The spooky season brings a new twist to Pokémon GO’s Battle League as the Halloween Cup 2025 returns, offering two themed competitions: Little League and Great League editions. Whether you’re aiming for rank progression or simply love the Halloween theme, this limited-time PvP event will test your team-building skills like never before.
Pokemon Go Halloween Cup 2025 Event Dates and Schedule
The Halloween Cup: Great League Edition kicks off on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, and runs until Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at 8:00 PM local time.
While both the Little and Great League variants share the same theme, only the Great League Edition will be available for a full week. After this event ends, Pokémon GO will return to its standard Great, Ultra, and Master League schedule.
What Makes the Halloween Cup Special This Year
The Halloween Cup is one of Pokémon GO’s most popular seasonal Battle League challenges, designed around a spooky theme that restricts which Pokémon can participate. Trainers must adapt their usual strategies, as only specific types are eligible to enter.
This event is part of the Halloween 2025 celebration, which also includes in-game décor, themed spawns, and the debut of costumed Pokémon such as Teddiursa and Noibat during the Halloween Part II event.
Rules and Restrictions
To ensure balance and consistency, Niantic applies specific rules to each tier of the Halloween Cup:
Little Edition
- CP Limit: 500 or below
- Eligible Types: Poison, Bug, Ghost, Dark, and Fairy
- This mode emphasizes smaller Pokémon, making it ideal for creative and unpredictable team setups.
Great League Edition
- CP Limit: 1,500 or below
- Eligible Types: Poison, Bug, Ghost, Dark, and Fairy
- This is the more competitive format, suitable for players who want to earn Battle League rewards or climb the PvP ranks.
Both versions stay true to the Halloween theme — meaning no Dragonites or Machamps here. Instead, you’ll rely on spooky, creepy, and tricky Pokémon like Nidoqueen, Golbat, Froslass, and Mandibuzz to dominate the arena.
Eligible Pokémon Types and Strategy Tips
Since the Halloween Cup limits battles to five specific types, each category brings its own advantages:
- Poison-types like Nidoqueen and Toxapex can counter Fairy-types effectively.
- Bug-types such as Galvantula or Ariados provide fast-charging attacks for pressure.
- Ghost-types like Froslass, Cofagrigus, and Runerigus deliver strong neutral coverage and bait potential.
- Dark-types such as Mandibuzz, Sableye, and Drapion remain essential for countering Ghosts.
- Fairy-types like Azumarill or Mawile keep Dark-types in check.
Balancing resistances and attack coverage is key — avoid stacking one type, as many common picks (like Poison or Ghost) can easily overlap weaknesses.
Team-Building Recommendations
Here’s how to approach your setup for each edition:
Little League Teams
Focus on Pokémon that are strong at low CP levels:
- Cottonee (Fairy/Grass): Great defense and Charm pressure.
- Bulbasaur (Shadow): Quick access to Sludge Bomb for Poison coverage.
- Zubat (Shadow): Solid option for resisting Fairy and Bug-types.
Great League Teams
More flexibility and meta options:
- Nidoqueen (Poison/Ground): Excellent all-rounder with debuff potential.
- Mandibuzz (Dark/Flying): High endurance and counters Ghost-types.
- Froslass (Ice/Ghost): Fast-charging and capable of punishing Ground or Flying opponents.
Experimenting with alternative builds — like Dragalge, Ariados, or Golbat — can surprise opponents and catch them off-guard.
Rewards and Progression
Participating in the Halloween Cup contributes to your GO Battle League rank progression, helping you earn:
- Stardust and rare candies for each win
- Avatar items and timed rewards depending on your current rank
- Seasonal XP boosts tied to ongoing Halloween events
Even if you’re not chasing high ranks, the Halloween Cup offers a fun environment to test new strategies and experiment with underused Pokémon.
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