Trainers in four cities will be able to participate in a one-day event.
Each year, Pokemon Go typically hosts real-world events (like Go Fest and Safari Zones) that bring thousands of players to a single place to celebrate all things Pokemon. However, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Niantic, the developer of Pokemon Go, has had to cancel or at least change many of the game’s real-world events in 2020 to comply with social distancing guidelines.
With players’ health and safety in mind, Niantic has revealed four new City Spotlight events that will soon take place in four cities around the world. Rather than bringing players together to a single location (like a park), they will encourage players to explore each city on their own, with “individual research tasks, walking-based gameplay, and social-distancing bonuses.”
The four City Spotlight events will take place on November 22 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time in the following cities:
These events will offer free content to everyone in these cities, and trainers will also have the option to purchase a ticket for each event to unlock extra experiences.
In a news post, Niantic broke down everything that will be available for free:
- “The City Spotlight Timed Research will take you and your Buddy Pokémon all around your city.
- Take snapshots to earn Pokémon encounters, a Poffin, Stardust, and a Lucky Egg.
- Spin PokéStops for a chance to receive a special Gift sticker.
- Take part in a PokéStop scanning competition against other participating cities! Check how your city is faring in the standings on an online leaderboard. The city with the most AR Mapping tasks completed at the end of the weekend will win an exclusive event featuring a 1/4 Hatch Distance bonus!
- Receive a special reward when you complete an AR Mapping task.”
Tickets for each event will cost $4.99. They’ll be available to purchase from now until November 22 at 2 p.m. local time. You can’t purchase tickets with PokeCoins — they must be purchased with a real money transaction.
If you purchase a ticket for one of these City Spotlight events, you’ll receive access to the following content (in addition to everything that’s available for free):
- “Everything in the free citywide experience.
- The following Pokémon will be attracted to special event Incense: Onix, Lapras, Unown C, Nosepass, Rhyhorn, Doduo, Mantine, Pidgey, Pelipper, Pidgeot, and Stoutland. If you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny Unown C! Shiny Unown C will be available only for the duration of this event to Trainers who have a City Spotlight ticket.
- Explore the city with your Buddy Pokémon using exclusive City Spotlight Special Research as a guide! Complete the Special Research to receive a Poffin, an Incense, a Super Incubator, three Lucky Eggs, a Lure Module, an encounter with Lapras, XP, and Stardust.
- Earn up to three extra hearts with your buddy in every category.
- Your buddy will know that an exciting adventure is ahead! Give it treats during the event, and it’ll automatically become excited!
- 1/4 Hatch Distance when an Egg is placed in an Incubator while the City Spotlight initiative is active.
- Incense will be more effective while you’re walking and will last for two hours.”
You can purchase a ticket for one of these City Spotlight events in the Pokemon Go application or on Niantic’s website. Players who purchase a ticket will receive an in-game Medal “a few days before” the corresponding event begins.
Finally, after you collect the Special Research from the ticketed portion of this event, you can complete it at any time, even after the event ends.
Are you excited about participating in one of these City Spotlight events in 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. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
