Nintendo has canceled the Halloween-themed "Trick or Treat!" online event for Kirby Air Riders on Nintendo Switch after players reported repeated freezes and stuttering during matches.
The event, which was scheduled to run from October 28 through November 4, 2026, was pulled after Nintendo of Japan’s support account confirmed the issue and announced the cancellation.
Kirby Air Riders, developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo, originally launched on GameCube in 2003 and has seen renewed online activity this year through weekly events that let players earn stickers, themes, and street names to customize drivers.
Over the past year, those online events have been a regular feature for the title on Nintendo Switch, drawing both long-time fans and newer players to its competitive modes.
A clip shared on social media by user TAHK0 showed matches freezing mid-game, prompting widespread discussion in the community.
In response, Nintendo of Japan’s official support account said it had "confirmed a bug in the currently running event, 'Trick or Treat!', where the screen temporarily freezes during gameplay.
Therefore, this event will be canceled." Rewriting that statement in journalistic terms: Nintendo of Japan confirmed a software bug that causes temporary screen freezes during the event and said the company would cancel the current run to prevent further disruption.
Nintendo also confirmed that players who were hoping to obtain the special event rewards will have another opportunity.
The company said it plans to run the event again in the future, but did not provide a timetable for when the rescheduled event will occur.
For players following Kirby news, this cancellation is the latest in a year of frequent updates and limited-time events for Kirby Air Riders on Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo and HAL Laboratory have maintained the title’s online presence with recurring events and cosmetic rewards, and the publisher’s quick acknowledgment of the bug underscores the company’s approach to addressing live-service issues when they affect gameplay.
Players affected by the cancellation or encountering technical problems are advised to follow Nintendo of Japan’s support channels and the official Kirby social accounts for updates.
Nintendo has not yet released a technical postmortem or detailed timeline for the event’s return.
The event, which was scheduled to run from October 28 through November 4, 2026, was pulled after Nintendo of Japan’s support account confirmed the issue and announced the cancellation.
Kirby Air Riders, developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo, originally launched on GameCube in 2003 and has seen renewed online activity this year through weekly events that let players earn stickers, themes, and street names to customize drivers.
Over the past year, those online events have been a regular feature for the title on Nintendo Switch, drawing both long-time fans and newer players to its competitive modes.
A clip shared on social media by user TAHK0 showed matches freezing mid-game, prompting widespread discussion in the community.
In response, Nintendo of Japan’s official support account said it had "confirmed a bug in the currently running event, 'Trick or Treat!', where the screen temporarily freezes during gameplay.
Therefore, this event will be canceled." Rewriting that statement in journalistic terms: Nintendo of Japan confirmed a software bug that causes temporary screen freezes during the event and said the company would cancel the current run to prevent further disruption.
Nintendo also confirmed that players who were hoping to obtain the special event rewards will have another opportunity.
The company said it plans to run the event again in the future, but did not provide a timetable for when the rescheduled event will occur.
For players following Kirby news, this cancellation is the latest in a year of frequent updates and limited-time events for Kirby Air Riders on Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo and HAL Laboratory have maintained the title’s online presence with recurring events and cosmetic rewards, and the publisher’s quick acknowledgment of the bug underscores the company’s approach to addressing live-service issues when they affect gameplay.
Players affected by the cancellation or encountering technical problems are advised to follow Nintendo of Japan’s support channels and the official Kirby social accounts for updates.
Nintendo has not yet released a technical postmortem or detailed timeline for the event’s return.
