lives inside 2026.36, installing that update before Friday looks like the safest way to be ready on October 9. Rivian hasn’t said whether the theme switches on remotely that day or arrives in a follow-up download.
What Rivian hasn’t said yet
Rivian hasn’t published a feature list. There’s no word yet on exterior light shows, sounds, whether the theme song is included, whether it only runs in Park, or how long it stays available. Neither Rivian nor Sony has put out a formal announcement with the details of the deal.
What we do know is 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?
Bensaid says owners can turn their vehicles into Ecto-R1 or Ecto-R2 on October 9, 2026. Rivian’s teaser video shows the same date.
Which Rivians get the Ghostbusters theme?
Bensaid names both Ecto-R1 and Ecto-R2, and the Halloween clue appears in the 2026.36 notes for R1T and R1S (Gen 1 and Gen 2) and the R2. Rivian hasn’t said whether every effect works on every model.
Is it officially licensed?
Yes. Rivian’s teaser carries a copyright notice from Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, part of Sony Pictures, which owns Ghostbusters.
Do I need software 2026.36?
Rivian ties Ecto-R2 to 2026.36 in Bensaid’s image, and the clue is in the 2026.36 release notes. Install it when your vehicle offers it.
We’ll update this post once Rivian lists exactly what the Ghostbusters theme does. For now, the date is set and the clue is already sitting in your release notes.
