Pokemon Go 5 Year Anniversary Event: Shiny Darumaka, Flying Pikachu, and More
Happy birthday, Pokemon Go!
Pokemon Go was released on mobile devices in July of 2016. To celebrate the game’s fifth birthday, the game’s developer, Niantic, will hold a fifth anniversary event in Pokemon Go that kicks off on July 6.
The Pokemon Go 5 Year Anniversary event will run from July 6 at 10 a.m. local time until July 15 at 8 p.m. local time.
During this event, Darumaka and Flying Pikachu with a balloon shaped like the number “5” will appear more frequently than normal in the wild. Shiny Darumaka will also have the chance to appear once this event begins.
Darumaka, Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, and Flying Pikachu with the 5-Shaped Balloon will appear in Tier-1 Raids during this event, and players will be able to complete a Collection Challenge to earn an encounter with Flying Pikachu with a 5-Shaped Balloon, along with some Rare Candy and Poke Balls.
Next, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie will appear near PokeStops with active Lure Modules during this event. These Pokemon will also be available to encounter when completing Field Research tasks during this time. All Lure Modules will remain active for one hour, rather than 30 minutes, when activated during this birthday event.
Elsewhere, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott will appear in the wild during the game’s fifth anniversary celebration. Plus, in a news post, Niantic said players will receive “daily bonus” Field Research tasks each day during this event that feature encounters with Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie.
During the game’s fifth birthday event, the Jump-Start Special Research will once again be available for any trainers who haven’t previously collected it. Check out our guide to see what these Special Research tasks ask you to do. If you’ve already collected and completed these tasks previously, you won’t receive them a second time. This is just a bonus for new players or those who weren’t playing when the Special Research was previously available.
Finally, Shiny Meltan will be available during the game’s fifth birthday event, and you’ll also be able to collect “fifth-anniversary Gift stickers” by spinning PokeStops and opening Gifts. These stickers will also be available to purchase in the in-game shop.
Are you excited about this fifth anniversary event that’s coming to Pokemon Go? Let us know on Twitter at @superparenthq.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek’s Social Pro Daily. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
