Pokemon GO has announced a new five-day event meant to commemorate its eighth anniversary. Starting June 28, Pokemon GO players will have a chance to catch some limited-time pocket monsters, including two new Pokemon variants, and take advantage of a variety of trading bonuses, among other benefits.

Niantic's hit mobile was originally released on July 6, 2016. While the original craze has long died down, the California-based developer says that Pokemon GO is still going strong, boasting healthy revenue and user engagement rates.

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Pokemon GO 8th Anniversary Event Introducing New Avatar Items, Stickers, and More

The studio is now looking to commemorate the game's eighth anniversary with a five-day event that will run from June 28 at 10am to July 3 at 8pm, local time. During the upcoming promotion, players will be able to purchase seven new Pokemon GO avatar items: four hats, two jackets, and one pair of dark gray pants. Event-themed stickers will also be part of the celebration, with trainers being able to earn them by opening gifts, spinning PokeStops, or outright purchasing them from the in-game store.

Two New Pokemon Variants Are Debuting in Pokemon GO Soon

Niantic is also using the upcoming anniversary celebrations as an opportunity to debut two new Pokemon variants, a party hat-wearing Grimer and Muk. Another confirmed event bonus concerns the Mystery Box, which will have a chance to spawn a shiny Meltan during the promotional period.

Shiny Celebi Is Returning to Pokemon GO

The event will also see shiny Celebi return to Pokemon GO by way of a new Special Research storyline. Called Masterwork Research, the upcoming quest will be available for $5 during the anniversary celebrations. As per usual, the storyline will be designed to be completed over a long period of time, and only needs to be started within the event period. Anyone who purchases the new quest or has previously unlocked the Distracted by Something Shiny Special Research story will also benefit from double Incense and Daily Adventure Incense duration, as well as double Lucky Egg duration.

The anniversary celebrations will also include a $2 Timed Research task bundle that needs to be completed during the event in order to earn a bunch of useful rewards, including a Super Incubator, Premium Battle Pass, and a Meltan encounter. Free Timed Research tasks will be part of the promotion as well, offering Pokemon GO players a chance to earn encounters with Raticate, Nidorino, and Wobbuffet, all wearing party hats. Other limited-time novelties include five one-star raids with party hat mons like Pikachu and the Gen 1 starters, as well as increased spawn rates for a few dozen pocket monsters.

Pokemon Go 8th Anniversary Party Overview

• Friday, June 28, at 10:00 a.m. to Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. local time

New Pokemon Debuts

• Grimer wearing a party hat (has a chance to be shiny)
• Muk wearing a party hat

Meltan-related Bonuses

• When you use the Mystery Box during this event, you might encounter Shiny Meltan—if you’re lucky!
• In addition, you’ll be able to open the Mystery Box more frequently.

General Event Bonuses

• Increased chance to become Lucky Friends.
• Increased chance to get Lucky Pokémon in trades.
• Friendship levels will increase faster than normal through opening Gifts, trading Pokémon, or battling together in raids, Gyms, or Trainer Battles!
• Chance of finding 8 or 88 (or maybe more!) Gimmighoul Coins when you spin a PokéStop with a Golden Lure Module.

In addition to the above, the 8th Anniversary Party will have special bonuses on certain days:

• June 28 at 10:00 a.m. – June 29 at 11:59 p.m. local time
  • 1/2 Egg Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed in an Incubator on these days.

• June 30 at 12:00 a.m. – July 1 at 11:59 p.m. local time
  • 2× XP for catching Pokémon.

• July 2 at 12:00 a.m. – July 3 at 8:00 p.m. local time
  • 2× Stardust for catching Pokémon.

Limited-Time Changes to Wild Encounters

The following Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild (those marked with an asterisk / * have a chance to be shiny):

• Bulbasaur wearing a party hat*
• Charmander wearing a party hat*
• Squirtle wearing a party hat*
• Pikachu wearing a cake hat*
• Grimer wearing a party hat*
• Eevee wearing a party hat*
• Sprigatito
• Fuecoco
• Quaxly

Some Trainers might even encounter the following:

• Alolan Grimer*

The following Pokémon will appear more frequently on these dates:

June 28 at 10:00 a.m. – June 29 at 11:59 p.m. local time

• Chikorita*
• Cyndaquil*
• Totodile*
• Treecko*
• Torchic*
• Mudkip*

June 30 at 12:00 a.m. – July 1 at 11:59 p.m. local time

• Turtwig*
• Chimchar*
• Piplup*
• Snivy*
• Tepig*
• Oshawott*

July 2 at 12:00 a.m. – July 3 at 8:00 p.m. local time

• Chespin*
• Fennekin*
• Froakie*
• Rowlet*
• Litten*
• Popplio

New Pokemon GO Event Raids

The following Pokémon will appear in raids (all have a chance to be shiny). Pokémon appearing in one-star raids will have a greater chance of being a Shiny Pokémon than when found in the wild.

One-Star Raids

• Bulbasaur wearing a party hat
• Charmander wearing a party hat
• Squirtle wearing a party hat
• Pikachu wearing a cake hat
• Grimer wearing a party hat

Field Research Task Rewards

Event-themed Field Research tasks will be available!

Complete them to earn encounters with first-partner Pokémon, such as Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil, Mudkip, and more!

Some Field Research tasks will also award Mega Energy for the following Pokémon:

• Venusaur
• Charizard
• Blastoise
• Sceptile
• Blaziken
• Swampert

Timed Research

Event-themed Timed Research will be available throughout the event.

Complete tasks to earn XP, Stardust, and encounters with event-themed Pokémon such as Raticate wearing a party hat, Nidorino wearing a party hat, Wobbuffet wearing a party hat, Meltan, and more!

Paid Timed Research

For US$2.00 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency), you’ll be able to access event-exclusive Timed Research.*

Complete the event-themed research tasks, such as spinning eight PokéStops or evolving eight Pokémon, to receive the following.

• 1 Incubator
• 1 Super Incubator
• 1 Premium Battle Pass
• 1 Lucky Egg
• 1 Rocket Radar
• 1 Star Piece
• 1 Incense
• 1 Poffin
• 88,888 XP
• An encounter with Meltan

Please note that Timed Research expires. The tasks associated with this Timed Research must be completed and their rewards must be claimed before Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. local time.

Trainers will be able to purchase and gift tickets to any of their Pokémon GO friends that they have achieved a Friendship level of Great Friends or higher with. Please note that purchases—including those made for other Trainers—are non-refundable (subject to applicable law and the exceptions set forth in the Terms of Service). Tickets cannot be purchased with PokéCoins.

Whispers in the Woods

For US$5.00 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency), you’ll be able to pick up a Masterwork Research story, Whispers in the Woods, which leads to an encounter with Shiny Celebi!*

Shiny Celebi originally appeared in Pokémon GO in the Distracted by Something Shiny Special Research story, and it’s returning once more as part of our 8th Anniversary Party. Once purchased, you’ll be able to access a Masterwork Research story, which are special kinds of research that are intended to be completed over a long period of time.

Tickets for this Masterwork Research story will be available to purchase until Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. local time.

Ticket holders will gain access to the Masterwork Research story during the 8th Anniversary Party event. To receive the Masterwork Research, you must open Pokémon GO at some point between Friday, June 28, at 10:00 a.m. and Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. local time. After you’ve received the Masterwork Research, you can complete it at any time.

Trainers who purchase this Masterwork Research story or have previously received the Distracted by Something Shiny Special Research story (either active or completed) can also enjoy the following bonuses for the duration of our 8th Anniversary Party event.

• 2× Incense duration
• 2× Daily Adventure Incense duration
• 2× Lucky Egg duration

* Trainers who completed the Distracted by Something Shiny Special Research story will not be able to purchase this Masterwork Research story.

Pokémon GO Web Store — Anniversary Box

The Pokémon GO Web Store is celebrating this exciting milestone with the Anniversary Box! This offer features three Remote Raid Passes, one Incubator, and three Premium Battle Passes for US$4.99 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency). Make sure to check it out!

Now even more Trainers can enjoy the web store! Trainers with Pokémon Trainer Club (PTC) accounts will now be able to log in to the Pokémon GO Web Store with the same credentials used to log in to Pokémon GO.

New Avatar Items

The following avatar items will be available to purchase in the in-game shop during this event:

• Noctowl Loose-Fitting Jacket
• Mankey Loose-Fitting Jacket
• Loose-Fitting Pants (Dark Gray)
• Pom-Pom Style Oricorio Hat
• Pa’u Style Oricorio Hat
• Baile Style Oricorio Hat
• Sensu Style Oricorio Hat

Stickers

You’ll be able to get event-themed stickers by spinning PokéStops, opening Gifts, and purchasing them from the in-game shop.

PokeStop Showcases

Be on the lookout for Showcases at different PokéStops where you can enter event-themed Pokémon!

Pokémon GO

After a test run via an April Fools' joke on Google Maps, Pokemon GO was released to the public in the summer of 2016. The AR mobile app saw unparalleled success and continues to be one of the largest mobile games in the world, pulling in billions for developer Niantic.

Franchise

Pokemon

Platform(s)

iOS , Android

Released

July 6, 2016

Developer(s)

Niantic , The Pokemon Company

Publisher(s)

Niantic

Genre(s)

Augmented Reality

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

Engine

Unity

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