Pokémon Go has kicked off the New Year with a dedicated 2026 event that sets the tone for the season. The New Year’s celebration reintroduces past New Year’s costume Pokémon, launches a New Year’s 2026 Collection Challenge, and introduces a slate of event bonuses. In a broader change, Niantic confirms a permanent Lucky Pokémon update that increases how many lucky trades players can secure. Remote Trading has been released to players, and collectors can pursue the Masterwork Research Pony Tales for a chance at a shiny Keldeo, alongside the new Precious Paths Special Research quest.
The New Year’s 2026 Collection Challenge is positioned as the last collection challenge you can complete for 2025, though depending on when it is finished it may count toward 2026 as a first collection task. Players must complete the challenge by 8pm local time on Sunday, January 4, to claim all rewards. The Pokémon included in the collection are Party Top Hat Pikachu encountered in the wild, Party Hat Bulbasaur found in the wild, Party Hat Charmander found in the wild, and Party Hat Squirtle found in the wild. Rewards for completing this Challenge include 2026 XP, 2026 Stardust, and 26 Ultra Balls.
Event tasks and bonuses for New Year’s 2026 expand the gameplay loop significantly. The event features two event-exclusive field research tasks: Catch 26 Pokémon rewards players with 2026 Stardust, and Win a raid rewards players with 2026 Stardust. If a player has three or fewer field research tasks on any given day, they’ll receive one of several bonus field research tasks daily, including Catch 15 Pokémon for a chance at a Lucky Egg or Incense, Spin 5 PokéStops or Gyms for a Lucky Egg or Incense, Send 5 Gifts to friends for a Lucky Egg or Incense, Transfer 15 Pokémon for a Lucky Egg or Incense, or Power up Pokémon 10 times for a Lucky Egg or Incense.
In addition to these tasks, the event introduces a set of bonuses: double raid XP and double raid Stardust, an increased chance of encountering shiny Party Top Hat Pikachu in the wild and in raids, and a single daily bonus field research task every day that rewards either a Lucky Egg or an Incense. Players should ensure they have three or more field research tasks to unlock the daily bonus.
During the New Year’s 2026 event, fireworks color the sky as usual, and the update also expands the pool of Lucky Pokémon obtainable through trades, increasing the cap from 35 to 45. Trades involving any Pokémon that has sat in a player’s storage since 2020 will be guaranteed to turn Lucky until this new limit is reached, making lucky trades more accessible for older catches.
The event also marks the deployment of remote trading in Pokémon Go. This broadens how players can exchange without being in close proximity, and it aligns with other ongoing special activities. Additionally, the event scene features a Masterwork Research path titled Pony Tales that leads to a shiny Keldeo, alongside the Precious Paths Special Research quest. These narratives offer new endgame rewards and opportunities beyond the standard event content.
New Year’s 2026 wild encounters feature a mix of festive and standard spawns. Players will see Party Hat Bulbasaur, Party Hat Charmander, Party Hat Squirtle, Party Top Hat Pikachu, Ribbon Jigglypuff, New Year’s Outfit Hoothoot, and Party Hat Wurmple appearing more frequently during the event. In raids, the One Star and Three Star categories include Party Top Hat Pikachu, Party Hat Raticate, Party Hat Wurmple, Party Hat Nidorino, Party Hat Gengar, and Party Hat Wobbuffet.
A cosmetic unlock accompanies the event: the Blacephalon Boots become available in the avatar store and can be purchased after the event ends. This adds a new flavor to players’ outfits as the celebrations wind down.
For those who want a structured challenge beyond catching and hatching, a pay-to-play quest is available for a small fee. Priced at 1.99 or the local equivalent, non-refundable and not purchasable with PokéCoin, the quest can be given to a player you are Great Friends with or higher. Completing the quest, and claiming rewards before 8pm local time on January 4, yields two Premium Battle Passes, 3,000 Stardust, and encounters with Party Top Hat Pikachu. It also unlocks an additional daily Raid Pass earned by spinning Gym Photo Discs.
The New Year’s 2026 Timed Research is a one-step affair that provides a straightforward progression and rewards. It begins with catching five Pokémon to encounter Party Top Hat Pikachu, continue with catching ten, fifteen, twenty, and twenty-five Pokémon for additional Party Top Hat Pikachu encounters, and includes making five, ten, and fifteen nice throws as well as five, ten, and fifteen great throws. The overall rewards include 3,000 Stardust, two Premium Battle Passes, and a Party Top Hat Pikachu encounter.
Overall, the New Year’s 2026 event is live and offers a broad mix of collection challenges, field research tasks, and long-term ambitions for players who want to chase shiny timers, lucky trades, and special encounters. The combination of festive spawns, increased odds for limited shinies, and a steady stream of bonuses makes it a focal point of the early 2026 season for Pokémon Go players.