Rivian Halloween Software Update Turns Pedestrians Into Zombies And Witches

Just in time for trick-or-treating.

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

Oct 30, 2023 at 10:39am ET

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Rivian, the California-based maker of the R1S and R1T all-electric adventure vehicles, has released a software update that brings a bit of fun ahead of this year’s Halloween, including pumpkins, zombies, and witches.

Bearing the version number 2023.38.00, the over-the-air (OTA) software update unlocked its holiday-themed goodies on October 21 on both the SUV and pickup, when it added a new “Halloween” tab in the Settings screen of the in-vehicle infotainment system, plus a “Make it Spooky” option that, when pressed, will make a number of magic-like tricks happen.

First, when in the ADAS view, the people identified by the car’s sensors and cameras will be made to look like zombies and witches, including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

Gallery: Rivian Halloween 2023 Software Update

Moreover, when the gear tunnel, frunk, or a door is opened, it will make a pumpkin roll out – but only on the car’s screen, so don’t expect one to appear out of nowhere, like the video embedded at the top of this page shows.

And last but not least, when the R1S or R1T is locked or unlocked, the car will make the organ sound from Toccata in D Minor, replacing the standard chirping sound, for a bit of extra Halloween spirit.

The Halloween-themed update was spotted by several Rivian owners on social media, including Peter Barba who saw the pedestrian visualizations during a test drive and posted a video on his X account @pbarba_22 (embedded below).

This is just one example of how OTA updates can make a car better over time. Sure, it’s just for fun with this set of features, but it’s not the first time Rivian pushed upgrades that were designed to make the life of R1T and R1S owners a bit better behind the wheel.

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A so-called Drive Cam, which is basically an inbuilt dashcam, was added to the two EVs back in May, and more recently, the vehicles’ ride comfort was improved via an OTA update that offers an improved balance between ride and handling in Sport Mode and improved comfort in All-Purpose Soft Ride Mode.

Tesla is also known for releasing incremental updates to its cars, like when it added the ability to predict how many Supercharger stalls will be available upon arrival at a station.