As part of the 2026 Halloween Update for GTA Online, Rockstar Games has once again added 10 ghosts that appear across Blaine County and Los Santos at specific times during the night. Players can use their in-game phone camera to photograph each spirit and earn cash and RP for every successful capture.
Just like last year's event, the tenth and final ghost only appears once you have photographed all nine previous ghosts. Capturing all ten rewards you with the new Ghosts Exposed Tactical Jacket as a special collectible item.
The ghosts start appearing from 20:00 (8 PM) in-game time, with each one visible for exactly one hour. For example, the first ghost spawns from 8 PM to 9 PM. Ghosts 1-9 each have two different spawn points close to one another within the same area, so make sure to check both spots if you don't see it right away.
The base rewards are GTA$20,000 and 500 RP per ghost, plus GTA$50,000 for completing the set: GTA$250,000 and 5,000 RP altogether. Temporary event bonuses can increase the cash payout; see the Reward section below.
You can start hunting as soon as you receive this message from Ghosts Exposed. Just stay in free roam and you'll eventually get the text.
How to photograph ghosts and track progress
Open the camera on your in-game phone and frame the ghost. Take the photograph, then choose Send to Ghosts Exposed; saving it to your gallery alone is not the submission step. The screenshots below show the send option.
Check the Collectibles section of the Interaction Menu for your Ghosts Exposed progress. The on-screen counter also confirms registered photographs, such as 3/10.
If a ghost is missing, check its time slot first, then both positions pictured for ghosts 1-9. If the slot has passed, return during that ghost's next listed time window. For the final ghost, also check that your counter has reached 9/10.
A flying vehicle is useful for the bridge pylon and church tower. Have it ready before their short time windows rather than spending the slot travelling to collect one.
Ghost locations and times at a glance
All times below are in-game time, not your local clock. The ordinary ghosts run from 8 PM to 6 AM, leaving midnight-1 AM for the locked final ghost.
2026 Ghosts Exposed schedule
Ghost | In-game time | Location | Where to look |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 PM-9 PM | the old house in Paleto Bay | the front attic window or the window in the rear shed addition |
2 | 9 PM-10 PM | the overpass encampment in Strawberry | the graffiti-covered wall among rubble or the tarp shelter beside the old sofa |
3 | 10 PM-11 PM | the Grapeseed barn | the left side of the hayloft or the right side of the hayloft |
4 | 11 PM-midnight | the bridge pylon on Exceptionalists Way | the downtown-facing end of the pylon platform or the airport-facing end of the pylon platform |
5 | 1 AM-2 AM | El Gordo Lighthouse | the lighthouse base platform or the lantern room at the top |
6 | 2 AM-3 AM | the Cypress Flats railway | the gantry-crane hook or the elevated platform by the RAVEN building |
7 | 3 AM-4 AM | the house by the Zancudo River | the shed window or the front porch roof |
8 | 4 AM-5 AM | the Little Seoul church | one arched opening in the belfry or the opening on the other side of the belfry |
9 | 5 AM-6 AM | the Tongva Hills waterfall | the rocky ledge beside the falls or the grassy bank at the top of the falls |
10 | midnight-1 AM | the Paleto Cove cliff | After submitting ghosts 1-9; floating offshore |
In-game times. Ghost 10 requires the other nine submitted photos.
This year's hunt is designed in a fairly tedious way. The ghosts alternate between Blaine County and Los Santos, so chasing them in strict order means driving up and down the map and often arriving after the ghost has already disappeared. We recommend doing the hunt in parts. Stick to the northern half of the map and grab all the ghosts up there first, then do the city ones on a separate run. This gives you an extra in-game hour to reach each ghost and makes the whole thing far less stressful.
Video Guide
Full Ghosts Locations Map
The map below shows every ghost location, numbered to match the walkthrough below. Ghost 10 has a midnight slot but stays locked until you have submitted the other nine photographs.
Ghost 1 (8 PM to 9 PM)
At the old house in Paleto Bay, shown on the map below. It can appear either in the attic (visible from the front of the house) or inside the shed addition at the back.
Ghost 2 (9 PM to 10 PM)
In Strawberry, underneath the Los Santos overpass marked on the map below, in the homeless encampment. It can appear either by the makeshift tarp shelter with the old sofa, tucked into the alcove in the wall, or in the far corner among the rubble in front of the graffiti-covered wall.
Ghost 3 (10 PM to 11 PM)
In the open wooden barn on the west side of Grapeseed. The ghost appears in the hayloft, either on the left or right side when viewed from the front entrance (the side with the tractor and hose reel).
Ghost 4 (11 PM to 12 AM)
At the top of the bridge pylon on Exceptionalists Way, near the airport entrance. The ghost appears at either end of the top platform, beside the A-frame: one end faces the downtown skyline, the other faces the airport. You'll need a helicopter or other flying vehicle to get up there.
Ghost 5 (1 AM to 2 AM)
At El Gordo Lighthouse. The ghost appears either on the base platform at the foot of the lighthouse, by the railing near the door, or up in the lantern room at the very top.
Ghost 6 (2 AM to 3 AM)
Along the railway tracks between the warehouses in Cypress Flats. The ghost appears either hanging from the hook of the gantry crane over the tracks, or on the elevated platform by the upper door of the building with "RAVEN" painted on it (the one with the orange ladder).
Ghost 7 (3 AM to 4 AM)
At the run down house by the Zancudo River. The ghost appears either in the window of the wooden shed addition on the side of the house, or on top of the porch roof at the front, on the left side.
Ghost 8 (4 AM to 5 AM)
At the top of the church bell tower in Little Seoul. The ghost appears inside the belfry, standing in one of the arched openings on either of two sides of the tower. You'll want a flying vehicle to get a clear shot.
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Ghost 9 (5 AM to 6 AM)
At the waterfall in Tongva Hills. The ghost appears either on a rocky ledge to the left of the falls (best seen from the pool at the bottom), or at the top of the waterfall, on the grassy bank right next to the stream.
Ghost 10 (12 AM to 1 AM)
The final ghost is Devin Weston, the antagonist from GTA V's story mode. He only appears once you've photographed all nine previous ghosts, and only between 12 AM and 1 AM.
You'll find him at Paleto Cove, the cliff where he was pushed into the ocean in the trunk of his car. Head to the tip of the rocky outcrop and look out over the water. He'll be floating just off the edge.
If you finish the first nine during the 8 PM-6 AM schedule, wait until midnight on the following in-game night for Devin. As long as you've done that, he'll spawn the moment the 12 AM to 1 AM window opens. In practice this usually means coming back on a later night, since ghost 9 doesn't spawn until 5 to 6 AM, so that night's midnight window has already passed by the time you finish the set. Once all nine are done, just head to his spot before midnight on any night and he'll be there.
Reward
The figures below are the base payouts, before temporary event bonuses. During October 8-14, Ghosts Exposed pays 2X GTA$, or 4X for GTA+ members. Those cash bonuses are separate from the base rewards listed below.
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Each Ghost Captured: GTA$20,000 and 500 RP
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All Ten Captured: Additional GTA$50,000 (Total GTA$250,000 and 5,000 RP)
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Exclusive Unlock: Ghosts Exposed Tactical Jacket
After completing the hunt, look for Ghosts Exposed Jacket under Tactical Jackets, as shown in the screenshot below.
More Halloween activities
Finished photographing the ghosts? Choose your next activity:
- Collect pumpkins: our 200 Jack O'Lantern locations map out the collectible hunt.
- Fight through an island: our Survival guide explains the route across Cayo Perico toward the airfield, special enemies and optional extraction.
- Defend the cemetery: Ludendorff Cemetery Survival covers the North Yankton arena and its undead enemies.
- Plan UFO hunting: check our UFO guide's 2026 status and historical sightseeing walkthrough before following an old calendar.
Our October 1–7 Halloween report lists the opening week's bonuses and the five weekly challenges. The later Survival challenges are separate from Ghosts Exposed, so completing the ghost hunt does not complete them.
If the seasonal screen effect makes navigation difficult, our Halloween filter guide explains how to disable it.