GTA Online Halloween Event: How to trigger the Phantom Car freemode event


GTA Online's Halloween event is here - but it's not officially here. Rockstar Games hasn't officially announced the start of Halloween Surprise, but there are a few spooky things happening in GTA Online. If you want to trigger the Phantom Car freemode event, we have everything you need to know about the requirements below...

How to trigger the Phantom Car in GTA Online

GTA Online's Phantom Car freemode event is "random" - meaning, you can't literally trigger it with a button press. However, there are some requirements for when it appears so there are things you can do to increase your odds of it appearing.

Firstly, it has to be between 21:00 and 05:00. As far as we're aware, this is referring to in-game time.

On top of this, you'll need to be in a group of two or more players - however, there can't be too many of you. We don't know the exact number yet but the Phantom Car chooses one random player to follow in a GTA Online lobby during this time. So... If you're in a packed out lobby, there's less chance you'll encounter the Phantom Car event.

If you're driving one of the following vehicles, you're going to be exempt from the Phantom Car freemode event in GTA Online:

  • Any Planes;
  • Any Helicopters;
  • Any Boats;
  • Oppressor Mk1;
  • Oppressor Mk2;
  • Deluxo;
  • Any Amphibious Vehicles;

This is mainly because the Phantom Car needs to chase you in order to trigger the event. It can't chase you if you're in a Helicopter!

There's a 15-minute cooldown for both events, so you might get lucky and spot the Phantom Car in the timeslot, even if you're not the first choice.

GTA Online's Halloween Surprise is expected to officially start on October 28th - so keep an eye on Rockstar Games for more information.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Grand Theft Auto and More page.