Nintendo has confirmed a replacement event for Kirby Air Riders after cancelling its planned Halloween promotion due to technical issues.
The game — part of the Kirby franchise developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo — has seen a short-term shift in event scheduling following reports of gameplay freezes that affected the original Trick or Treat! event.
Replacement event details and schedule
Nintendo announced that the replacement event uses a returning ruleset from the Shadow Star's Revenge event, which last appeared in March 2026.
The substitute event goes live on 4 November at 7:00 p.m.
PT (5 November for many European time zones) and runs through 9 November at 7:00 p.m.
PT.
The Ghost headwear reward originally planned for the cancelled Halloween event remains available at the 1,100-point tier.
Points reset and adjustments
All points earned during the short-lived Trick or Treat! event were reset to zero following the cancellation.
To help players reach rewards in the replacement event, Nintendo has increased the number of points awarded per match during the new, shortened run.
Official statement from Nintendo Support
Nintendo Support posted a message (via machine translation from its Japanese account) confirming the decision.
In journalistic terms, Nintendo said it identified an issue in the ongoing Trick or Treat! event that caused temporary screen freezes during gameplay and that, as a result, the company cancelled the event.
Nintendo also apologized for the disruption and stated there are plans to hold the themed event again at a later date.
Context and developer background
HAL Laboratory, the long-time developer of Kirby titles, and Nintendo have regularly hosted time-limited events and themed rewards for Kirby releases.
Shadow Star's Revenge returning as a ruleset underscores Nintendo's practice of reusing successful event formats to maintain player engagement while addressing technical problems.
What players should know
Players looking to claim the Ghost headwear should note the 1,100-point requirement and the replacement event’s limited window from 4–9 November PT.
For official updates and further technical notices, Nintendo Support and Nintendo’s official channels remain the primary sources.
Coverage of the cancellation and replacement has been reported by outlets including Nintendo Life and community posts shared across social platforms.
The game — part of the Kirby franchise developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo — has seen a short-term shift in event scheduling following reports of gameplay freezes that affected the original Trick or Treat! event.
Replacement event details and schedule
Nintendo announced that the replacement event uses a returning ruleset from the Shadow Star's Revenge event, which last appeared in March 2026.
The substitute event goes live on 4 November at 7:00 p.m.
PT (5 November for many European time zones) and runs through 9 November at 7:00 p.m.
PT.
The Ghost headwear reward originally planned for the cancelled Halloween event remains available at the 1,100-point tier.
Points reset and adjustments
All points earned during the short-lived Trick or Treat! event were reset to zero following the cancellation.
To help players reach rewards in the replacement event, Nintendo has increased the number of points awarded per match during the new, shortened run.
Official statement from Nintendo Support
Nintendo Support posted a message (via machine translation from its Japanese account) confirming the decision.
In journalistic terms, Nintendo said it identified an issue in the ongoing Trick or Treat! event that caused temporary screen freezes during gameplay and that, as a result, the company cancelled the event.
Nintendo also apologized for the disruption and stated there are plans to hold the themed event again at a later date.
Context and developer background
HAL Laboratory, the long-time developer of Kirby titles, and Nintendo have regularly hosted time-limited events and themed rewards for Kirby releases.
Shadow Star's Revenge returning as a ruleset underscores Nintendo's practice of reusing successful event formats to maintain player engagement while addressing technical problems.
What players should know
Players looking to claim the Ghost headwear should note the 1,100-point requirement and the replacement event’s limited window from 4–9 November PT.
For official updates and further technical notices, Nintendo Support and Nintendo’s official channels remain the primary sources.
Coverage of the cancellation and replacement has been reported by outlets including Nintendo Life and community posts shared across social platforms.
