January 2026 in Pokemon Go centers on the ongoing Precious Paths season, delivering a steady cadence of raids, spotlight hours, and two Community Days, along with a lineup of new Pokémon and event bonuses. This guide consolidates the month’s key activities and provides practical tips to help players maximize XP, Stardust, and shiny encounters while balancing inventory and raid passes.
The month opens with a structured Raid schedule that spans Five-Star, Mega, and Shadow Raids across weekends and dates. Five-Star Raids feature Genesect (Burn Drive) and Genesect (Chill Drive) from January 5 to 16, followed by Thundurus (Incarnate Forme) from January 16 to 25, and Tornadus (Incarnate Forme) from January 25 through February 4. Mega Raids rotate in parallel, with Mega Blaziken available January 5 to 16, Mega Sceptile January 16 to 25, and Mega Ampharos January 25 to February 4. Shadow Raids bring back Shadow Cresselia on weekend rotations, offering a recurring challenge for teams aiming to nab Shadow Cresselia with bonus rewards. Max Battles run in a separate cadence: Dynamax Drampa (January 5–11), Dynamax Caterpie (January 12–18), Dynamax Beldum (January 19–25), and Dynamax Roggenrola (January 26–February 1).
The January calendar also highlights a rotating set of Spotlight Hours each Tuesday from 6 to 7 PM local time. January’s lineup includes Barboach on January 6 with 2x catch XP, Mareep on January 13 with 2x evolution XP, Hatenna on January 20 with 2x transfer candy, and Foongus on January 27 with 2x catch Stardust. These windows are ideal for filling in the regional dex, stocking up on candy, and amassing material for trades, especially when coordinating with friends for large-scale catches.
Pokemon Go is kicking the new year off with a Community Day Classic event, which takes place on January 4 and gives players another chance to catch the penguin Pokémon Piplup. From 2–5 PM local time, Piplup will appear in the wild more frequently, making this a great opportunity to catch some and stock up on Piplup candy. On top of that, you’ll have increased odds of encountering a shiny Piplup. As with other Community Day events, Piplup’s final form, Empoleon, can also learn an event-exclusive move if you evolve one within a certain time frame. Every Prinplup that you evolve into Empoleon by 9 PM local time on January 4 will automatically learn the water-type Charged Attack Hydro Cannon. Rounding out the event are a handful of bonuses: eggs placed in Incubators during the event hatch at a quarter of their usual distance, Incense and Lure Modules last longer than usual, and you may encounter a surprise when you take snapshots during the event.
Pinch Perfect is Pokemon Go’s first major event of the month, running January 6–11. Players will have their first chance to catch the rock-type crab Pokémon Klawf, with opportunities to encounter Corphish, Dwebble, and Clauncher more frequently. Shiny Dhelmise will be available for the first time during this window. The event also delivers bonuses including 2x XP for catching Pokémon and an increased odds of encountering shiny versions of Corphish, Dwebble, and Clauncher. Featured wild encounters include Corphish, Dwebble, Clauncher, Tirtouga, and Archen, with relevant raids offering Klawf in three-star encounters and higher for other crab Pokémon.
Unova’s legendary dragons return for Kyurem Fusion Day on January 10. From 2–5 PM local time, Reshiram, Zekrom, and both fused forms of Kyurem rotate in and out of raids. Participants will have an increased chance of encountering shiny versions of the legendaries, and Fusion Energy earned from successful Raids can be used to change Kyurem’s form. In addition to the Raid bosses, a few bonuses will be active: up to five additional free Raid Passes when spinning the Photo Disc at Gyms, and a temporary increase in the Remote Raid Pass limit to 20. The in-game shop will offer an event ticket that grants additional bonuses.
High Zaptitude runs January 13–18, with Electric-type monsters taking center stage. More details will be announced later in the month, but the event is expected to emphasize Electric-type encounters and related bonuses.
The Grass-type Grookey leads January’s Community Day (January 18, 2–5 PM local time). Grookey will appear more frequently in the wild, with increased odds of finding a shiny Grookey. Evolving Grookey to its final form, Thwackey to reach Rillaboom, will unlock the charged Attack Frenzy Plant when evolved during the event window. The event also brings triple Stardust for catching Pokémon, and double candy for catches. Players will also have double candy XL for those at level 31 or higher, longer Incense and Lure Module durations, and trades costing half the usual Stardust. In addition, one more Special Trade can be made during Community Day, and a surprising Snapshot may yield a special encounter.
Precious Pals continues into January, running January 20–25. The event’s spotlight comes with a dedicated tale of Team Go Rocket’s disruption, culminating in Shadow Raid Day on January 24. The team’s activities during this period are designed to introduce new difficulty and new rewards for shadow Pokemon.
Into the Depths wraps the month from January 27 to February 1, with more details still to be announced as the window approaches. To cap the month, Pokemon Go will host a Dynamax Weekend from January 31 to February 1, aligning with the Dynamax-focused features and raids that month.
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Players looking to optimize the month should coordinate with friends for raid rotations, pool resources for Remote Raid Pass quotas, and plan to take advantage of the bonuses tied to each event window. For example, saving a batch of Klawf encounters during Pinch Perfect can help accumulate the stardust and candy needed for future evolutions, while grouping up for Kyurem Fusion Day increases the odds of landing a shiny. Preparing Incubators and a plan to maximize XP in Community Day Classic and Grookey Community Day will also yield long-term benefits.
With a packed schedule spanning multiple raid formats, diverse Spotlight Hours, and two Community Days, January 2026 invites players to balance participation across events while pursuing shinies, power-ups, and Rare Candy milestones. Keeping a running calendar, coordinating with friends for high-traffic raid windows, and prioritizing event-specific bonuses will help players extract the most from the Precious Paths season.
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The month’s activities also present opportunities to experiment with team composition and raid strategies, especially during Shadow Raids and Fusion Day where form changes and raid energy management can influence outcomes. As January unfolds, players should monitor official notes for any late-breaking adjustments to bonuses, raid windows, or ticketed events that could affect scheduling and resource planning.
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Electric encounters are expected to feature prominently during High Zaptitude, while Grookey’s Community Day continues to reward players who plan multi-hour sessions with boosted Stardust, candy, and exclusive moves for evolved forms. The Shadow Raid Day on January 24 adds a tactical layer for teams seeking to recover Shadow Pokémon with enhanced rewards, and the Into the Depths window promises additional content to close the month.
Heading into late January, players should prepare for the Dynamax Weekend and the broader Dynamax-to-Gigantamax rhythm that accompanies the final days of the Into the Depths event. Reserve Remote Raid Passes, manage inventory to avoid fielding full storage, and coordinate with local communities to maximize raid participation during peak windows.
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