Pokémon Go is celebrating its anniversary with a special event that puts the spotlight on Pikachu. The Special Anniversary Pikachu Celebration offers players numerous opportunities to catch a wide array of costumed Pikachu variants, many of which may have been previously missed. These special Pikachu can be found through various in-game activities, including event-exclusive field research tasks, increased wild spawns, and raid battles.
The event is structured into three distinct celebrations, each running for a limited time and featuring different selections of costume Pikachus. Celebration 1 ran from Monday, July 13th to Wednesday, July 15th, followed by Celebration 2 from Wednesday, July 15th to Saturday, July 18th. The event concludes with Celebration 3, which runs until Monday, July 20th at 8pm local time.
Field research tasks are a key way to obtain specific costume Pikachus. For instance, catching 10 Pikachu can reward players with an encounter with a Red Hat, Leaf Hat, Lyra's Hat, or May's Bow Pikachu. Catching 15 Pikachu offers a chance at a Meloetta Hat Pikachu. Completing three raids can yield encounters with Varsity Jacket Pikachu, WCS Shirt Pikachu, World Championships 2022 Pikachu, or World Championships 2024 Pikachu.
In addition to research tasks, many costumed Pikachus will be appearing more frequently in the wild throughout the event. Raids also feature a variety of Pikachu, including one-star raids with Blue Dapper Pikachu, Red Dapper Pikachu, and Yellow Dapper Pikachu, alongside Safari Hat Pikachu, Varsity Jacket Pikachu, Amethyst Crown Pikachu, and World Championships variants. Higher-tier raids include Mega Blue Dapper Pikachu, Mega Lucario, Mega Sceptile, and Kyogre during specific periods.
Special bonuses are active during the event to enhance the experience. Pikachu are spawning more frequently and are noted as being easier to catch. Players who unlock Major Milestones through the Go Pass section will receive additional benefits, such as double transfer candy and double catch stardust, with enhanced bonuses for Deluxe Track users. The event also provides increased chances of receiving Candy XL when transferring Pokémon for players Level 31 and above.
The Special Anniversary Pikachu Celebration also includes a tiered Go Pass system. A free track is available to all players, offering XP, Lucky Eggs, Golden Razz Berries, and costume Pikachu encounters. An optional Deluxe Track, available for purchase, provides further rewards including more costume Pikachu encounters, additional XP, Lucky Eggs, and Lure Modules. Players can also purchase a Deluxe Track with six ranks pre-completed.
All rewards from the Go Pass must be claimed by Wednesday, July 22nd at 8pm local time. The event encourages players to take full advantage of the increased Pikachu spawns and research opportunities to complete their collections of costumed Pokémon.