Pokémon GO’s fifth anniversary is today, and here’s what’s in store

© The Pokémon Company

Can you believe Pokémon GO is now five years old? When the smartphone title launched in 2016, great things were expected, but it’s fair to say that it exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts and became both a critical and commercial success for The Pokémon Company, developer Niantic and, of course, Nintendo co-owner.

As you might expect, the team behind Pokémon GO are not allowing this momentous event to unfold without a fanfare, and there is a celebration going on in the game as we speak.

From today (July 6) to July 15, there is a lot going on in the game, all of which are described below (taken from the official Pokémon GO site):

To commemorate Pokémon GO’s fifth anniversary, you’ll be able to participate in a Celebration Event featuring Flying Pikachu with a 5-shaped balloon, Darumaka, and more!

Date + Time

From Tuesday July 6, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. to Thursday July 15, 2021 at 8:00 p.m. local time

Characteristics

– Darumaka and Flying Pikachu with a 5-shaped balloon will appear more frequently in the wild! If you’re lucky, you might meet a Shiny Darumaka!
– Darumaka, Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie, and Flying Pikachu with a 5-shaped balloon will appear in One Star Raids.
– Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie will appear around PokéStops and after completing Lure Research modules on the ground. You may also encounter some of these early Pokémon in the wild, including Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott.
– You will receive bonus daily Field Research tasks that will lead to encounters with Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Chespin , Fennekin and Froakie.
– Complete this event’s collection challenge for a reward encounter with Flying Pikachu with a 5-shaped balloon, as well as rare candy and a huge amount of Poké Balls!
– Remember last year’s Pokémon GO Fest fireworks? They are back on the map this year to celebrate our five years!
– While you are looking for fireworks in the celebration of the fifth anniversary, also check out the new sky in the game! That’s right, the previously announced real-time sky mechanic and additional Pokédex classifications will be available to everyone in the coming days. You can also read more about Pokédex classifications in this Help Center article here.
– If you are lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Meltan when you activate the Mystery Box during the fifth anniversary celebration!
– The Special start-up search will be available during this time for any trainers who missed it during last year’s birthday celebration, so be sure to open the app during this time to claim it. This Special Research is designed to help you catch up with other Trainers, with a ton of Stardust and XP rewards, as well as exciting Pokémon encounters.
– You can get fifth anniversary gift stickers when you spin PokéStops and open gifts. You can also pick them up in store.
– You will be able to expand your item bag up to 3,500 starting Monday, July 5, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT -7)! If you need more space in your Item Bag, you can get Item Bag Upgrades in the Shop.
– The Special Box, Ultra Box and Adventure Box will contain different items from Monday, July 5, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT -7).

Bonus
– All lure modules will last one hour for the duration of the event, including Ice, Magnetic, Mossy and Rainy Lure Mods