With a new software update, the Rivian EV now includes costumes. Is this the best seasonal car feature the industry has ever seen?
Halloween Edition: Rivian owners can choose a new futuristic dashboard
Rivian owners had a special surprise in store for them on Halloween. A new dashboard featuring your favorite 80s movies and shows.
- Rivian took over Times Square on October 21st to reveal its Halloween mode, “Spooky Swamp.”
- Special vehicle features create an innovative and immersive Halloween experience for Rivian owners and spectators.
Rivian has something special for drivers this spooky season.
The electric car company is rolling out seasonal themes made for ghouls, goblins, and things that go bump in the night as part of a software update. Rivian is known for its software-centric driving experience and unique features.
See how brands are making Halloween even more festive this year.
Rivian releases spooky new features just in time for Halloween
Electric vehicle company Rivian uses over-the-air (OTA) updates to continuously provide customers with an enhanced driving and ownership experience.
Thanks to advanced technology, updating your Rivian EV to include the company’s latest and greatest software is as easy as updating your smartphone.
Rivian’s “Spooky Swamp” is the brand’s official Halloween theme for 2025. This theme completely transforms your compatible vehicle using animations, lights, sounds, and more to create a Halloween interior ambiance and exterior display that is unrivaled by the competition. Tesla has been creating unique themes, but Rivian’s Spooky Swamp takes it to a whole other level.
This theme allows users to turn spooky overhead lights on and off, play custom Halloween music, and choose from several different Halloween animations that appear on all interior screens (for 2025 and newer models). Rivian owners can also choose from unique ambient music tracks, including snake and alligator sounds, that fill the cabin.
Theme settings are easily accessible from the Rivian app. Drivers can use the theme from October 21st to November 1st.
How to use Rivian’s Halloween mode
Rivian’s Halloween Mode is available on all Rivian models through a recent over-the-air update, but only second-generation R1T and R1S models have access to all of its features. Second-generation models consist of everything from the 2025 model year onwards.
Steps to enable Halloween mode
- Download software update version .38 to ensure your Rivian mobile app is up to date.
- Activate Rivian’s spooky swamp costume by tapping the “Let’s Get Spooky” card in the mobile app
- Customize interior and exterior effects to your liking through the app and enjoy unique experiences hand-picked by the Rivian team
What’s so special about Rivian’s Halloween mode?
Rivian’s Halloween mode is important because it proves the brand is committed to providing owners with fun new features through regular over-the-air updates.
Halloween mode may have no practical purpose, but it allows the company’s software to shine and reinvent the way drivers and passengers interact with their vehicles. These updates enable automakers to find new and exciting ways to help drivers appreciate their cars even after the initial purchase.
Whether it’s a new vehicle theme or tweaking important safety or technology features, automakers now have the technology to improve and improve their vehicles without requiring physical maintenance by certified technicians.
The future of automobiles is one in which car buyers buy a car once and enjoy the benefits of intuitive design throughout its lifecycle, with new features and upgrades available at no additional cost.
