User:Tiddlywinks/List of events in Pokémon GO
This is a list of events that have occurred in Pokémon GO.
Global events
Halloween Celebration
This event started on October 26, 2016, and ended on November 1 and was timed to start prior to Halloween.
During this event, Halloween-themed Pokémon became more common, such as Gastly, Haunter, Gengar, Zubat, Golbat, Drowzee, and Hypno. Players also earned double Candy for catching, hatching, and transferring Pokémon, and Buddy Pokémon earned Candy at four times the normal rate.
Daily bonus event
This event started on November 7, 2016, and ended on November 11 and was instituted to commemorate the introduction of the new daily bonus feature.
During this event, Pokémon encounter rates were increased. Players also received more items when spinning Photo Discs at PokéStops.
Thank You Celebration
This event started at 0:00 UTC on November 23, 2016, and ended on at 0:00 UTC on November 30, coinciding with the US Thanksgiving holiday.
During this event, players received double XP and Stardust.
Holiday Season
Part 1
This event started on December 12, 2016, and ended in the afternoon of January 3, 2017 (PST). The event was originally scheduled to end at 10 AM on December 29, but on December 23, it was announced that the event would effectively be extended.
During this event, players could find special Holiday Pikachu wearing a festive hat. When the event was extended, the chances of obtaining Eggs containing newly introduced baby Pokémon was also increased, and players received single-use Incubators (Incubators with only one use remaining) with their first PokéStop spin of each day.
Limited-time Special, Great, and Ultra Boxes were made available in the Shop from December 25 to December 30.
The start of this event also marked the introduction of the first Generation II Pokémon by hatching baby Pokémon from Eggs. These Pokémon included Pichu, Cleffa, Igglybuff, Togepi, Smoochum, Elekid, and Magby.
Part 2
This event started in the afternoon of December 30, 2016 (PST), and ended in the afternoon of January 8, 2017.
During this event, the Kanto first partner Pokémon and their evolutions became more common. The duration of the effect of Lure Modules was also increased to 60 minutes.
Limited-time Bronze, Silver, and Gold Boxes were also made available in the Shop.
Valentine's Day
This event started at 11 AM PST on February 8, 2017, and ended at 11 AM on February 15 and was timed to precede Valentine's Day.
During this event, pink Pokémon such as Chansey and Clefable became more common in the wild, and the Eggs of pink baby Pokémon such as Cleffa, Igglybuff, and Smoochum also became more common to find. The effect of Lure Modules was lengthened to last for six hours. Players also received double Candy for catching, hatching, and transferring Pokémon, while Buddy Pokémon earned Candy twice as fast.
On February 14, it was announced that Lure Modules would retain their six-hour duration until 4 PM PST on February 18.
Pokémon Day
This event started at 1 PM PST on February 26, 2017, and ended at 1 PM on March 6 and was timed to coincide with Pokémon Day.
During this event, players could find special Pikachu wearing party hats.
Water Festival
This event started at 1 PM PDT on March 22, 2017, and ended at 1 PM on March 29.
During this event, many Water-type Pokémon became more common, such as Magikarp, Squirtle, and Totodile. Shiny Magikarp also made their debut during this event.
Eggstravaganza
This event started at 1 PM PDT on April 13, 2017, and ended at 1 PM on April 20.
During this event, new 2 km Eggs could contain different Pokémon than normal. Players also received double Candy for hatching Eggs as well as double XP. Lucky Eggs were also discounted by 50% in the Shop.
Grass weekend
This event started in the afternoon (PDT) on May 5, 2017, and ended on May 8.
During this event, Grass-type Pokémon became more common. The length of the effect of Lure Modules was also increased to six hours.
Adventure Week
This event started at 1 PM PDT on May 18, 2017, and ended at 1 PM on May 25.
During this event, Rock-type Pokémon such as Omanyte and Kabuto became more common. PokéStops also gave extra items and Poké Balls were discounted by 50% in the Shop. Buddy Pokémon found Candy at four times the normal rate.
Solstice Event
This event started at 1 PM PDT on June 13, 2017, and ended at 1 PM on June 20 and was timed to precede the upcoming June solstice.
During this event, to match the theme of the upcoming summer and winter solstices (in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively), Fire- and Ice-type Pokémon were made more common. Players also received three times the normal XP for earning catching bonuses (Nice, Great, or Excellent Throws, Curveballs, and First Throws) and fives times for hatching Eggs. Lucky Eggs were also discounted by 50% in the Shop.
Anniversary event
This event started at 1 PM PDT on July 6, 2017, and ended at 1 PM on July 24 and was timed to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Pokémon GO's public release.
During this event, Pikachu were made more common and all Pikachu that were encountered were a special variant wearing Ash's hat. An Anniversary Box was also added to the Shop.
Pokémon GO Fest
On July 22, 2017, Niantic held the first major Pokémon GO event centered on a real-world location, at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois. Starting on June 19, players could buy tickets to attend the real-world event, but Pokémon GO players who were unable to attend were also able to contribute to the event.
At Grant Park during the event, attendees could specially find Heracross (normally exclusive to Central and South America) and Unown with the letters C, H, I, A, G, and O. Special PokéStops were also added in the park that gave out special 2 km Eggs. Attendees also received a special medal. In order to take advantage of these perks, attendees had to scan a QR Code received after validating their ticket.
Both worldwide and local players at Grant Park could also participate in a Catch Challenge. If players in Grant Park caught enough Fire-, Water-, Grass-, Electric-, Rock-, or Steel-type Pokémon, they would unlock certain bonuses for all players; if all players also caught enough of each type of Pokémon, the bonus's duration would be extended. The Catch Challenge was divided into three half-hour "Challenge Windows" every two hours starting at 11 AM.
Fire
|
Water
|
Grass
|
Electric
|
Rock
|
Steel
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double Candy | Double XP | Double Stardust | Hatching distance decreased | Buddy distance decreased | Encounter rate increased |
| Bronze | Silver | Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Duration +24 hours | Duration +48 hours | Mystery Challenge unlocked |
Reaching the gold tier in the Catch Challenge was planned to unlock a Mystery Challenge that would last for an hour starting at 6 PM, wherein the attendees at Grant Park would have to defeat Lugia to unlock it for worldwide Raid Battles. However, presumably as a result of the event's technical issues, it was simply announced that Lugia would start appearing in Raid Battles in two days and no battle took place.
As a result of Team Mystic players catching the most Pokémon for the Catching Challenge, Articuno was announced to join Lugia as the first two Legendary Pokémon to appear in Raid Battles.
Issues
Technical issues at the live Grant Park event—including poor cellular reception and issues logging into Pokémon GO—affected many players' experience of the event. Some issues were resolved during the event, but in response to widespread player dissatisfaction, Niantic issued an apology and took steps to compensate attendees. Attendees were offered refunds for their tickets and received $100 in PokéCoins as well as a Lugia directly to their accounts. Attendees who had validated their QR Code could also continue to take advantage of the special Eggs and Pokémon that had been present at the event for an extra two days (until the morning of July 24) and in an extra two miles around Grant Park.
Equinox celebration
This event started at 1 PM PDT on September 22, 2017, and ended at 1 PM on October 2 and was timed to coincide with the September equinox. Due to a service interruption, the end time was postponed by 24 hours to end on October 3.
During this event, newly acquired 2 km Eggs contained different Pokémon than usual, such as Chansey, Mareep, and Larvitar. A new type of Incubator, the Super Incubator, was also introduced via limited-time boxes in the Shop. Players also earned double Stardust for all events and triple the XP bonus for catching a new Pokémon.
Localized events
Lapras in Tōhoku
This event started on November 10, 2016, and ended on November 21. Originally scheduled to end on November 23, it was ended early in response to a tsunami warning being issued for the Tōhoku region.
During this event, Lapras became more common in the coastal areas of Iwate Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, and Fukushima Prefecture. These were the areas mainly affected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and the event was intended to promote the restoration of the affected areas.
Unibail-Rodamco
On February 18, 2017, select Unibail-Rodamco shopping centers in Europe became the sites of limited events to commemorate their brand new partnership with Pokémon GO.
During the event, PokéStops at the locations had active Lure Modules for the whole day. Each site also hosted real-world events such as contests to find Pokémon.
Snorlax in Kumamoto
This event started on March 4, 2017, and ended on March 13.
During this event, Snorlax became more common in Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan as well as in the cities of Beppu and Yufu in Ōita Prefecture, areas affected by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes approximately a year prior.
Pokémon GO Fest
- See Global events → Pokémon GO Fest above.
Pokémon GO at Chester Heritage Festival
This event started on July 22, 2017, and ended on July 23, covering the Chester Heritage Festival. The event was run by Big Heritage.
During this event, 120 new PokéStops and Gyms were added across the city, with Lure Modules being placed by event staff. The event also offered communication services to coordinate Raid Battles via Facebook.
At the event, attendees could nominate historic sites from their own local area in the United Kingdom (not just Chester) to potentially become PokéStops or Gyms.
The event included several real-world activities:
- Pokémon GO PastPort: participants visited four historic camps across the city to find characters from across the city's history, who would stamp the limited edition Pokemon GO PastPort, which was given out to participants on the day.
- Pokémon GO Map Trail: participants used the game find 10 specific PokéStops and find the answer to questions on a special Pokémon GO explorers map. By completing all 10 and handing their map into a series of hubs across the city, they would be rewarded with a limited edition official Pokémon GO History Explorer certificate.
- Free Pokémon Go facepainters, musicians, birds of prey, odd characters were available throughout the city
- There was free entry for under 16s at the Sick to Death attraction, which was also a Gym.
- There were free film screenings and craft activities at the Grosvenor Museum throughout the weekend.
This Chester Heritage Festival also including the opening of Chester Castle to the public for the first time in 20 years. The Castle was home to multiple Gyms and a number of PokéStops.
Pokémon World Championships
This event started on August 18, 2017, and ended on August 20, covering the Pokémon World Championships.
During this event, Kangaskhan (normally exclusive to Australia), Tauros, and Unown with the letters W, O, R, L, D, and S became more common in the Anaheim area.
Safari Zone events
In September and October of 2017, various Unibail-Rodamco shopping centers in Europe became the site of Safari Zone events.
| Date | Locations |
|---|---|
| September 16, 2017 |
|
| October 7, 2017 (postponed from August 5) |
|
| October 14, 2017 (postponed from August 12) |
|
To participate in these Safari Zone events, players were required to reserve a free ticket and scan a QR Code received after claiming their ticket. Attendees automatically received a special medal upon checking in. PokéStops in the area had active Lure Modules for the whole day, and players could receive special 2 km Eggs from them containing different Pokémon than usual. Gym and Raid Battles were suspended during the events in the interest of optimizing the experience for all attendees.
Players both at the shopping centers and in the surrounding cities could also find Pokémon that would normally be rare during these events, including Kangaskhan (normally exclusive to Australia), Unown with the letters E, U, R, O, and P, and Shiny Pokémon.
As a result of the postponement of the Safari Zone events originally planned for August, from August 5 to August 21, Pokémon such as Kangaskhan and Unown were made specially available in certain European cities. PokéStops at Unibail-Rodamco shopping centers in many cities also had complementary Lure Modules from August 12 to August 19.
Pikachu Outbreak
This event lasted from August 9 to August 15, 2017, and was part of Japan's annual Pikachu Outbreak event in the Minato Mirai area in Yokohama.
During this event, players could encounter Kanto-themed Pokémon at Red Brick Park and Johto-themed Pokémon at Cup Noodle Museum Park. Special Pokémon such as Mr. Mime (normally exclusive to Europe), special Raid Bosses, and special 2 km Eggs containing different Pokémon than usual could also be found during the event. Shiny Pikachu also made its debut during this event.
On August 14, from 6 PM to 9 PM local time, select players could participate in a special event at Yokohama Stadium, which was revealed to be the first appearance of Mewtwo as a Raid Boss. Every 15 minutes, different groups of players could challenge Mewtwo.
