Pokemon Go Anniversary event guide: Collection challenge, bonuses & Raids explained

Niantic is celebrating Pokemon Go’s fifth anniversary in a big way. The special event will celebrate the game’s birthday with plenty of gifts for fans, such as the chance to catch Flying Balloon Pikachu and encounters with Shiny Meltan. Here is everything you need to know about the epic party.

It’s hard to believe but it’s been over five years since Pokemon Go made its extraordinary debut in 2016. Niantic is honoring the monumental milestone with a special fifth-anniversary event that will last for over a week.

The epic birthday will feature a handful of bonuses and rewards for Trainers who show up to the party. Below we will break down everything you won’t want to miss during the Go’s anniversary festivities.

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Contents

• 5th-anniversary start time & end date
• 5th-anniversary Shiny & rare Pokemon
• 5th-anniversary boosted spawns
• 5th-anniversary event features and bonuses
• 5th-anniversary event raids

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Pokemon Go 5th anniversary start time & end date

The event will kick off on its official birthday on July 6th, 2021 at 10:00 AM. Luckily for players, the party doesn’t stop after Tuesday and will run until Thursday, July 15 at 8:00 PM local time.

Trainers will have over a week to catch event-specific Pokemon as well as unlock rewards. Users will not want to miss out on the special occasion as Niantic is bringing back several rare ‘mon to the game which could only be caught during previous events.

• Read More: Pokemon Go players celebrate 5th anniversary
  

Make sure to mark your calendars and set your clocks as the celebration will kick off at your local time.

Pokemon Go’s 5th anniversary Shiny & rare Pokemon

Niantic is bringing back some classic rare Pokemon for the Go Anniversary 2021 event. First up is the adorable Flying Balloon Pikachu. The cosmetic version of the Electric-type mascot has long been a fan favorite and is a throwback to 1998’s Pokemon Yellow on the Game Boy.

Fans of Mythical Melmetal are in luck as Trainers will be able to run into a Shiny Meltan if they activate their Mystery Box between July 6 and 18.  This is a big deal as its Shiny form is turned off for most of the year as it’s only available during special events.

Lastly, players will be able to score Diamond & Pearl’s Darumaka in its Shiny variant. Like Pikachu, the Sinnoh creature will appear in the wild with boosted spawn rates as well as in raids.

Pokemon Go 5th anniversary boosted spawns

If you’re looking to expand your collection of Pokemon, the 5th-anniversary event is providing trainers with boosted spawn rates on specific Mons.

Check out the list below and see if there’s any you need to catch:

Increased Pokemon Spawns

• Bulbasaur
• Charmander
• Squirtle
• Treecko
• Torchic
• Mudkip
• Snivy
• Tepig
• Oshawott

Boosted Lure Module Spawns

• Bulbasaur
• Charmander
• Squirtle
• Chikorita
• Cyndaquil
• Totodile
• Treecko
• Torchic
• Mudkip
• Turtwig
• Chimchar
• Piplup
• Snivy
• Tepig
• Oshawott
• Chespin
• Fennekin
• Froakie

Pokemon Go 5th anniversary event features and bonuses

Features:

• One-star raids: Darumaka, Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, Flying Pikachu with a 5-shaped balloon
• Wild spawns: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Snivy, Tepig & Oshawott.
• PokeStop Spawns with Lure: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Chespin, Fennekin & Froakie. Must complete Field Research first.
• Bonus Field Research Task encounters: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Chespin, Fennekin & Froakie.
• Collection Challenge: Rewards: Flying Pikachu with a 5-shaped balloon, as well as Rare Candy and Poke Balls.
• In-Game Fireworks: The sky around the map will be lit up with fireworks during the entire event.
• Jump-Start Special Research returns: Trainers who missed out on this Special Research can claim it during the event. It’s designed to catch up newcomers to veteran players with a ton of XP/Stardust rewards.
• Spin PokeStop rewards: Spin PokeStop or Gyms to claim fifth-anniversary Gift stickers.

Bonuses:

• Extended Lure Modules: All Lure Modules will last one hour for the duration of the event, including Glacial, Magnetic, Mossy, and Rainy Lure Modules.

Pokemon Go 5th anniversary event raids

Here are all of the Pokemon you can expect to encounter in each of the Raid tiers for the duration of the event. If you’re planning on heading into 5-star or Mega Raids, make sure you’re prepared as it won’t be an easy fight.

1-Star Raids

5-Star Raids

Mega Raids

Whether you are a newcomer or veteran player, Niantic has packed the fifth-anniversary event with enough goodies to entice users to jump on in. Shiny Melmetal in particular is notoriously difficult to get as it’s simply rarely made available.

• Read More: How to prepare for Pokemon Go Fest 2021
  

The milestone party will also mark the debut of Darumaka’s Shiny form which means fans of the Sinnoh ‘mon will finally be able to get their hands on Darmanitan in its fiery alternative color scheme. Remember the celebration technically lasts a week and will be ending on July 15 at 8:00 PM local time.