How to get Glimmet and evolve into Glimmora in Pokémon Go explained
Glimmet and its evolution, Glimmora, have arrived in Pokémon Go, and you can catch them for yourself. The Rock and Poison-types from Generation 9 join as part of the Into the Depths event, and offer a very interesting type combination for battles. So, if you're wondering how to catch a Glimmet and evolve it into Glimmora in Pokémon Go, here's what you need to know. How to get Glimmet in Pokémon Go explained There are four possible ways to catch a Glimmet in Pokémon Go. These are: Routes encounters Event Field Research (Explore 3km) Free Into the Depths Timed Research quest Paid Into the Depths Timed Research quest For the average player, the quickest way to get your hands on a Glimmora is a combination of exploring Routes and completing the free Into the Depths Timed Research quest. The quest is simple to complete, but will take you a fair amount of time to do. For that reason, we think that exploring routes on the side will give you a chance of getting one sooner, while still making progress towards the guaranteed one as a reward for completing the quest. Unfortunately, shiny variants of Glimmet and Glimmora are not yet available in the game, so if you were hoping to add to your collection, you're out of luck. View Green Video on the source website How to evolve Glimmet into Glimmora in Pokémon Go explained Thankfully, unlike many Pokémon these days, evolving Glimmet into Glimmora in Pokémon Go doesn't have any annoying prerequisites. To evolve your Glimmet, all you need to do is collect 50x Glimmet Candy, so make sure to use a Pinap Berry when catching one, and to set it as your Buddy. Catch enough of them, or spend enough time walking with one as your Buddy, and you'll have the Candy to evolve Glimmet in no time. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Precious Pals: Full list of challenges and rewards
The Precious Pals event is here in Pokémon Go, and that means a lot of big changes! It's now easier to collect hearts and easier to evolve certain Buddy Pokémon, but perhaps most importantly, there are plenty of new challenges. These Precious Pals Collection Challenges provide you with some event-exclusive research tasks, and some very nifty rewards too. So, if you're curious what challenges are on offer, and what rewards you'll get for completing them, here's what you need to know. Pokémon Go Precious Pals: Full list of challenges and rewards There are currently two Precious Pals Collection Challenges, a few field research tasks to complete on the side, and a Timed Research available for players who purchase the Precious Pals event ticket. Here are all of the Precious Pals challenges and their rewards: In Knead of a Friend Collection Challenge The In Knead of a Friend Collection Challenge runs until 8pm local time on 25th January 2026, and requires you to collect two Pokémon: Fidough – Found in the wild, from research tasks (see down below), or seasonal research tasks (Evolve a Pokémon) Dachsbun – Obtained by evolving Fidough using 50 Fidough Candy Rewards: 5,000 XP 5,000 Stardust Fidough encounter Little Friends, Big Potential Collection Challenge The Little Friends, Big Potential Collection Challenge runs until 8pm local time on 25th January 2026, and requires you to collect four Pokémon: Magikarp – Found in the wild or from seasonal research tasks (Catch 7 Pokémon) Swablu – Found in the wild or from seasonal research tasks (Earn 7 hearts with your buddy) Wimpod – Found in the wild or from seasonal research tasks (Catch 7 Pokémon) Stufful – Found in the wild or from seasonal research tasks (Catch 7 Pokémon / Catch 7 different species of Pokémon) Rewards: 5,000 XP 5,000 Stardust Fidough encounter Precious Pals field research tasks There are three field research tasks as part of Precious Pals in Pokémon Go. These are: Earn a Candy exploring with your buddy – Reward: Fidough encounter Give your buddy 1 treats – Reward: 5x Razz Berries or 5x Nanab Berries Take a snapshot of your buddy – Reward: Goldeen, Eevee or Pawmi encounter Precious Pals Timed Research Players who purchase the Precious Pals event ticket for £4.99 will be able to take part in the Precious Pals Timed Research. This involves six challenges, all of which have their own individual rewards, and a separate reward for completing all six. Earn 5 hearts with your buddy – Reward: Wimpod encounter Earn 10 hearts with your buddy – Reward: Swablu encounter Earn 15 hearts with your buddy – Reward: Pancham encounter Feed your buddy 1 time –Reward: Magikarp encounter Feed your buddy 3 times – Reward: Espurr encounter Take a snapshot with your buddy – Reward: 2x Poffins Completing all six challenges will earn you 1,000 Stardust, the Heart Avatar Pose and a Fidough encounter. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Furfrou forms: Full list and how to change
Including the very rare Heart Trim form.
Furfrou was added to Pokémon Go back in 2021, but the method to change the Poodle Pokémon into one of its alternative Trim forms can be a challenge for those who aren’t in the know. Each trim is only an aesthetic change with no effect on gameplay, but knowing the specifics around each form is essential if you’re a collector who wants to add these to your Pokedex. Here’s the full list of Furfrou forms in Pokémon Go, along with exactly how to change yours to a different trim. All Furfrou forms in Pokémon Go <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/01/furfrou-trim-forms-pokemon-go-71a2009.jpg" width="1620" height="1080" alt="All Trim forms in Furfrou can change to in Pokemon Go, from left to right: Natural Form, Matron Trim, Dandy Trim, Debutante Trim, Diamond Trim, Heart Trim, Kabuki Trim, Star Trim, La Reine Trim, Pharoah Trim, and Star Trim" title="furfrou-trim-forms-pokemon-go" /> Outside of its base 'Natural Form', there are currently nine Furfrou ‘trim’ forms available in Pokémon Go, but the majority of them are region-exclusive, meaning you’ll have to trade or travel to other countries to get them all; each Furfrou form and its availability are as follows: Dandy and Matron Trims — available worldwide Debutante Trim — available in Americas & Greenland Diamond Trim — available only in Europe (includes UK), Middle East & Africa Heart Trim — available during select Valentine’s Day events Kabuki Trim — available in Japan La Reine Trim — available in France Pharaoh Trim — available in Egypt Star Trim — available in Asia-Pacific region Whilst you can indeed seek a trade with a Pokemon Go player whose managed to get a Furfrou form in a different region, the Heart Trim is undoubtedly the most difficult, as it’s been only made available either during the 2022 Valentine’s Day event, or 2024’s Carnival of Love event, which took place between the 13th and 15th of February that year. Whether Heart Trim Furfrou will be available around Valentine’s Day 2026 remains to be seen, but be sure to get as many as you can if it does, so you can trade with friends if need be. How to change Furfrou forms in Pokémon Go In order to transform your Furfrou into a different trim in Pokémon Go, you need to select the ‘Change Form’ button in its summary page in your storage; by paying 10,000 Stardust and 25 Furfrou Candy, you can select and change your Furfrou into any of the trims available to you — depending on location and potential event unlocks. Each Furfrou trim change will cost another 10,000 Stardust and 25 Candy, so be sure you’re 100 percent on the form you’ve selected. View Green Video on the source website Can Furfrou be Shiny? Yes, Furfrou can be Shiny in Pokémon Go; so, if you transform your Shiny base form Furfrou the specific trim you’ve chosen will be Shiny as well. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Spotlight Hour January 2026 schedule
Every featured Pocket Monster and bonus event rewards
January 2026 has already seen a couple of new Spotlight Hour events in Pokémon Go, but a couple are still on the way — including today. As usual, for just one hour every Tuesday from 6PM to 7PM, Trainers will see a featured Pokémon spawn massively more than usual in Go, and get tons of extra XP, Stardust, and Candy as a bonus. These events are always worth taking part in just for the bonuses alone, but the specific Pokémon starring can make them even better. Throughout the rest of January 2026, here are all the Pokémon featured in both today's Spotlight Hour and the rest of the month. Every January 2026 Spotlight Hour in Pokémon Go The next Pokémon Go Spotlight Hour for 2026 is today, Tuesday, the 20th January 2026, and is featuring Hatenna — the Generation Eight Psychic-type — with the bonus of Double Transfer Candy. For the remainder of the month, the last Pokémon Go Spotlight Hour will be on 27th January for Foongus — the Generation Five Grass- and Poison-type — with the bonus of Double Catch Stardust. For those who've missed the event for the last couple of weeks, here's the full schedule of Pokémon Go Spotlight Hours for January 2026, also including each Pokémon's evolution and their Shiny availability: 6th January - Barboach Bonus - 2x Catch XP Can Barboach be Shiny in Pokémon Go? - Yes Barboach's evolution - Whiscash, 50 Candy required 13th January - Mareep Bonus - 2x Evolution XP Can Mareep be Shiny in Pokémon Go? - Yes Mareep's evolution - Flaafy with 25 Candy, then Ampharos with 100 Candy 20th January - Hatenna Bonus - 2 x Transfer Candy Can Hatenna be Shiny in Pokémon Go? - Yes Hatenna's evolution - Hattrem with 25 Candy, then Hatterene with 100 Candy 27th January - Foongus Bonus - 2x Stardust Candy Can Foongus be Shiny in Pokémon Go? - Yes Foongus' evolution - Amoonguss, 50 Candy required Do Spotlight Hours increase Shiny rates? While all of January's Spotlight Hour Pokémon like Hatenna and Foongus can be Shiny, the event doesn't increase the odds of a Shiny encounter like Community Days do. However, you can bolster your opportunities to find a Shiny by using an Incense and Lure Module, Pokémon Go's in-game tools to increase spawns altogether. This way, through increased trial and error, you'll have far more encounters – and hopefully a Shiny with enough luck. How to prepare for the Pokémon Go Spotlight Hour Since Spotlight Hour is only available in Pokémon Go for 60 minutes every Tuesday, there are a few extra measures you can take before going after the featured Pocket Monsters in the schedule for January: Save at least one Incense and several Lure Modules for when you're near PokéStops Each will increase spawns even further Build up your collection of PokéCoins to buy more storage for all your captures So you don't have to spend time appraising each capture Bring a supply of Razz Berries or Pinap Berries Will either increase your catch rate or double your Catch Candy Make your catches go faster or farm more Candy, depending on your preference Save two Lucky Eggs to use Doubles the XP you get for 30 minutes each Bring two Star Pieces with you Doubles the Catch Stardust you get for 30 minutes each When is Pokémon Go Spotlight Hour? Every Spotlight Hour in Pokémon Go takes place on Tuesday between 6PM and 7PM local time; this means that whether you're in the US, UK, or anywhere else, a Spotlight Hour will always take place at that exact date and time for where you are. If Pokémon Go's developer (Scopely, as of 2025) happens to ever change the date and time of the weekly Spotlight Hour event, we'll immediately update this guide to keep you in the know. View Green Video on the source website View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Pokémon Go Raids schedule - upcoming battles Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to change Keldeo form in Pokémon Go explained
Keldeo was finally given a free way to be earned in Pokémon Go by completing Step 1 of the Tales of Transformation Special Research quest, dropped in 2025, but the way to get its powerful Resolute Form is a bit more hidden. This isn’t the first evolution in the mobile Pokémon game where you need to know about a hidden secret; the ‘Names’ mechanic to get all the Eevee Evolutions in Pokémon Go took that mantle when it first came out in 2026. To power up the Colt Pokémon and unlock its mighty Secret Sword attack, though, you’ll need to make use of that Special Research again. Here’s exactly how to change Kelodo into its Resolute Form in Pokémon Go. How to change Keldeo from Ordinary Form to Resolute Form In Pokémon Go, you’ll be able to transform your Keldeo and change it into Resolute Form by spending 50 Keldeo Candy and 10,000 Stardust to select the ‘Change Form’ button in its summary page in your Pokémon storage. This means you’ll likely need to complete more steps in the Tales of Transformation Special Research quest to get more Keldeo Candy. When originally obtaining Keldo as Tales of Transformation dropped, its Resolute Form wasn’t available at the time – not being added until November 2025 as part the Final Justice event, which also marked Shiny Keldeo making its Pokémon Go debut. Technically, you don’t need to complete more of Tales of Transformation to get enough Keldeo Candy to unlock Resolute Form, but it definitely makes the process incredibly quicker. If you used a Pinap Berry when catching Keldeo in Pokémon Go (these berries double Catch Candy), you should have the 50 Candy needed to unlock Resolute Form after completing Tales of Transformation’s Step 4 out of 8 — as you’ll receive large amounts as rewards for completing each step. View Green Video on the source website By comparison, the only way to get more Keldo Candy is by converting Rare Candies or by assigning Keldeo as your Buddy, earning you an extra Keldeo Candy every 20KM. Rather than walk an extra 940KM to get 44-47 Keldeo Candy, completing more of Tales of Transformation is the far more efficient option. Once you've unlocked your Resolute Form Keldeo in Pokémon Go, you'll finally have access to Secret Sword in its move set: a very strong Fighting-type Charged attack that has 120 Power in Gym, Raid, and Max Battles whilst having 70 Power in Trainer battles. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
LEGO Pokémon Scavenger Hunt codes: Full list, prizes and how to use them
To celebrate the launch of the first LEGO Pokémon sets, the two franchises have put together an online treasure hunt. You'll be able to collect treasure hunt codes to unlock some unique digital items, and more importantly, to be in with a chance of winning a massive prize. The codes are appearing in all sorts of places – from LEGO.com and LEGO social media to Pokémon Go, Pokémon.com and even from select YouTubers. Check out the Pokémon range at LEGO So, what LEGO Pokémon codes do we have so far? You can read on for the full list. LEGO Pokémon treasure hunt codes: Full list and how to use them Here is a list of all the LEGO Pokémon treasure hunt codes we know about thus far: IT'SSUP3REFFECTIVE! – Gold Pikachu FURFRI3ND – Silver Eevee PIK4EXPR3SS – Diamon Pikachu At the moment, that's all the codes that have been discovered so far. More codes will be released over the next few weeks, so we'll be sure to keep updating our list as and when more come to light. As for how to use them… How to redeem LEGO Pokémon treasure hunt codes You can redeem your LEGO Pokémon treasure hunt codes by heading to the official treasure hunt page on LEGO.com. First, make sure you've got a LEGO Insiders account, and that you're logged in – if you haven't got one already, it's a simple process to sign up. Once you're logged in, scroll down on the page until you find a text box where you can input your codes – type or paste your chosen code into the box and hit enter. That's all there is to it. And if you haven't ordered your sets yet, check out the links below! Pre-order Pikachu and Poké Ball at LEGO Pre-order Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise at LEGO Pre-order Eevee at LEGO LEGO Pokémon treasure hunt prizes Each individual code comes with its own guaranteed prize. These are mostly just digital Pokémon cards, but there are more lucrative prizes on offer. The Grand Prize is a trip to the Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco for you and four guests, with all flights and accommodation paid for, but you'll have to enter all 30 codes if you want to enter the draw! Lower-tier prizes include the new Pokémon LEGO sets and loyalty points to use on LEGO rewards and savings. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go: January 2026 counters
Giovanni's Tornadus is taking Pokémon Go by storm.
With the arrival of January 2026 comes a line-up check for Team Rocket boss Giovanni and the best counters in Pokémon Go to defeat his team with. Just like with his Pokémon Go appearances in the past, the only way to battle Giovanni is by completing a Team GO Rocket Special Research mission – which differs as time goes on. During the mission, you'll be able to assemble a Super Rocket Radar by defeating Grunts and the other leaders; Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra; to track down Giovanni's hiding place and take him on. Giovanni's team has been the same since November 2025, but it is still an ongoing challenge for both regular and returning players. For his latest team, here's the best types of counters you and other Pokémon Go players will need to keep in mind. How to beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go: January 2026 counters To beat Giovanni and his January 2026 line-up of Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon Go, you'll need to fill your party with the following counters: Bring a Fighting-type to counter Persian Bring an Ice-type to counter Rhyperior and Nidoking – or a Fighting-type to counter Kangaskhan and Rhyperior Bring an Electric-, Ice-, or Rock-type to counter Tornadus Below are the Pokémon you can expect to see in each round. This time, only round two has an element of mystery to it. First round: Persian (Normal-type) Weakness: Counter with Fighting-type attacks Second round: Kangaskhan (Normal-type) Weakness: Counter with Fighting-type attacks Rhyperior (Ground- and Rock-type) Weakness: Counter with Grass-, Water-, Fighting-, Ground-, Steel-, and Ice-type attacks Nidoking (Poison- and Ground-type) Weakness: Counter with Water-, Ice-, Psychic-, and Ground-type attacks Third round: Shadow Torndaus (Flying-type) Weakness: Counter with Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type attacks It’s worth noting that if Giovanni defeats you once, you can demand a rematch at the same location. So, if he ends up using a second Pokémon you weren't prepared for (like facing Shadow Kangaskhan without a Fighting-type), you can even leave the battle, switch out party members, and re-enter as long as you stay in the same location. Best Persian counters in Pokémon Go Shadow Persian is always the first Pokémon that Giovanni throws into battle in his Pokémon Go boss fight. Being a Normal-type Pokémon, Shadow Persian's only weakness is against Fighting-type attacks. Any Fighting-type move that you dish out will cause 160 per cent extra damage. With this in mind, counters like Lucario, Machamp, or Conkeldurr are excellent counters for Giovanni's Persian that are easy to get in the game — with moves like Force Palm, Counter, and Dynamic Punch being effective attacks in their movesets. As a backup, you can use non-Fighting-type Pokémon that still have Fighting-type moves as an alternative; however, it's always best to use a Pokémon that is the same type as the intended move, as you'll get a 1.2x STAB (same-type damage bonus). Other move types can still be used for standard neutral damage, but one thing you will not want to use is a Ghost-type Pokémon. Persian has a resistance to these ghoulish creatures, with their attacks doing 39 per cent less damage to Persian. So, don't use any of those. Best Kangaskhan counters in Pokémon Go Luckily, Kangaskhan is a Normal-type, just like Persian; with that, you probably won't need to change very much, since you can double-up on your Fighting-types or be lucky enough to sweep both Pokémon in a row. Just like before, counters like Machamp, Lucario and Conkeldurr are some of the best easy options. That said, this month, it might be worth bringing at least two on a first attempt when facing Giovanni, due to the added bulk of some of the Team Rocket boss's other team members. Best Rhyperior counters in Pokémon Go Giovanni's Rhyperior has very strong stats, but its Rock and Ground-type gives it a ton of weaknesses with six in total: Water, Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Ice. To make the most of these weaknesses, using counters like the Water-type Kingler will deal the most damage, with Bubble as its Fast Attack and Crabhammer as its Charged Attack, since it's also not vulnerable to any of Rhyperior's attacks. Kartana is also a strong choice as a Grass and Steel-type, but you'd need to be wary of Rhyperior using Superpower and a couple of Ground-type attacks in its potential move-set since Kartana is weak to Fighting-type moves. In this case, pure Grass-types like Roserade and Rillaboom are excellent back-ups to quickly beat Shadow Rhyperior if you use Razor Leaf and Gross Knot for both Pokémon's Fast Moves and Charged moves, respectively. Again, your Machamp, Conkeldurr, and Lucario from Persian will both work wonders here. Out of those three, though, it's best to avoid using Lucario if you can help it, as its part-Steel typing will also make it weak to Rhyperior's potential Ground- and Fighting-type moves. Best Nidoking counters in Pokémon Go Giovanni's Nidoking may not have quite as many weaknesses as Rhyperior, but it shares a couple, thanks to its Ground typing, meaning you can kill two birds with one stone. Kingler will again be an excellent shout here, as the same Bubble and Crabhammer that will demolish Rhyperior will do plenty of damage to Nidoking, too, although not quite as much, as Nidoking is only 160% weak to Water, compared to Rhyperior's 256 per cent weakness. Really, any Water Pokémon will do; Vaporeon is another great go-to, simply because they're quite easy to obtain if you don't have a solid Water Pokémon already. As for exploiting, Nidoking's Poison typing, some Psychic-types like Espeon or Hypno would be a solid choice, too. Best Tornadus counters in Pokémon Go As the latest Legendary to be added to Giovanni's Pokémon Go arsenal for January 2026, Shadow Tornadus' pure Flying-typing is incredibly easy to target — with weaknesses to Rock-, Electric-, and Ice-type moves. With that, there's an abundant selection of counters for Tornadus, like Thundurus, to hammer it with pure Electric-type moves for both its Fast and Charged attacks. Although, to provide the most coverage across Giovanni's other Pokémon — Nidoking and Rhyperior in this case — it's best to use an Ice-type counter for Tornadus, like Galarian Darmanitan, Regice, or Articuno. On the other hand, all three of Torndus' weaknesses deal 160% super-effective damage, so using a Rock-type can work as a backup as well; Rampardos is a brilliant, strong-stat attacker to use in this case, with moves like Smack Down and Rock Slide at its disposal If you challenge Giovanni multiple times, make sure to heal your best Pokémon between attempts and target each of his team members with the right counters, and you'll soon be able to beat him. Pokémon Go is available to download on iOS and Android devices. View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Pokémon Go Raids schedule - upcoming battles Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Fest 2026: Dates, locations and what to expect
This year's events take place across Tokyo, Chicago, and Copenhagen
Pokémon Go Fest is back for 2026 and will return with three events across three different cities this Summer, as well as a global event later in the year once again. Niantic has lifted the lid on some of the first details about the events, including the dates and cities so you can start booking your flights and tickets. Here is what we know about Pokémon Go Fest 2026 right now, as announed on the official Pokémon Go website. Pokémon Go Fest 2026 Dates Pokémon Go Fest 2026 will take place between Friday, 29th May, 2026 and Sunday 14th June, 2026. This period will take the event across three different cities each week, with unique ticketed citywide gameplay in each location as the festival rotates between the three cities. This is about the same time the event takes place every year. Pokémon Go Fest 2026 Cities Pokémon Go Fest 2026 will take place across three different cities: Tokyo - Bay Area (Friday, May 29 – Monday, June 1, 2026, ticketed citywide gameplay from Monday, May 25, 2026) Chicago - Grant Park (Friday, June 5 – Sunday, June 7, 2026, ticketed citywide gameplay from Thursday, June 4, 2026) Copenhagen - Fælledparken (Friday, June 12 – Sunday, June 14, 2026, ticketed citywide gameplay from Thursday June 11, 2026) On top of these events, Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global will also return with more details to be shared in March and the Spring about all four events. Pokémon Go Fest 2026 What To Expect Pokémon Go Fest 2026 will introduce new research quest and event specific Pokémon spawns in each of these cities, as we have seen in previous years. On top of that, regional Pokémon will appear in other regions across the world to give players a chance to catch some of the rarer creatures. There will also be some unique raids that take place during the events, alongside shiny Pokémon spawns. Finally, you can expect some new content updates and announcement for the game. As mentioned, we will know more in 2026 in the Spring and will keep this article updated over time. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go finally adds a feature that fans have wanted for years
The ever-popular mobile game Pokémon Go is finally adding a feature that fans have wanted for years, we’re very happy to confirm. Ever since the game launched, way back in 2016, Pokémon Go has been regularly updated with new content and seasonal goodies. But this new feature has been a long time coming, to say the least. With next year marking the 10th anniversary of the original Pokémon Go summer (believe it or not), now is the perfect time for developers Niantic to get their ducks in a row. After all, there’s bound to be renewed interest from the mainstream next year. So, what’s the new feature being added? It is… remote trades! Yep, that’s right. With this new update, players will finally be able to trade Pokémon with one another without having to be in the same place at the same time. Fans have wanted this feature for years, and it will certainly come in very handy when it comes to filling in your Pokédex, particularly when some creatures need to be traded to evolve. So, how will this new feature work? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Niantic is going to make you work for those remote trades! First of all, you will need to reach ‘Forever Friends’ status with the person you want to remote trade with. This new level of friendship is one step higher than ‘Best Friends’, the previous highest level, and we’re sure that you’ll need to send a lot of gifts back and forth before you become Forever Friends. View Green Video on the source website Once you become Forever Friends, you’ll be able to complete your first remote trade with one another! It’s worth noting that you’ll need to earn more friendship points — by continuing to interact through battles, trades and gifts — if you want to earn additional remote trades with the same person. There are also some terms and conditions to bear in mind with your Forever Friend remote trades. You’ll have to use “A special Remote Trade tag” to mark the Pokémon that you’re willing to trade. When you initiate the trade, you can pick three tagged Pokémon from your friend’s list. You’ll then each get the final say on which Pokémon you’re going to part with. It’s also worth noting that the following types of Pokémon are not allowed in remote trades: Pokémon caught in the last 30 days Previously traded Pokémon Shadow Pokémon Mythical Pokémon Pokémon defending Gyms or Power Spots Pokémon currently set as your buddy Actively Mega-Evolved Pokémon Fused Pokémon Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta Pokémon placed at Pokémon Playgrounds So, when are these remote trades starting? A “phased rollout” has already begun, with players in New Zealand being able to use the feature from Monday 8th December. There’s no word yet on exactly when this feature will reach the UK, but we look forward to try it out! Watch this space. Think you're a Pokémon master? Test your mettle with our quiz below! View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Winter Holiday events 2025: Confirmed dates and what to expect
With the year winding down to a close, you might naturally want to slip into hibernation mode, but we’re afraid to say that it’s all systems Go, as there is going to be plenty to keep you busy as part of Pokémon Go Winter Holiday Events for 2025. We’ve got all the confirmed dates of all the events and what to expect so that you don’t miss a beat of Pokémon Go holiday goodness. That is, of course, you aren’t too preoccupied playing through the Pokémon Legends Z-A DLC when it drops this December, which adds new Pokémon to the Legends Z-A Pokédex, including fearsome Mega Evolutions. Better polish up the ol’ Master Ball! It might just then be enough to tide us over until Pokémon Pokopia, if you have a Switch 2, that is, as playing Pokopia on a Switch 1 is a bit complicated… So much Pokémon, so little time! With that said, let’s get straight to it and see what awaits in the upcoming Pokémon Go Winter Holiday events. When are the Pokémon Go Winter Holiday events for 2025? There are two Winter Holiday Events taking place in December 2025 in Pokémon Go, and these are: Winter Holiday Part 1 – Thursday 18th December to Wednesday 24th December Winter Holiday Part 2 – Wednesday 24th December to Monday 29th December Around these dates are other experiences which can be found below: Journey to Paldea – Tuesday 2nd to Tuesday 9th December December Community Day – Saturday 6th to Sunday 7th December Well Armed – Thursday 11th to Tuesday 16th December Max Battle Day – Sunday 14th December Research Day – Saturday 20th December Winter Weekend – Saturday 27th to Sunday 28th December New Year's 2026 – Thursday 31st December to Sunday 4th January What to expect from the Pokémon Go Winter Holiday events Typically, Holiday Events feature a whole range of activities for Trainers to get up to. Last year, which was also split into two parts, we got: 2x Catch XP Themed Pokémon spawns increased Themed Pokémon in Raid Battles Themed Field Research Timed Research available Collection Challenge available PokéStop Showcase available New avatar items There were also two PokéStop showcases and new avatar items. For this year, we’re expecting much of the same, but as soon as we know more, we’ll update this page with all the official details! View Green Video on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Pokémon Go Raids schedule - upcoming battles Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Halloween event: Start date and what to expect
Ready for a spooky version of Pokémon Go? It is the season, after all! And players have come to expect it. Pokémon Go is celebrating its 10th Halloween event this month, and in the name of all things spooky, the long-running critter-catching mobile title has not one, but two celebrations planned. Here’s everything to expect from each part, including the featured Pokémon, Raid bosses, and more. When is Pokémon Go’s Halloween event? Niantic has confirmed that the Pokémon Go Halloween event will begin on 21st October. As mentioned above, the Halloween event is split into two parts this year, with the first running from 10am on 21st October through until 27th October. Part 2 arrives at 10am on 27th October and runs through Halloween itself until 2nd November at 8pm local time. View Green Video on the source website Everything included in Pokémon Go’s Halloween event Part 1 Part 1 introduces Poltchageist and Sinistcha as the new Pokémon included, while Sinistea and Polteageist will get shiny variants. Raid bosses include Galarian Yamask, Sinister, and Polchageist, as well as Alolan Marowak, Hisuian Typhlosion and Hisuian Samurott. Team Rocket’s Shadow ‘mon include Yamask and Phantump, while there are new stickers and avatar items, too. Part 2 We’ll be honest, Part 2 sounds much more exciting. Teddiursa, Ursaring, Ursaluna, Noibat and Noivern have Halloween outfits, and all can be found in shiny variants. Raid bosses included Halloween Mischief versions of Pikachu, Drifblim and Piplup, as well as Trick & Treats Gengar, Sinistea (with a chance of a shiny one to appear) and Poltchageist. Players will also find themed Pokémon in 7km eggs, and you’ll get an increased chance of snagging Rare Candy and Rare Candy XL for catching costumed Pokémon on October 31 with Nice throws or better. The GO Pass for Halloween 2025 has the following rewards for reaching milestones, too: Tier 1 2× Catch Candy GO Pass Deluxe: 3× Catch Candy Tier 2 Increased chance for Trainers level 31 and up to receive Candy XL for catching Pokémon with Nice, Great, and Excellent Throws Tier 3 2× Candy for transferring Pokémon Increased chance for Trainers level 31 and up to receive Candy XL for transferring Pokémon GO Pass Deluxe: 3× Candy for transferring Pokémon GO Pass Deluxe: Even greater chance for Trainers level 31 and up to receive Candy XL for transferring Pokémon In a neat touch, a remix of the music from Lavender Town will be played during the evenings of the Halloween event, plus there’s the usual event stickers from PokeStop spins, gifts, and store purchases. Speaking of store purchases, there’s a rather fetching Polteageist Hat up for grabs, seen above. Who wouldn't want that? Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Concierge event in Pokémon Go: Dates, times and what to expect
Pokémon Concierge is getting a special event in Pokémon Go, and we've rounded up all the key details on the dates, times and what's included for you. If you haven't had the pleasure to watch it, Pokémon Concierge is a delightful little animated series on Netflix. It has recently released its second season on the streaming service, and is well worth a watch. As ever, Pokémon goings-on in the real world means there will be Pokémon Go content to match. Keep on reading and we'll run through everything you need to know. When is the Pokémon Concierge event in Pokémon Go? UK dates and end time The Pokémon Concierge event in Pokémon Go started at 10am on Tuesday 9th September here in the UK (and everywhere else). The event will end at 8pm on Sunday 14th September, meaning that you have until the end of this week to make the most of what's in store. That's not a huge amount of time, so let's quickly get to the key details. What's included in the Pokémon Concierge event in Pokémon Go? Over on the official Pokémon Go website, Niantic has revealed a whole load of fun content for the Pokémon Concierge event in Pokémon Go. Below is a rundown of what you should expect. Pokémon debut Psyduck with a swim ring (can be shiny!) Wild encounters Psyduck with a swim ring (can be shiny!) Sealeo Shinx (can be shiny!) Raids One-Star Pikachu (can she shiny!) One-Star Magikarp (can she shiny!) One-Star Shinx (can she shiny!) Three-Star Arcanine Three-Star Dragonite Three-Star Luxray Timed Research "Timed Research focused on catching Pokémon and taking snapshots of wild Pokémon will be available throughout the event," the website states. "Complete tasks to earn Stardust, encounters with event-themed Pokémon, and more," it continues. Please note that Timed Research expires. The tasks associated with this Timed Research must be completed and their rewards must be claimed before Sunday 14th September at 8pm local time. Avatar goodies Meanwhile, in the in-game shop, there is a free new shirt! It's called Pokémon Concierge: Haru’s Aloha Shirt, and you can take a look at it above. There is also a paid research path that will get you "an event themed avatar pose". Event bonuses 2× Candy for catching Pokémon. Your Buddy Pokémon will bring you items more often. Increased chance to encounter Shiny Psyduck with a swim ring Psyduck with a swim ring caught from a wild encounter may have an event-themed Special Background Surprise encounters "Smile! You might have a surprise encounter with Pokémon and characters seen in Pokémon Concierge when you take a snapshot during the event," the website explains. On top of all that, there are also event-themed stickers to be found by spinning PokéStops and opening gifts. In the Pokémon Go web store, there is also an Ultra Ticket Box available to purchase (this includes and event ticket and 10 ultra balls). So, what are you waiting for? It's time to boot up Pokémon Go and check in with the Pokémon Concierge. And if you've got a spare minute, try our quiz below. View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Wild Area 2025: Start date and what to expect
The Pokémon Go Wild Area 2025 event has now been confirmed – time to start getting excited. The global event will run across two days and gives players the chance to catch the brand-new evolutionary line making its debut in the game – along with its shiny variant – plus more exciting new content! So, if you're excited for this year's Pokémon Go Wild Area, read on for the start date and what's coming in 2025. When is the Pokémon Go Wild Area 2025 start date? The Pokémon Go Wild Area 2025 event begins on Saturday 15th November 2025. The event runs on both 15th and 16th November, beginning at 10am and ending at 6pm local time. Players will be able to access the event by purchasing a ticket either from the in-game shop or from the web store. Purchasing your ticket from the web store will get you some additional bonuses too: 1x Flower Crown 10x Max Revive 10x Rare Candy 3x Premium Battle Pass 1x Egg Incubator +144 Reward Points What to expect from Pokémon Go Wild Area 2025 The highlight of this year's event is the introduction of the following: Impidimp, Morgrem and Grimmsnarl. They'll all be available to catch on your ticketed day, as well as hatching from 5km Eggs . You'll also be able to obtain their shiny variants, so you'll want to make sure you're catching as many as you can during the event. But they're far from the only big thing coming this year – keep reading for the full details! Shadow Darkrai and Shadow Cresselia During this year's event, Shadow Darkrai and Shadow Cresselia will be made available during Shadow Raids. You'll be able to earn the chance to catch them by defeating Team GO Rocket members at Gym's they've taken over. There's even a chance for both of them to be shiny, so it's certainly worth taking a few on when you see them! New shiny Pokémon As well as the introduction of shiny Impidimp, there are some other new shinies being introduced into the game. Hatterene fans will be delighted to learn that Hatenna, Hattrem and Hatterene are all getting the shiny treatment for the first time. Interestingly, the same can be said for Unown W, for some reason. Lurking Dark Hour One of two new Habitats introduced during the event, Lurking Dark Hour, will give players the chance to catch a bunch of dark and night-themed Pokémon. Here's the full list of what will appear: Alolan Meowth Alolan Grimer Gastly Hoothoot Murkrow Sneasel Houndour Poochyena Galarian Zigzagoon Seedot Nincada Cacnea Kricketot Stunky Skorupi Scrafty Zorua Foongus Deino Phantump Impidimp Dreepy Fanciful Fairy Hour The second new Habitat, Fanciful Fairy Hour, introduces a bunch of light-themed, mostly Fairy-type Pokémon. Again, here's the full list: Clefairy Alolan Vulpix Jigglypuff Galarian Ponyta Chansey Togetic Marill Snubbull Ralts Skitty Swablu Feebas Cherubi Audino Cottonee Espurr Dedenne Klefki Popplio Cutiefly Hatenna Impidimp Smoliv View Green Video on the source website Mighty Pokémon return Mighty Pokémon are coming back to the game for this year's Wild Area event. Mighty Pokémon are high-level Pokémon that always have high IVs, are fully-evolved, likely to be XL or XXL, very aggressive and are much harder to catch than normal Pokémon. Here are all of the Mighty Pokémon that will be available during the event. Saturday 15th November Wigglytuff Galarian Rapidash Tyranitar Mawile Absol Golurk Hatterene Obstagoon Meowscarada Sunday 16th November Alolan Ninetales Galarian Weezing Granbull Houndoom Gardevoir Honchkrow Garchomp Drapion Weavile Incense Encounters During the event, all of the following Pokémon will be attracted by Incense (except Daily Adventure Incense): Alolan Ninetales Galarian Rapidash Tyranitar Mawile Absol Garchomp Drapion Weavile Hatterene Meowscarada Ticket Holder Exclusive Incense Encounters In addition to all of the above, if you've got a ticket for the event, the following Pokémon will also be attracted to Incense: Unown W Unown I Unown L Unown D Uxie (Rare) Mesprit (Rare) Azelf (Rare) New Egg hatches During the event, players will be able to get the following Pokémon from 5km Eggs: Mime Jr. Sandile Pawniard Carbink Impidimp Tinkatink Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Level 80: Changeover date and new requirements explained
The introduction of the new Pokémon Go Level 80 cap is set to bring huge changes to the ever-popular mobile game. At the moment, the level cap sits at 50, meaning players will now be able to progress 30 levels above that – a pretty massive jump for long-term fans. So, what do you need to know about this major update? We'll tell you all about the changeover date, new requirements and more. Pokémon Go Level 80 start date The level cap in Pokémon Go will be raised to 80 on Wednesday 15th October 2025. This means that players who reached the Level 50 cap already will finally have a new milestone to grind towards. It should be noted that players who hit the Level 50 cap a while ago will likely jump multiple levels upon the cap being lifted, as their total XP will contribute to their new level. Pokémon Go Level 80 details There are plenty of changes coming alongside the Level 80 cap, so here's a quick overview of what you need to know: Level cap increasing from 50 to 80 Levelling curve rebalancing to make it faster to earn levels New Level-Up Research tasks added for Levels 71-80 Level-Up Research tasks removed for Levels 41-50 Higher chance to become Lucky Friends from Level 70 onwards New level-up rewards added from Level 25 onwards XP requirements for certain levels adjusted More to be announced While the Trainer Level Cap is increasing to 80, the Pokémon Level cap is staying at 50 for the moment, with nothing changing with regards to CP or CPM. If you haven't reached Level 50 yet and are worried about the XP requirements changing, the developers have confirmed that nobody will lose any levels. How much XP do I need to reach Level 80 in Pokémon Go? At the time of writing, Pokémon Go hasn't announced how much XP you'll need to reach Level 80, but it's safe to assume that it's going to be a lot. Players who have already reached Level 50 will potentially automatically gain several levels depending on how much total XP they've accrued. That being said, even if you've already got enough XP to hit Level 80 from the get-go, you will no doubt have to complete the Level 71-80 Research Tasks before you can actually hit Level 80 proper. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
UK Pokémon Masters explain how to be the very best, like no one ever was
Anaheim’s Pokémon World Championships dazzled fans with its spectacle of fun matches, stunning attractions, roaring crowds, and nail-biting finals, but it wasn’t just the winners standing tall. As well as previewing Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Radio Times Gaming spoke to three key voices from the UK about their Pokémon VGC careers, and the hard-earned insights they've gained along the way. Masters competitors Tom Winter from London and Dyl Yeomans from Cardiff, as well as Niall Crallan (a Professor from York) shared the lessons they've learned about Pokémon's elite level. We spent the whole of Pokémon Worlds 2025 being amazed at how jaw-dropping this annual global event has become. Together, these three’s stories paint a picture of what it really takes to play and thrive at this level, as well as offer advice on how you can do the same. Life on the biggest stage Competing at Pokémon Worlds isn’t just about knowing the metagame; it’s about preparing for an atmosphere unlike anything else in gaming. Winter, who placed just outside the Top 50 with a 6-4 finish, admitted the nerves are part of the experience. “Well, it’s the hardest tournament of the year. Obviously, it’s the World Championship. So you always feel pretty nervous, because you want to do as well as you can. But I don’t know, I tried to come in not setting any expectations or goals on myself, so I was stressed and nervous, but probably not as much as last year, which was my first Worlds”. For Yeomans, competing for the first time and finishing with a 5-3 record in their debut meant walking in without a blueprint. “It was my first time playing Worlds. I had no idea what to expect. So, with nothing to base it off, I don’t think I was stressed or nervous or anything, but I didn’t feel too excited either. Just like, whatever happens, I guess.” Both emphasised that preparation for Worlds goes far beyond what’s needed at locals or even regionals. “The volume of it is just so much more to do, because…there’s like, one shot in it for the year, and obviously, you want to prepare a lot for the other events. But because it’s Worlds, everyone is just slightly more focused on it. "It’s like, ‘make sure you know every single match, what to do at every single turn’, things like that. Make sure the team is as perfect as it can be.” “No one at this will probably use their teams again. This was the big showing for it. You either do it or you don’t,” Yeomans explained. Interestingly, after speaking about the fact that the lower-level tournaments leave some room for experimentation, Yeomans hones their advice down to the fact that Worlds leaves “literally no room for error”. “So, if you make a mistake, that will cost you the game. If you make two mistakes, that’s the set, and you can only use two of those”. Echoing the sentiment, Winter added: “Yeah, similar to Dyl really…it only comes around once a year. You have to qualify for it, 2025 was much harder to qualify for because they introduced a different sort of point system for players in TPCI countries. “You’ve only got one shot, and you want to make it count.” Advice for aspiring players For those hoping to one day follow in their footsteps, both players urged fans to begin small and focus on enjoyment. Yeomans kept it simple: “Just always play to have fun, I think is the main thing. I always play better when I’m having fun. So just find a way to always keep it fun, and then you will just keep improving, and eventually you will just be there, I think.” Winter pointed to the social side of the scene: “Find out where your locals are so you can meet people in an environment that feels less pressurising than at, say, a regional event. All you have to do is hop down to your local card store… you make great friendships and connect to people. You can travel to events together, but it also makes it fun — going back to Dyl’s point, if you’re having fun, you can enjoy playing the game, then you’re gonna keep coming back.” Yeomans even recollected the pair's first regional in 2023, messaging the friend they’d met the week before, asking advice on whether their team looked good enough — a sweet emphasis on how collaboration and supporting one another is still at the heart of the Pokémon community so many years later. The Professor’s path Not every role at Worlds takes place on stage. For Niall Crallan, judging matches as a Professor is about making sure players’ experiences are as smooth as possible. “Professors do quite a lot of different things. A lot more of it is about giving people the best experience.” For those hoping to follow the same route, Crallan gave some clear and simple pointers: “The first step, really, I believe everybody who becomes a Professor should be somebody who’s played in tournaments before, to really see the player experience. After going along to those local events like the leagues, and essentially, everybody starts there and gains that experience with smaller events that might have 10 or 20 players, and then gradually build up through regionals and obviously internationals and Worlds.” A growing future Behind it all, the organisers are already planning how to scale. Chris Brown, The Pokémon Company International’s Director of Global Esports and Events, told us: “Our hope is sort of healthy growth every year. In Europe, for example, we’re seeing, instead of 3,000 attendee events, maybe there are six or 7,000 attendee events. Five years from now, I could only hope.” That growth means even more opportunities for UK fans and competitors to sharpen their skills without always needing to travel across the Atlantic. Winter and Yeomans might not have lifted trophies this year, but their message is a winner in itself: success starts with fun, community, and practice. Crallan, meanwhile, shows that the path to Worlds isn’t just about battling; it’s also about building and supporting the scene. For fans in the UK, that future looks brighter than ever. With Pokémon Worlds 2026 set for San Francisco, already teasing its biggest fan experience yet, now is the time to jump in at the official website to learn how to qualify and compete yourself. In the meantime, check out our quiz below if you want to test your knowledge. View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Worlds 2025 was one of the best events ever for fans, and it's only going to get bigger
There are hopes attendance will double in the next five years.
While competitive Pokémon for both the TCG and video games has been around for what feels like as long as the franchise itself, the annual global celebration seems to top itself every year in terms of being the pinnacle of competitive play. In tandem, though, it’s also been a regular reminder as to not only why it’s the go-to time for Pokémon fans to come together, but it’s getting bigger and better every year, too. For Worlds 2025, in particular, Radio Times was invited out with a load of other outlets and content creators to see just how Anaheim’s version marks a major turning point for Pokémon’s competitive scene, as one of the most ambitious gaming events out there becomes a must. What is Pokémon Worlds? For the uninitiated, Pokémon Worlds is the annual summit where the year’s top players across multiple formats from the regional levels - Video Game Championships (VGC — Scarlet & Violet, in this case), the Trading Card Game (TCG), Pokémon GO, and Pokémon UNITE - compete for world titles. Among those formats, there are also three brackets each: Junior for up to 12 years old before the start of the tournament season, Senior for 13-16, and Masters for 17+. Then, along with a pretty Pikachu trophy and unique card if you take fourth place or higher, there's a cash prize of up to $50,000 up for grabs as well. Yet, it is also much more than a competition. The event functions as a hybrid of festival, convention, and global reunion, offering opportunities for casual fans and seasoned competitors alike to immerse themselves in every facet of the Pokémon universe. At the Anaheim Convention Center, for example, Worlds 2025 transformed the venue into a living showcase of the brand. Beyond the competition halls and incredible opening ceremony featuring performances from musicians like NateWantsToBattle, there were side event tournaments that both fans and Worlds dropouts can take part in. There were also Play Lab sessions to teach newcomers how to play the card game and Scarlet & Violet competitively, a cosplay showcase, a museum featuring past Pokémon games and Worlds winners, a TCG art gallery, community panels from big fandom names like Joe Merrick (Serebii), a giant Miraidon motorcycle, poster signings with talented TCG artists, the opportunity to buy extra merch and very, very expensive merchant cards, and tons more interactive experiences — the Pokémon world, at Worlds, felt like our (Cl)oyster. Even before the tournament week, however, we were offered some amazing extra experiences. Not only were we given an early walkthrough of the new Pokémon Centre pop-up store, packed with plenty of merch exclusive to Anaheim’s Worlds, but we were also among the first in the world to have a hands-on preview with the upcoming Pokémon: Legends Z-A game (take that, Gamescom). A festival as much as a tournament The sheer variety of activities alone sets Pokémon Worlds like Anaheim’s apart from other franchise-dedicated gaming events. While competitors from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th August battled it out, spectators had plenty of other bits to enjoy, like watching the first couple of days’ tournaments on huge monitors throughout the centre, dedicated spaces for card and pin trading, a cosplay showcase, more side-event tournaments, their own chance to play the latest games like the Legends: Z-A demo, and Black Bolt & White Flare art showcase — all underscoring how the Championships now cater to both competitive and casual audiences. Still, it turns out everything before Sunday 17th was a warm-up, since all four of the finals held in the Anaheim Convention Center’s arena was truly the cherry on top that took our breath away. A first for Pokémon Worlds and the franchise’s tournament scene in general, each match was set in the middle of a glorious centre battleground — surrounded by thousands of fans in the audience, elevated by spectacular LED-lit staging, lively commentary, and dazzling stage effects — painting the artistry of Pokémon battles into the shade of epic global sporting events we always imagined them to be playing in Pokémon Silver in 2001. I said it before on my Instagram at the time, and I’ll say it again: I finally understand what football, wrestling, and F1 fans are going on about when I say this is the atmosphere you want to be in if you’re a fan. Even without getting into the nitty-gritty of this year’s Pokémon Worlds statistics, its growing reach seems clear. Thankfully, we have those anyway. As shared with us by PR reps from The Pokémon Company International, Pokémon Worlds 2025 saw nearly 2,500 competitors from 48 countries and regions join over 25,000 attendees representing more than 60 regions, all supported by a staff contingent of more than 1,500 personnel. Insights from the organisers While those numbers are certainly huge, with the larger spotlight on Pokémon’s steps into the new era of its games - the upcoming generation 10, new Switch 1 and 2 games, and the ever-expanding variety of the TCG with new sets - we can’t help but wonder about the future. In a roundtable interview with Chris Brown, The Pokémon Company International’s director of global esports and events, we personally asked about the event’s growth and where he sees Pokémon’s competitive scene, including Worlds, going within the next five years. With far-in-advance logistics aside, Brown sounded very optimistic, explaining: "Our hope is sort of healthy growth every year." He elaborated further: "In Europe, this past season, our regional championships averaged over 3,000 attendees. I think we're over almost 2,000 players per show. I think we're going to grow that significantly, actually, this upcoming year." (They did.) "The team, how we approach that is, you know, sort of looking at [what] year to year is like. 'What did we do last year?' 'Was it a sell-out for this age division? OK, well, how much demand was there?' and then we try to project it. "Five years out, my hope would be maybe we double. Maybe in Europe, for example, we're seeing, instead of 3,000 [at] attendee events, maybe there are six or 7,000 [at] attendee events. Five years from now, I could only hope." What's next for Pokémon Worlds 2026? While that 100 per cent+ boost over the next half-decade sounded like a hefty aspiration, it wasn’t that hard to understand the reasons for it once we understood what came next. After the nail-biting finals of Worlds’ VGC tournament (an incredible match between Giovanni Cischke vs James Evans you should watch, by the way) soon followed the closing ceremonies — not only including new content trailers for the TCG, Legends: Z-A, GO, TCG Pocket and Unite, but also an exciting trailer for Pokémon Worlds 2026 in San Francisco. We already knew this going in, but we didn’t know the fact that Anaheim was merely a test for what The Pokémon Company is planning for the next American-bound World Championships. Alongside the finals set to be held in the Chase Center, an NBA-calibre arena that dwarfs even Anaheim’s impressive set-up, it will also debut PokémonXP — a new fan-centric programme blending panels, workshops, guest appearances, and exclusive stores, providing attendees with more varied ways to engage. Essentially, everything we spent doing in the earlier days ahead of Worlds was a sort of trial version for what this new appetiser event for next year’s Worlds is going to be. And quite frankly, it’s a damn good time that makes the ultimate Pokémon esports event even better. Fancy yourself a Pokémon master? Try our quiz below! View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Best Pokémon Go Arlo Counters: How to defeat Scizor, Muk and more
If you're after Giovanni but Pokémon Go's Arlo is in your way, you've come to the right place. One of Team Go Rocket's Leaders, Arlo is no slouch, and his current team can deal some serious damage if you aren't careful. So, if you're looking for some help on countering Arlo's current team in Pokémon Go, we've got a full list of counters for you to take a look at so you can be on your way to the Rocket boss in no time. Best Arlo counters for Pokémon Go August 2025 While we know which Pokémon Arlo will start with, rounds two and three can feature different ones. Additionally, while we know the options, there is no way of knowing which one you will go up against. So, we have covered all variations of the Arlo battle here, so you stand the best chance of emerging victorious. Here is what you will need to know about what you will be up against. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website First round Shadow Chikorita (Grass-type) Weakness: Counter with Fire, Flying, Poison and Ice-type attacks Second round Shadow Slowbro (Water and Psychic-type) Weakness: Counter with Electric, Grass, Dark and Ghost-type attacks Shadow Crobat (Poison and Flying-type) Weakness: Counter with Electric, Rock, Ice and Psychic-type attacks Shadow Steelix (Steel and Ground-type) Weakness: Counter with Fire, Water, Fighting and Ground-type attacks Third round Shadow Scizor (Bug and Steel-type) Weakness: Counter with Fire-type attacks Shadow Alakazam (Psychic-type) Weakness: Counter with Dark and Ghost-type attacks Alolan Shadow Muk (Poison and Ground-type) Weakness: Counter with Ground-type attacks For this battle, we recommend having at least one Fire-type Pokémon to cover both Chikorita in round one and Scizor in round three – Mega Charizard Y, Blaziken, Heatran and Reshiram are all great options. A Tyranitar with Dark-type coverage is an excellent choice too, as this will cover Crobat 's Flying-type and Alakazam's Psychic-type. Alternatively, a strong Electric-type can be used to cover both Slowbro and Crobat. Lastly, anything with good Ground-type damage like Groudon will be ideal as a means of dealing not only with Steelix, but with Muk's sky-high defences. It's also worth noting that you can re-pick your team after losing to Arlo once, by opting for a rematch at the same location, which should mean that Arlo makes the same picks again - this time, you'll know who you're up against, so you can make your picks more wisely. Best Chikorita counters in Pokémon Go You should not have too much trouble when you take on Cacnea, but if you want to get the job done fast, we recommend using Fire, Flying, Poison, Bug or Ice moves. There are plenty of choices that will decimate Cacnea's health in no time, such as Glaceon, Houndoom and Charizard. Beedrill is a good pick, as it receives minimum damage from Cacnea's poison sting, which it uses regularly. Best Slowbro counters in Pokémon Go Slowbro is a Water and Psychic-type that is weak to Bug, Dark, Electric, Ghost and Grass-type moves. Sceptile is a good choice, but we recommend a Pokémon with Dark or Ghost-type moves to cover Alakazam as well – Dawn Wings Necrozma, Gengar, Tyranitar and Mega Absol are all great options. Best Crobat counters in Pokémon Go Crobat is weak to Electric, Psychic, Rock and Ice-type attacks. If you can get a powerful Psychic or Ice-type like Shadow Mewtwo or White Kyurem, that would be ideal. If not, Tyranitar, Rhyperior and Mega Alakazam all make good options. Best Steelix counters in Pokémon Go Steelis is weak to Water, Fire, Ground and Fighting-type moves, so you should focus on these. Mega Lucario is an excellent choice here, as are both Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre. Alternatively, you could also use Mega Y Charizard, Blaziken or Swampert to get the job done. Best Scizor counters in Pokémon Go Reshiram is by far the best bet for a Scizor takedown, but, failing that, there are others that you can choose - including Chandelure, Charizard, Blaziken and Moltres. So take your pick. But essentially, any Pokemon that can handle itself in a fight and is equipped with Fighting, Fairy, Ground, Bug, Steel, Water or Grass moves should give this one a run for its money. Best Alakazam counters in Pokémon Go As a Psychic-type, Alakazam is weak to Ghost, Dark and Bug-type moves. We again a Pokémon with Dark of Ghost-type coverage, such as Ghost Wings Necrozma, Tyranitar or Gengar, but you could also just brute force your way through with any powerful Legendary Pokémon. Best Alolan Muk counters in Pokémon Go Alolan Muk only has one weakness thanks to its Poison and Dark-typing – Ground-type moves. For that reason, your best options here are the likes of Primal Groudon, Garchomp, Excadrill, Rhyperior or Swampert. View Green Video on the source website Pokémon Go is available across iOS and Android devices. Subscribe to our free gaming newsletter for all the latest intel. Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Max Finale: How to get Eternatus explained
Pokémon Go Fest 2025 is coming to an end, and the Pokémon Go Max Finale will be rounding out the celebrations with a bang. Eternamax Eternatus, the imposing Legendary of Generation 8's Sword and Shield, will be available to fight in Max Battles for a short period. If you're hoping to get Eternatus for yourself this weekend as part of the Pokémon Go Max Finale 2025, here's a guide to tell you everything you need to know. When is the Pokémon Go Max Finale event? This year's Pokémon Go Max Finale event is scheduled to take place from 10am on 23rd August 2025 until 6pm on 24th August 2025. Both timings are local time. During this time, a whole host of new Raids, Max Battles and more will become available – more on all of that down below. View Green Video on the source website The main event of this year's Max Finale is undoubtedly Eternamax Eternatus, which you'll be able to battle in what the developers are dubbing the most challenging Max Battle they've ever created. How to get Eternatus in the Pokémon Go Max Finale To get Eternatus in Pokémon Go, you'll first need to reach Tier 60 on the free track of the Go Pass: Max Finale. Hitting this level will unlock you a free battle against Eternatus. Bear in mind that you must reach this tier by 9pm local time on 24th August, otherwise you won't be able to gain any more points to level up the Go Pass. Unfortunately, if you were hoping to capture Eternamax Eternatus from the upcoming Max Battles this weekend, the Legendary Pokémon will not be available to capture. Defeating Eternamax Eternatus will grant you Eternatus Candy and Eternatus Candy XL, which you can then use to power up the Eternatus you hopefully caught earlier on in the event. What else is in the Pokémon Go Max Finale event? In a word: lots. Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Sword Zamazenta will both be returning to Raids during the event. It's going to be a big time for Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokémon, too, with every single one rejoining the game. That means: Lapras Torterra Gengar Inteleon Venusaur Toxtricity Rillaboom Charizard Blastoise Scorbunny Machamp And more! There will also be some nice aesthetic changes added. Players who catch Pokémon via Max Battles during the event will have a chance of unlocking a Dark Skies Special Background for the Pokémon's summary page. Furthermore, during the event, the skies in-game will darken and be covered by a sea of purple clouds. Last, but not least, the following bonuses will also be active during the event: Additional Power Spots will be active Power Spots refresh more frequently Increased Max Particle collection limit Double Candy for catching Pokémon Double Candy XL chance from catching Pokémon No Remote Raid limit Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to get Lugia in Pokémon Go: Raid Battle dates and weaknesses
Here's how to get the Legendary Gen 2 Pokémon.
It's been nearly a year, but Lugia is finally back in Pokémon Go, so if you missed out on the Gen 2 Legendary last year, you're in with another shot. Lugia will be back in 5-Star Raids for a full week, so you'll have plenty of opportunity to catch one, but you will, of course, need to battle it first. Luckily for you, we've put together a handy guide to the Flying and Psychic-type's weaknesses, as well as the best counters that you should be using to take it down. So, to find out how to get Lugia in Pokémon Go, info on its Raid Battle dates and Raid Hours, and its counters, read on! How to get Lugia in Pokémon Go To get Lugia in Pokémon Go, you need to defeat one in a 5-Star Raid Battle to earn your chance to catch the Generation 2 Legendary Pokémon. Unfortunately, these 5-Star Raid Battles starring Lugia don’t come along too often. Fortunately, though, there’s one happening this very weekend (as of writing, sorry anyone who catches this page later on)! Reckon you're a Pokémon master? Pit your wits against our Pokémon quiz below! View Riddle on the source website Lugia Raid Battle dates in Pokémon Go Shadow Lugia will appear in 5-Star Raid Battles between 4th August 2025 and 11th August 2025. As well as this, Lugia will feature in its own Raid Hour between 6pm and 7pm local time on 6th August 2025, so this is the best time to catch one. At long last, we know when we can battle against Lugia in a raid and have our chance of adding the Legendary Psychic and Flying-type Pokémon to our Pokédex once again. Now you know when the Lugia Raid Battle dates are in Pokémon Go, you need to know how to beat Lugia and the best counters against its weaknesses. More on all of that below. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Lugia weaknesses in Pokémon Go Lugia is a Psychic and Flying-type Pokémon, which means it is weak against Dark, Electric, Ghost, Ice, and Rock-type attacks. Even with Pokémon knowing good moves of the types above, defeating Lugia in a 5-Star Raid Battle will still prove difficult. They don’t make these battles easy. Regardless, it’s still definitely best to pick Pokémon that know powerful Dark, Electric, Ghost, Ice, and/or Rock-type attacks against Lugia. Keep trying and you’ll defeat the Legendary Pokémon eventually. Best Lugia counters in Pokémon Go The best Lugia counters in Pokémon Go will be strong Pokémon that know powerful (and quick) Dark, Electric, Ghost, Ice, and Rock-type attacks. It will also help if you bring Pokémon that resist Psychic and Flying-type attacks as Lugia will often attack with those (it can also use Dragon and Water-type attacks, just so you’re aware). All told, though, we recommend you bring powerful Rock-type Pokémon such as Tyranitar, which is a Rock and Dark-type Pokémon. Tyranitar will resist Lugia’s Psychic and Flying-type attacks while knowing moves of its own that will be Super Effective against Lugia. Win-win. Other good counters against Lugia include Rampardos, Mamoswine, Magnezone, Raikou, Rhyperior and Diancie. Essentially, though, stick with Rock-type and you’ll do well. Read more on Pokémon: Pokémon Go Raids schedule - upcoming battles Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Virizion in Pokémon Go: Weakness, counters and Raid Battle dates
One of the many legendary Pokémon from the Unova region, Virizion is a powerful addition to any team in Pokémon Go. And with the Grass and Fighting-type now in Raids, you'll want to know how to take it down so you can get one of your own. So, to help you to that end, we've put together a quick explainer on Virizion's weaknesses, the best counters to use, and the dates you'll be able to catch it. When is Virizion available in Pokémon Go Raid Battles? Virizion is obtainable in Raid Battles from 10am on 28th July 2025 until 10am on 4th August. Timings are always in local time. For the best chance of catching yourself a Virizion, there will be a Virizion Raid Hour between 6pm and 7pm local time on 30th July. As with any Raid, you'll have to battle and defeat Virizion before you have the chance to catch it, so read on for our guide on how best to do it! Pokémon Go Virizion Raid Battle guide Virizion is capable of dealing decent damage if you're not careful, but thanks to its typing, you should be able to very easily take it down if you have the right Pokémon on hand – here's what you need to know. Pokémon Go Virizion Raid Battle weaknesses Thanks to its dual Grass and Fighting typing, Virizion has a number of weaknesses, but the only one you need to concern yourself is the Flying-type. Virizion is 4x weak to Flying-type attacks, meaning this is the only type you should be using in your battles against it. If you don't have any Pokémon at all with strong Flying-type moves, then you can get away with Fire, Psychic, Fairy, Ice and Poison-type moves too, but this is not recommended. View Green Video on the source website Pokémon Go Virizion Raid Battle counters The best Pokémon to counter Virizion in Raid Battles is Rayquaza – ideally Mega Rayquaza – with Air Slash and Dragon Ascent. This will ensure you're doing the highest possible damage, while also maintaining a resistance to Virizion's Fighting-type attacks. Alternatives to Rayquaza are Shadow Staraptor, Shadow Moltres, Yveltal, Mega Pidgeot and Shadow Honchcrow, all of which should prioritise Flying-type moves like Gust, Wing Attack, Fly and Sky Attack. Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Steel and Scales explained: Research tasks and Collection Challenges
Following the recent Pokémon Go Fest, the second Unlock Event is here at last, with Pokémon Go Steel and Scales. Debuting one of Generation VI's most popular Pokémon, Honedge, it's certainly one that you won't want to miss out on. So, if you're eager to eventually get your hands on the powerful Aegislash, here's what you need to know about the new event. Pokémon Go Steel and Scales explained The Pokémon Go Steel and Scales event runs from 22nd to 27th July 2025. As well as introducing the Ghost and Steel-type Honedge, players will have a higher chance throughout the event to find shiny Bagon, Beldum and Unown U, with shiny Rookidee also available for the first time. Perhaps most excitingly, players will also get quadruple XP and Stardust for catching Pokémon! Pokémon Go Steel and Scales Field Research tasks During the event, spinning a PokéStop may give you one of the following tasks: Catch five Pokémon (1000 XP or 500 Stardust) Catch 10 Pokémon (Bagon or Beldum encounter) Catch 20 Pokémon (Bronzor or Gible encounter) Win a Raid (Goomy, Jangmo-o or Frigibax encounter) Pokémon Go Steel and Scales Collection Challenges There are a few different Colletion Challenges to complete in this event, with similar rewards for each of them: Rookidee Collection Challenge (2000 XP, 1500 Stardust, Rookidee encounter) Catch a Rookidee Evolve a Rookidee into Corvisquire Evolve a Corvisquire into Corviknight Dratini Collection Challenge (2000 XP, 1500 Stardust, Dratini encounter) Catch a Dratini Evolve a Dratini into Dragonair Evolve a Dragonair into Dragonite Beldum Collection Challenge (2000 XP, 1500 Stardust, Beldum encounter) Catch a Beldum Evolve a Beldum into Metang Evolve a Metang into Metagross Bagon Collection Challenge (2000 XP, 1500 Stardust, Bagon encounter) Catch a Bagon Evolve a Bagon into Shelgon Evolve a Shelgon into Salamence Pokémon Go Steel and Scales boosted spawns During the Steel and Scales event, the following Pokémon will spawn more frequently: Magnemite Dratini Aron Bagon Beldum Ferroseed Axew Goomy Noibat Rookidee View Green Video on the source website Pokémon Go Steel and Scales Raid targets Lastly, the Steel and Scales event will feature the following Pokémon in Raids: One-Star Raids Unown U Gible Klink Deino Honedge Three-Star Raids Skarmory Bisharp Dragalge Turtonator Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to get all Eevee evolutions in Pokémon Go: Names explained
Here's how to get the Eeveelutions - all eight of them...
You know what they say, 'Gotta catch 'em all,' and keeping in with Pokémon tradition, we have how to get all Eevee evolutions in Pokémon Go and the names needed explained. If you would rather be shown what to do to get the Eeveelutions rather than read through our guide, we have a handy video above for your viewing pleasure. A word of warning, though, getting all eight Eevee evolutions in Pokémon Go requires quite the time investment, but our help should speed things up. It'll be well worth it, too, as Eevee and its Eeveevolutions are some of the most beloved Pokémon of all since the first three variants were introduced to the world back in Pokémon Red and Blue for the original Game Boy in 1996, the first games in the long-running series. But as the different Eeveelutions are all different Pokémon types, we'll need different items for each. And with so much to get through, let's not dilly-dally! What does Eevee evolve into in Pokémon Go? When Pokémon was first released, Eevee only had three evolutions: Vaporeon, Jolteon and Flareon were one of the original 151 Pokémon that debuted in Pokémon Red and Blue in 1996. However, as the years have gone by and more games have come out, more evolutions for the popular Eevee have been released, bringing the grand total of possible evolutions up to eight(!) – more than any other Pokémon. Each Eevee evolution is a different type, so choose carefully: Vaporeon (Water-type) Jolteon (Electric-type) Flareon (Fire-type) Umbreon (Dark-type) Espeon (Psychic-type) Leafeon (Grass-type) Glaceon (Ice-type) Sylveon (Fairy-type) Reckon you're a Pokémon master? Pit your wits against our Pokémon quiz below! View Riddle on the source website How to evolve Eevee into Vaporeon, Jolteon and Flareon Evolving Eevee in the main Pokémon games requires special items, moves and friendship levels – however, in Pokémon Go Eevee can be evolved by feeding it 25 Eevee candy. You can get Eevee candy from catching Eevees, walking with one as a buddy Pokémon and hatching eggs. You can get more for transferring Eevees to Professor Willow! However, this method will only evolve Eevee into either Vaporeon, Jolteon or Flareon at random - if you want a specific evolution, you'll have to try another way... How to evolve Eevee using names By changing the name of your Eevee before you feed it 25 candies, you can get the specific Eevee evolution of your choice. Simply rename your Eevee with the name below that corresponds with your desired evolution, and voila, you'll have your Eevee evolution of choice once you feed it 25 candy: Vaporeon - Rainer Jolteon - Sparky Flareon - Pyro Umbreon - Tamao Espeon - Sakura Leafeon - Linnea Glaceon - Rea Sylveon - Kira These are not random names, either, but rather a nod to the long-running anime TV show. The name trick only works once per evolution, however - for example, if you obtain a Vaporeon through this method, you can't get a second Vaporeon by changing the name of another Eevee, and will have to use a different method instead. How to evolve Eevee into Espeon and Umbreon You can use the name trick if it's an Espeon or Umbreon you're after – but you can also use the method originally used when the two were introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver. This involved increasing the friendship level with your Eevee, which you can do by setting them as your buddy Pokémon and walking 10km with them. Once you've walked 10km, your Eevee will be ready to evolve, but the time of day will affect which evolution you get. Remember, you need 25 Eevee Candies to evolve an Eevee into an Umbreon or Espeon, no matter which method you use. A daytime evolution will gift you an Espeon, whereas an overnight evolution will fittingly provide the Dark-type Umbreon. Unlike the name exploit, however, you can use this method as much as you like! The game will let you know whether your Eevee will evolve into an Umbreon or Espeon with a little symbol next to the 'evolve' section on the game screen. How to evolve Eevee into Leafeon and Glaceon The name trick works here once again, but the rather specific method below can be used as many times as you like. Firstly, you'll need a particular item - a Mossy Lure if you want a Leafeon, and a Glacial Lure if you'd like a Glaceon. These lure modules are available in the shop but could also be available as Field Research Rewards. While these lures are usually used to attract certain types of Pokémon, they can also influence your Eevee evolution - place one of the lures on a PokéStop and you'll be able to evolve your Eevee if you remain close enough, with the Mossy Lure causing an evolution into Leafeon and the Glacial Lure into Glaceon. Again, this is a reference to Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, where Eevee could be evolved by levelling up near a Moss Rock or Ice Rock. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website How to evolve Eevee into Sylveon Sylveon is the latest Eevee evolution, first introduced in Pokémon X & Y in 2013. Sylveon can be obtained by the name trick (using the nickname 'Kira', or by raising its friendship stats. This can be done by gaining 70 buddy hearts, so that your relationship reaches Great Buddy level. This can be done by walking, playing and battling together, taking a snapshot of your Eevee, visiting a new place together or giving them a treat. Read more on Pokémon: Pokémon Go Raids schedule - upcoming battles Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Solgaleo in Pokémon Go: Raid Battle dates, times, weakness and counters
Pokémon Sun's iconic legendary Solgaleo is making its way to raids in Pokémon Go, so you'll want to get your hands on it while you can. The dual Psychic and Steel-type Pokémon isn't great when it comes to taking on Gyms, but it can put in a shift in PvP battles, so it's worth having the option to use it. We'll take you through what you need to know, including when Solgaleo is available in Raids, what its weaknesses are, and how best to counter it. When is Solgaleo available in Pokémon Go Raid Battles? Solgaleo is obtainable in Pokémon Go Raids from Tuesday 8th July 2025 until Monday 14th July 2025 at 10am local time. To give yourself the best chance of catching a Solgaleo, there will be a Solgaleo Raid Hour on 9th July between 6pm and 7pm local time. You will, of course, have to defeat it in a battle before you can catch it, so be sure to check out battle guide down below! Pokémon Go Solgaleo Raid Battle guide Solgaleo is no slouch in Pokémon Go, and is very bulky, as you would expect from a Steel-type. As such, you'll want to make sure you're capitalising on its weaknesses to take it down as quickly as possible. Pokémon Go Solgaleo Raid Battle weaknesses Solgaleo is weak to Fire, Ground, Ghost and Dark-type attacks, so you want to prioritise Pokémon with strong moves of these types. This means you should be using moves like Blast Burn, Shadow Ball and Earth Power to make sure you're dealing plenty of damage, and if you have a legendary Pokémon like Primal Groudon, then moves like Precipice Blades will be even better. On the defensive side of things, should avoid Pokémon that are weak to Psychic or Grass-type attacks to prevent its Zen Headbutt and Solarbeam from being too damaging – that means no Water or Fighting-types. Pokémon Go Solgaleo Raid Battle counters The best Pokémon Go Solgaleo counters include Mega Y Charizard, Mega Blaziken, Primal Groudon, Dawn Wings Necrozma, Mega Gengar and Mega Garchomp. If you have them, Shadow Chandelure and Shadow Heatran are good choices too. If you haven't got any of these Pokémon, don't worry, as you can still take down Solgaleo as long as you and the group you are with use Fire, Ground, Ghost or Dark-type moves. It's worth noting as well, that Fire and Ground-type moves will be more powerful when it's sunny, which you'll be able to capitalise on during some lovely summery weather. If you're really stuck for choices and don't have any strong Pokémon that can capitalise on Solgaleo's weaknesses, you can still get by with a strong Pokémon of another type, so long as you avoid types that are weak to Grass and Psychic. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to get Umbreon in Pokémon Go explained
If you're after a good Dark-type Pokémon in Pokémon Go, then there aren't many better choices available than Umbreon. Thankfully, it's also one of the easiest Dark-type Pokémon to get your hands on, but that's only if you know how to do it. There are a couple of different methods you can use to get an Umbreon on Pokémon Go, and while both of them require you to get 25 Eevee Candies, one of them is significantly easier than the other. So, if you're curious how it works, here are the two ways to get Umbreon in Pokémon Go. How to get Umbreon in Pokémon Go explained There are two ways to get an Umbreon in Pokémon Go. One way is by giving an Eevee the nickname 'Tamao', and the other is by becoming friendly with an Eevee set as your Buddy and evolving it at night. How to get an Umbreon with the name trick You can evolve an Eevee with 25 Eevee Candies after naming it 'Tamao'. Simply head into your in-game Pokémon list, locate the Eevee you wish to evolve into an Umbreon and give it the nickname Tamao. To do this, follow these steps: Open Pokémon Go Head into your caught Pokémon menu Find the Eevee you wish to evolve into an Umbreon – you can search for Eevee in the search bar to speed things up! Select the Eevee you want to evolve Press on the pencil icon next to where it says Eevee Delete Eevee's name and type in Tamao Press 'OK' to set Eevee's nickname as Tamao Once this is done, use 25 Eevee Candies to evolve Eevee into an Umbreon. The game should even show you a little shadow icon of Umbreon on the 'Evolve' button! Be aware, however, that once you've used this method once, it won't work again! Evolving a second Eevee that you've nicknamed 'Tamao' will not guarantee that it evolves into Umbreon! How to get an Umbreon without using the name trick You can get an Umbreon by evolving an Eevee you’ve made your Buddy and walked 10km with. This means that you need to make the Eevee you want to evolve into an Umbreon your Buddy. To make an Eevee (or any other Pokémon) your current Buddy in Pokémon Go, simply click on that Pokémon, scroll down to the bottom of their page and hit 'Swap Buddies' – remember to press 'Yes' when it asks if you’re sure you want to swap your Buddy. Once Eevee is your Buddy, walk 10km with them. Walk 10km and then evolve your Buddy Eevee at night to get your desired Umbreon. Remember, you’ll need 25 Eevee Candies to evolve it, but you’ll get plenty from walking with them as your Buddy. If you’re unsure when nighttime is in Pokémon Go, you’ll see that the game tells you on Eevee’s evolve section with a little symbol of the Moon. That’s your cue. Use this same method in the day to get an Espeon! You can also follow All About Information’s handy YouTube video to see the Buddy evolving at night method in action: View oEmbed on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Pokémon Go Raids schedule - upcoming battles Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
What are Golden PokéStops in Pokémon Go? How to catch Gimmighoul explained
Gimme, gimme, gimme a Gimmighoul after midnight.
There’s always something going on in Pokémon Go, and this week sees the game's ninth anniversary, which includes Golden PokéStops for players to find. But what are they? We'll also go over how to get a Coin Bag and Golden Lure Modules as well as how to catch a Gimmighoul. But forget about the ninth anniversary, as Niantic is already busy planning Pokémon Go’s 10th anniversary - and it’s sure to be a big one! We learnt that and even more during Pokémon Go Fest Paris, which our very own Ben Williams described as "one of the prettiest Go Fests yet". Be sure to check out the upcoming Pokémon Black Bolt and White Flare TCG packs as well, which are slated to release this month, with more content planned for August. And if you can’t get enough Pokémon, Scarlet and Violet received a free update for the Nintendo Switch 2, which fixes essentially all of the issues found on the original Switch. It looks like it will be the console of choice for the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A, so be sure to have a gander at where to buy a Switch 2. What are Golden PokéStops in Pokémon Go? Golden PokéStops in Pokémon Go are similar to regular PokéStops, but offer more rewards compared to normal ones and can attract more Pokémon, including a Roaming Form Gimmighoul when you spin the stop. To turn a PokéStop into a Golden PokéStop, you have to place a Golden Lure Module on it. You can get Golden Lure Modules by linking your Pokémon Go account to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and sending five postcards to the latter over five days. To do this, you need to do the following: Launch Pokémon Scarlet or Violet on your Nintendo Switch Open the Poké Portal From the menu, select "Mystery Gift" Next, select "Connect to Pokémon Go" On your phone, open Pokémon Go and open the settings menu Scroll down to the bottom and select "Nintendo Switch" Go back to your Switch and select "Pair with a Pokémon Go account" You will receive a prompt to link your Pokémon Go and Scarlet/Violet account Once linked, open "Mystery Gift" in the Poké Portal in Scarlet or Violet Select "Connect to Pokémon Go" two times On your phone, open the Postcard Book in Pokémon Go Choose a postcard, then tap the hamburger menu (three vertical lines) and select "Send to Nintendo Switch" After it has sent, wait until the next day to send another, and do this five times It does not have to be five days in a row, but five days in total. After you've sent five postcards, the Golden Lure Module will appear in your Pokémon Go inventory View Green Video on the source website How to get a Coin Bag in Pokémon Go To get a Coin Bag in Pokémon Go, you need to send one postcard to Pokémon Scarlet or Violet. You can do this by following the steps above, the difference being that you only have to send one postcard. Once you have the Coin Bag, you will be able to crack on with catching a Gimmieghoul, which we cover just below. View Riddle on the source website How to catch a Roaming Form Gimmighoul To catch a Roaming Form Gimmighoul, you will need to open a Coin Bag to attract Gimmighouls for 30 minutes, which you get after sending one postcard to Pokémon Scarlet or Violet, or by heading to a Pokéstop that has been turned gold by a Golden Lure Module, where Gimmighouls can be found. The latter is your only method if you do not own Pokémon Scarlet or Violet. If you manage to catch a Gimmighoul, you will need 999 Gimmighoul coins to evolve it into Gholdengo. Golden PokéStops don’t stick around for very long, however, so you’ll need to act fast. Read more on Pokémon: Pokémon Go Raids schedule - upcoming battles Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Niantic teases Pokémon Go's 10th anniversary: "Next year is going to be a Pokémon fan's dream come true"
Amid the sunny skies, exclusive missions and new Shinies in Pokémon Go during Go Fest 2025 in Paris, the event also gave us the chance to ask the developers what’s next. Ahead of Pokémon Go’s 10th anniversary next year, we've been wondering what that huge landmark might entail. Can you believe it's nearly 10 years since the original Pokémon Go summer? Between hunting Shiny Frigibaxes and finishing the new Volcanion Special Research, we had time to sit down with some people in the know and look ahead to 2026. According to Michael Steranka, Pokémon Go’s senior product director, next year's decade-marking celebrations will be "a Pokémon fan's dream come true". Steranka has been part of the Niantic team and working his way up since 2017, a year after Go’s original launch. We got the chance to chat with him at Go Fest. We first asked about the core vision for the remainder of 2025, of which Steranka replied that Niantic is going to be "very much focused on social in the game", giving players "more opportunities, more reasons to connect with one another". While being unable to share specifics, he did clarify that there are some "really amazing things that players are going to truly enjoy and be excited to experience". It was then, however, that we really got into the meat of it and asked how the 10th-year anniversary plans were coming along, which was when Steranka started expressing an even higher level of passion for what’s to come. "Our 10-year anniversary has been one of my personal main projects that I've been focused on over the past year and a half, two years by now," he explains. "It's such a huge opportunity. There are not many games in the world that can say that they've existed for 10 years, let alone grown over the course of those 10 years, like Pokémon Go has, and we really want to take that opportunity to celebrate with players. "And so, we have a number of things in development. We have a number of experiences planned, nothing specific I can share right now — but just know that, especially because it's not just Pokémon Go's 10-year anniversary, it's the Pokémon franchise's 30-year anniversary as well, I think next year is going to be a Pokémon fan's dream come true, basically." Hearing that years’ worth of time has already been put into Pokémon Go’s milestone event should be a relief to players, given all of the teams Steranka coordinates with in his role on the day-to-day. Even on Go Fest 2025 itself, Steranka spoke about how "almost every single team at the company touches Go Fest in some way, shape or form". When talking about new features, like the Crowned forms of Zacian and Zamazenta, for example, he discussed how his team worked with Niantic’s "game designers to design the holistic experience, whether it's in the park or in the city or the greater experience", along with working with the marketing team to make sure the proper information is conveyed to players. Also including the "player experience team [being] on site, to help with any technical troubleshooting", Steranka laid out that the "entire organisation" contributes in some way — which coincides with "balancing with a long-term vision and content of the game" itself. Altogether, the kind of undertaking for any game event in terms of next year’s Go Fest and regular gameplay — much less a 10th-anniversary celebration — requires spinning a lot of plates. So, it’s a relief to hear that Pokémon Go’s director has been giving the game’s big birthday the time it needs to cook just right across all the chefs taking part. That same enthusiasm and careful planning appear to be the case with Niantic’s local teams, as well. After all, while each Go Fest sees regular big names on the global level like Steranka turn up, it also gives the developer’s local teams the chance to show their stuff by hosting the event, along with sharing how they’ve been engaging with their communities and what they’ve got planned. In the case of Go Fest 2025: Paris, we got to hear about this from Moise Kabongo — Pokémon Go’s country marketing manager for France. In addition to hearing Kabongo expressing how the community in France "[has] been growing massively", we asked about his team’s own plans to celebrate the 10th anniversary. While Kabongo couldn’t disclose any details either, he could reassure us that "the communities in France and all the countries will definitely be very excited", along with the prediction that "the community will keep growing as much as they’ve been over the past months". "We’ll just have to wait a bit and see, but trust me, we’re really looking forward to next year." Kabongo also mirrored much of the rest of Niantic’s enthusiasm for the game going forward, despite what could easily be argued about a live-service game of its age. When any game reaches a long lifespan as Pokémon Go has, it’s easy to worry gameplay and content output might become stagnant. After all, even Steranka mentioned to us in his interview how "it only gets harder and harder as the years go by" to "strike a tricky fine balance" of "giving lots of fun things for our most dedicated die-hard players to enjoy on a regular basis, while not also overwhelming maybe more casual players, or people coming in for the first time". That self-awareness seems to have provided Pokémon Go with added longevity, since it has given Niantic the chance to take steps back and "make sure people have an opportunity to breathe", and letting the team do the same by "[improving] the baseline experience of the game" instead. As Steranka also interestingly put it: "Pokémon Go never stays constant, right? We always want to adapt with what we're sensing from the player base at any given time." The recent Scopely acquisition of Pokémon Go, which took place at the end of May, has been said by Steranka to offer "nothing but upside for [Niantic]", since the new owner’s desire is to "just empower [the] team to do the things [they’ve] always wanted to do". With the deal being so fresh, it’s likely we won’t see the long-term impact of the Scopely acquisition for a while. Nevertheless, Kabongo said, "The Pokémon Company and the Pokémon Go Team is very dedicated to keeping improving the gameplay for the years to come," even adding, "so I can definitely see Pokémon Go lasting forever." If Steranka’s continued vision and Scopely’s mentioned empowerment work out, hopefully Kabongo’s words can come true. While we wait to see what next year has in store, and the future beyond that, why not try our quiz below? View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Fest Paris: Inside a "vacation experience" with exclusive content, new shinies and even more surprises
Attending one of the prettiest Go Fests yet.
Pokémon Go Fest, an annual in-person celebration of Niantic’s almost decade-old hit mobile game, Pokémon Go, has been going on for almost as long as the AR title itself. However, its Go Fest 2025: Paris where the event has seemed to set a really special stride in its ninth year — both in location and execution – in the exquisite setting of Parc de Sceaux and local city areas. “I do think Parc de Sceaux is probably the most beautiful venue we’ve ever had a Go Fest at," says Michael Steranka, Pokémon Go’s Senior Product Director, who leads the game’s live direction and strategy on a global scale, having been with the company since 2017. “It's just so picturesque. And of course, Paris itself as a city is a dream destination for most, and the city offers such an amazing backdrop to play the game in. It gives players so many incredible, you know, sightseeing opportunities to enjoy while they're participating in the city part of Go Fest." It’s a reflection that’s part of a familiar scene, sat under the shade of an umbrella in the Media & Partners area, after RadioTimes.com had been whisked over to Paris on the Eurostar to experience Pokemon Go’s iteration of the gaming convention experience, but “on steroids” — which is, funnily enough, the phrase Steranka also used when speaking to us last year in 2024’s Go Fest: Madrid. Despite the deja vu, it’s clear these words are held very near and dear to his heart, hearing how Niantic views "Pokémon Go Fest as the tip of the spear for [their] game". “It's kind of the epitome of the type of experience we really believe in. In Pokémon Go; it's all about exploration. You're going to a new city sometimes that you've never been to before. Exercise, you know, I've worked up more of a sweat here than the most hardcore exercise regimen I've probably ever participated in, and then real-world social[ising]. "You know, I've met so many players here, and I meet so many players at every Go Fest I go to, and it's just such a fun time to connect with others who share similar passions as you." Still, to properly understand what makes Pokémon Go Fest so special to its community as a newcomer to the concept, you have to know what exactly is on offer to attendees and why it’s such a good time. So, here are all the best bits about Pokémon Go Fest: Paris, some of which will hopefully make their way next year to the 10th anniversary event. What is Pokémon Go Fest? Like those of the past, three in-person Pokémon Go events are spread across the world this year: Paris as its European leg, Osaka for its Asian leg, and Jersey City in America. Preceding Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Global (the worldwide version taking place at the end of month all players can participate in), the location-based Go Fests not only give trainers early access to new Pokemon and content — like an encounter with new Legendary, Volcanion — but also exclusive Special Research, raids and fun attractions to enjoy with fellow trainers. What’s more, there were other debuts, like the early launch of Shiny Frigibax and Carbink, along with exclusive cosmetics of Pikachu in a French suit and Falinks dressed as a steam train — arguably the best outfits launched in the game yet. Including a giant inflatable Pikachu, a real-life Gym, meet and greets with other mascots like Snorlax and Eevee, quizzes with free prizes, getting to meet notable trainers and game artists, trying out elite-tier grub from its many food trucks, and even grabbing from a selection of exciting merch; plushies, exclusive shirts and hoodies, bags, wallets, and more. There was so much extra going on, it only made my two-day trek in Parc de Sceaux go even faster. After all, even when you’re not playing the game, that aforementioned picturesque quality of Parc de Sceaux’s stunningly crafted gardens, water features and jaw-dropping views make Go Fest’s setting so easy to stop playing and get mentally lost in — like when you can’t help but stare at a gorgeous piece of artwork you find at a museum. Each year, the Go Fest teams do their best to make the most of each location and its surroundings so each iteration feels unique and distinct, and Paris' has raised the bar. Compared to 2023’s Pokémon Go Fest: London, for example, which split four habitats with different spawns and mission objectives across a very wide open area, the main section of Parc de Sceaux is a long, slightly hill-descending, rectangular landscape. While still a lengthy walk from one end to the other to reach all of the habitats during the Special Research, you could do so while every other gameplay section of the park was in full view. It also not only made navigating each section of the map much easier, but you could do so while being wowed by the majestic view of, say, the park’s prolific Château de Sceaux, with the adorable giant inflatable Pikachu in the distance. The blistering heatwave Paris had during the peak of Go Fest did make exploring somewhat of a challenge initially, hitting 30 degrees Celsius most of the Friday. Still, organisers thankfully planned well ahead of time by giving plenty of warning to come prepared with suncream, once again placing a good number of ‘hydration stations’, and keeping in mind Parc de Sceaux’s vast selection of tree-based shade to hide under among the edges of its main stretch. Although the latter made for quite a funny sight, with the vast majority all huddled together under the trees at the side — making the shadeless, sometimes patron-less centre look like No Man’s Land by comparison — it didn’t take away from the fun of catching Pokemon to complete Special research during each day’s 9am to 6pm runtime. A trip like no other While Parc de Sceaux usually doesn’t have many PokéStops or Gyms, watching that change in an instant – with dozens of them suddenly appearing along with a surge of Pokémon spawns – is one of the most satisfying sights for a Pokémon Go player – as seen in our ‘immaculate vibes at Pokémon Go Fest TikTok’. Having this suddenly huge playing field to enjoy Pokémon Go in, with tons of other players around, makes it feel like you’re in a virtual theme park, but it’s even better because you know almost everyone there is a lover of Pokémon like you. Even when not counting the tons of players who travel from all over to Pokémon Go Fests, "the French Community [has kept] growing massively," as said by Moise Kabongo, Niantic’s Country Marketing Manager for France. The local community for the game has been so dedicated: "Paris represents the second-biggest city in Europe, where Pokémon have been caught the most." When I asked Kabongo if he had noticed any big similarities or differences between Go’s other player markets, like the US or UK, he honed in on a strong point that Pokémon Go players, no matter where they are, seem to share a common way of thinking. “I think Pokémon Go is a game that brings people together who are like-minded. So that's why the game is still working this well after almost 10 years”, he said, which is why "Go Fest attracts players from all across the world". That sentiment only adds to the overall allure of Pokémon Go Fest that Steranka touched on during my own conversation with him as to why Go players should give one of these in-person events a chance, if they feel up to it — feeling like a unique vacation on multiple levels. Unlike at a typical gaming convention, "you're not just at a panel receiving information. You're an active participant, and so you get to progress your personal account and catch amazing Pokémon that you might not have the opportunity to catch otherwise," he explains. "For more than anything, Go Fest really tries to create this sort of vacation experience for our players. You'll get to see a beautiful park that you've probably never been to before, and you'll get to explore the beautiful city, all with the backdrop of Pokémon Go to help enrich those memories." Play however you like Despite the community-driven core of Go Fest, though, what’s really been refreshing about Paris' version in particular is how flexible it makes the need for social interaction, depending on what kind of player you are. At its peak attendance on Saturday, where hundreds (if not thousands) of players were out exploring — surely a fair mix of introverts and extroverts — the Special Research missions, raids and other activities didn't force anyone to socialise with strangers too heavily. Sure, you can make some new pals if you really want to, but it's not foisted upon you. Some missions, like Special Research around Legendaries Zacian and Zamazenta and their newly added crowned forms, do require you to take on five-star raids with multiple participants, but actually, speaking to folks outside of joining the raid party isn’t required. Besides that, none of the Special Research around Volcanion requires you to go up to other players and try to organise trades or battles. There were plenty of big groups who either came together or just met for the first time, but there were plenty of solo players too, just enjoying the game in their own company. If anything, that’s what Pokémon Go that Go Fest: Paris seems to have really maintained that fine balance of. Introverts can still go to bask in a real-world version of that global sense of community they hold dear, but they aren’t pressured to step out of their comfort zone either — giving them the option to just chill in the shade, catch a load of new Shinies, and bask in the pretty French gardens if they like. Still, when some of the biggest community-based features of the events happened, like the huge Gigantamax Inteleon raid, which drew in over 1000 players at the same time, they felt just as epic whether you were with a crew of your best mates or on your own. Bringing everyone together On the other hand, that emphasis on togetherness touches on one of the best things about Pokémon — either bringing people together or it being a huge part of their lives, whether through friends or significant others. Surprisingly, there were a lot of people among the latter. At Go Fest: Paris alone, six Pokémon Go couples got engaged — assisted by the lovely team at Battenhall PR who helped organise much of Go Fest altogether. Then, another couple who got engaged at Go Fest: Madrid last year came to Paris during this year’s event for their honeymoon. Lucky enough to witness one of these myself while in the queue to meet Mimikyu, who now looks like they’re officiating, I can’t help but think this demonstrates how special Pokémon has become. Next year will be the franchise’s 30th anniversary and Go’s 10th, and with that, it’s become a multi-faceted part of people’s lives. That fact has gone far enough that even the developers and organisers behind Pokémon Go and Go Fest are diehard players themselves, injecting their own affection for the game into their work. When asked about any specifics regarding the 10th anniversary celebration, Kabongo noted that the team is "very excited" and "really looking forward to the next year," even though they can’t give anything away right now. Whatever comes though, Go Fest 2025: Paris has definitely raised the bar. View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go confirms season 19 start date and June 2025 Community Days
Pokémon Go: Delightful Days is upon us – and it’s season 19, if you can believe it. But not only that: we’ve also got the details on the upcoming June 2025 Community Days and beyond! This is alongside the global Pokémon Go Fest 2025, so there’s going to be plenty happening this month. But as always, players can expect new events, Pokémon debuts, themes and more. Players will be able to find new Pokémon from the Paldea, Galar and Hisui regions, these being: Yamper Boltund Hisuian Lilligant Tatsugiri (all forms) Zacian and Zamazenta will be able to be transformed into their Sword and Shield variants, Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta, for the first time too. As for when the new season begins, you can delve straight into Delightful Days from 10am BST on 3rd June 2025 2025 to 10am BST on 2nd September 2025. View oEmbed on the source website To get the most out of Delightful Days, you can purchase Eggs-pedition Access tickets that include bonuses and Timed Research every month. And if you want to dive into all the fun with your friends, there’s now a new RSVP planner feature that makes organising events a lot easier, being integrated into the game itself. Speaking of fun with friends and other Trainers, the Community Day events take place on the following: June Community Day – 21st June July Community Day Classic – 5-6th July July Community Day – 20th July August Community Day – 30th August Between all this, there is the Go Battle League to take part in, with competitions such as the Sunshine Cup, Fossil Cup, Hisui Cup and others to take part in. View Riddle on the source website If you have Pokémon you’re particularly proud of, you can show them off at PokéStop Showcases dotted around during Delightful Days. Field Research for Delightful Days will be fruitful as ever too, with the following Pokémon being potentially available with Research Breakthrough encounters Aerodactyl (shiny encounter possible) Galarian Corsola (shiny encounter possible) Gible (shiny encounter possible) Sinister Charcadet (shiny encounter possible) Frigibax (shiny encounter possible) There’s even more information available on the official Pokémon Go blog, so do be sure to check that out if you’re after every little last morsel of info! View Green Video on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Road Trip: 2025 dates, locations and what to expect
Good news, critter collectors! Niantic has announced the dates, locations and details for the Pokémon Go Road Trip 2025. Of course, Pokémon Go fans are always kept pretty busy with raid battles, timed challenges and other events. Anyone else trying to get a Kingambit right now? But if Pokémon Go Fest 2025 doesn't fill enough of the summer calendar for your liking, you'll be pleased to know that the Pokémon Go Road Trip will take the Poké-party on the road soon after Go Fest. Read on for all the key details on the Pokémon Go Road Trip 2025. When is the Pokémon Go Road Trip? 2025 Dates The Pokémon Go Road Trip 2025 will start on Wednesday 16th July 2025, Niantic has confirmed. It will start in Manchester (England), and the road trip will end in Cologne (Germany), taking in France, Spain and the Netherlands en route. The Pokémon Go Road Trip 2025 will end on Sunday 24th August. We've got the full list of dates and places below. Where is the Pokémon Go Road Trip going? 2025 locations If you're wondering exactly where and when you'll be able to see the Pokémon Go Road Trip for yourself, here's the full rundown of locations and timings: Wednesday 16th July - Manchester, UK Tuesday 19th July - London, UK Tuesday 26th July - Paris, France Tuesday 2nd August - Valencia, Spain Tuesday 9th August - Berlin, Germany Tuesday 16th July - The Hague, The Netherlands Saturday 20th August to Wednesday 24th August - Cologne, Germany (Gamescom) While The Hague does seem like an interesting choice for Pokémon (hopefully they don't get convicted for anything at the International Criminal Court while they're there), ending the road trip at Gamescom — the biggest gaming expo in Europe — makes perfect sense! View Green Video on the source website What to expect from the Pokémon Go Road Trip in 2025 The official Pokémon Go website tells fans to expect the following from the Pokémon Go Road Trip: A branded Pokémon Go truck with interactive fun Photo opportunities to capture the moment Zones for Trainer Battles and community challenges Spin-to-win giveaways and exciting prizes The chance to meet and raid with notable Trainers, local Trainers, and Community Ambassadors The official press release adds more detail, saying: "Trainers in each city will be able to experience unique gameplay experiences, unlocking as you get closer to the truck. "The closer Trainers are, the more chances there’ll be of discovering Pokémon exclusive to the tour, and obtaining unique rewards and Raid encounters. Fans should also keep their eyes peeled for special Poké Ball tappables appearing across the city, offering surprise Pokémon encounters when tapped. "Even if they can’t make it to the truck stop, Trainers will still benefit from increased Lure Module effectiveness, enjoy special trade bonuses with fellow Trainers, and unlock city-wide bonuses, including bonus encounters to enhance their gameplay experience and special features nationwide starting seven days before each city’s activation." And finally, the press bumf adds: "Fans will also be able to access in-game features synced with physical locations, including GO battle zones, community events and AR photo moments, and can follow the truck on its journey across Europe using the hashtag #PokemonGORoadTrip." The exact locations of the truck stops in each city do not seem to have been announced yet. We'll be sure to update this page when we have more details. The event will be "free to attend", we're told, which is always a good thing! While you wait for this event to roll out, why not try our Pokémon quiz below? View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Pokémon Go Raids schedule - upcoming battles Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to get Kingambit in Pokémon Go explained
In recent years, Pokémon has introduced some strange ways to evolve your Pokémon, and Pokémon Go has got in on the action. One such Pokémon with an interesting evolution method is the powerful Dark/Steel-type Kingambit, which has an odd way to evolving from Bisharp. So, if you're trying to get your Bisharp to evolve into Kingambit, read on to find out how to do it. How to get Kingambit in Pokémon Go explained To get a Kingambit in Pokémon Go, you need to evolve a Bisharp, but unlike most Pokémon, the method of evolving Bisharp isn’t exactly obvious. To evolve Bisharp, you have 100 Pawniard Candy, you need to defeat 15 Dark or Steel-type Pokémon in raids while your Bisharp is your buddy Pokémon. Note: You do not need to actually use your Bisharp in battle, only have it as your buddy! If you don't have 100 Pawniard Candy, then it's quite frustrating to actually get your hands on it. If you have any 12km eggs from beating Team Go Rocket Leaders before the Crown Clash: Taken Over event, you can hatch Pawniard from these, but it was removed from the egg pool in all future eggs. Otherwise, you can get Pawniard candy from rare wild spawns, 1-Star Raids, Field Research Tasks and the Crown Clash: Taken Over Premium Research. Annoyingly, this evolution method means you'll have to spend a minimum of 15 days to evolve Bisharp into Kingambit, unless you're willing to shell out on Premium Raid Passes to speed things up. This also assumes that there will be a Dark or Steel-type Pokémon available in raids for every one of those 15 days – it could take even longer than that! Luckily, there are a couple of options to take on during this month's raid schedule, so be sure to keep an eye on it so you know exactly when to bring your Bisharp with you into battle. Thankfully, with the recent changes to Remote Raids, you'll be able to more easily get those raids done from the comfort of your home. View Green Video on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.