Kirby Air Riders | Nintendo Cancels “Trick or Treat!” Halloween Event Over Freezes

The limited-time City Trial event is pulled after widespread screen-freeze reports; Ghost headwear and rewards will return later.

Kirby Air Riders players hoping to grind the new Halloween-themed City Trial event for exclusive Ghost headwear and materials received abrupt news on October 30, 2026. Nintendo Support confirmed an issue in the ongoing “Trick or Treat!” event that caused the screen to freeze temporarily during gameplay. The company cancelled the event outright rather than leave players dealing with the disruption.

Originally scheduled to run through early November, the event added Halloween décor to menus and the Paddock while introducing high-intensity City Trial matches that dropped large numbers of items. Multiple players shared footage of freezes mid-race, with the game continuing in the background while the local screen locked up—disastrous in a mode built on constant boosts and chaos. Nintendo apologised and stated it intends to hold the event again in the future so players can still earn the rewards. No new date has been given.

This is a rare public cancellation of a first-party live event. Kirby Air Riders (developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch 2) has generally been stable, so the sudden freeze under heavy item load is notable. Fans who already completed part of the event keep any progress earned, but those still chasing the full set of cosmetics will need to wait for the rescheduled version. The rest of the game’s seasonal décor (including the longer-running autumn Skyah theme) remains unaffected.

Nintendo’s willingness to pull the event quickly rather than ship a temporary patch or leave it broken is consistent with its usual quality standards, even if it frustrates players mid-event. Watch for a formal update once the technical issue is resolved.

UPCOMING NINTENDO RELEASES: (As of October 30, 2026) 

November 2026:

• Games & DLC:
  • (NS2) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | November 5, 2026
  • (NS2) Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy | November 12, 2026
• amiibo:
  • Noir Dedede & Hydra amiibo (Kirby Air Riders) | November 12, 2026
  • Sword Kirby & Dragoon amiibo (Kirby Air Riders) | November 12, 2026

December 2026:

• Games & DLC:
  • (NS2) Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition | December 3, 2026 (Digital & Physical)

Holiday / Late 2026:

• Games & DLC:
  • (NS2 DLC) Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Expansion Pass Wave 2 | Holiday 2026
  • (DLC) Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass: Part 2 | Late 2026

January 2027:

• Games & DLC:
  • (NS2) Metroid Ravenous | January 28, 2027
• amiibo:
  • Chozo amiibo (Metroid Ravenous) | January 28, 2027
  • Samus amiibo (Metroid Ravenous) | January 28, 2027
  • Samus (Metroid Suit) amiibo (Metroid Ravenous) | January 28, 2027

February 2027:

• Games & DLC:
  • (NS2) Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – Definitive Edition | February 25, 2027

2027 Onwards:

• Games & DLC:
  • (NS2) Kirby and the World Beyond | Spring 2027
  • (NS2) Pokémon Wind and Pokémon Waves | 2027
  • (NS2 DLC) Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass: Part 3 | 2027
  • (NS2 DLC) Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Expansion Pass Wave 3 | 2027
  • (NS2) Xenoblade Genesis | 2027
• amiibo:
  • Mega Man amiibo (Mega Man: Dual Override) | Spring 2027
  • Proto Man amiibo (Mega Man: Dual Override) | Spring 2027
  • Young Link amiibo (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) | 2027
  • Young Zelda amiibo (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) | 2027

Source: Nintendo via Nintendo Life