The PokémonXP and the 2026 Pokémon World Championships are almost here! Get ready, Trainers! Pokémon GO is gearing up for one of its most exciting collaborative celebrations yet.
As the competitive scene converges in San Francisco, California, Scopely Explore and the Pokémon Company are rolling out massive in-game events, special debuts, exclusive Twitch drops, and rewards to celebrate both PokémonXP and the 2026 Pokémon World Championships.
PokémonXP is the first-ever official, large-scale Pokémon fan convention hosted by The Pokémon Company International. Held in downtown San Francisco, it takes place alongside the 2026 Pokémon World Championships to offer community panels, interactive workshops, special guests, exclusive merchandise, and a massive pop-up Pokémon Center.
Whether you are an aspiring esports competitor, a shiny hunter, or a veteran player celebrating Pokémon GO’s 10-year anniversary, here is everything you need to know about the upcoming festivities.
PokémonXP and the 2026 Pokémon World Championships: Event Schedule & Overview
The celebrations are split into two major phases, bringing a continuous stream of bonuses, wild encounters, and raids:
PokémonXP: Tuesday, August 25, at 10:00 a.m. to Friday, August 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. local time.
2026 Pokémon World Championships: Friday, August 28, at 10:00 a.m. to Sunday, August 30, at 8:00 p.m. local time.
New Costumed Pokémon Debuts & Raids
No major Pokémon GO event is complete without rare and costumed Pokémon making their grand debut. Keep your eyes peeled for:
Pikachu wearing a Cosmog-themed spacesuit (Available in one-star raids and via Twitch drops during PokémonXP)
World Championships 2026 Pikachu (Available in one-star raids during the World Championships)
Impidimp and Honedge will also be featured in one-star raids across different phases of the event.
Note: If you’re lucky, you may even encounter their Shiny variants!
Wild Encounters & Featured Attacks
Throughout the event window, various Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild depending on the active phase. During PokémonXP, expect to see Pokémon like Ralts, Numel, Spheal, Drifloon, Elgyem, Sobble, and Pawmi, with rare encounters like Deino. During the World Championships, look out for Alolan Sandshrew, Mankey, Lickitung, Totodile, Wooper, Foongus, Froakie, Litten, and rare spawns like Togetic and Beldum.
Additionally, evolving or catching specific Pokémon during the event will grant them powerful Featured Attacks:
Alolan Sandslash: Shadow Claw (Fast Attack)
Primeape / Annihilape: Rage Fist (Charged Attack)
Feraligatr / Inteleon / Greninja: Hydro Cannon (Charged Attack)
Metagross: Meteor Mash (Charged Attack)
Togekiss: Aura Sphere (Charged Attack)
Hydreigon: Brutal Swing (Charged Attack).
- Lickitung / Lickilicky: Body Slam (Charged Attack).
Quagsire: Aqua Tail (Charged Attack)
Gardevoir / Gallade: Synchronoise (Charged Attack)
Walrein: Powder Snow (Fast Attack) and Icicle Spear (Charged Attack)
Decidueye: Frenzy Plant (Charged Attack)
- Incineroar: Blast Burn(Charged Attack).
Corviknight: Air Cutter (Charged Attack)
Additionally, Field Research Task Rewards will be available during the event. Complete Field Research tasks for a chance to encounter event-themed Pokémon! If you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny one!
GO Battle League Enhancements & GO Pass
For PvP enthusiasts, the GO Battle League is receiving major attention. Between August 24 at 12:00 p.m. PDT and August 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PDT, matches will feature a special World Championships arena and custom background battle music.
Furthermore, during the event:
The maximum number of daily sets increases from five to 15 sets (75 total battles).
GO Battle League reward encounters will feature a wider variance of Attack, Defense, and HP stats.
Players can also progress through the GO Pass: PokémonXP & 2026 Worlds, a free limited-time progression track. For Trainers looking for extra gear and encounters, an upgrade to the GO Pass Deluxe is available for US$4.99 (or US$6.99 to bundle 6 instant ranks), unlocking rewards like an encounter with Zapdos (with a wider variance of Attack, Defense, and HP), the 2026 Worlds/PokémonXP Backpack, and major milestone bonuses like double catch Stardust and extra Raid Passes.
Trainers will automatically receive GO Pass: PokémonXP & 2026 Worlds on Tuesday, August 25, at 10:00 a.m. local time. You can collect GO Points and rank up to get additional rewards through Sunday, August 30, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Additionally, from Saturday, August 29, at 12:00 a.m. to Sunday, August 30, at 7:59 p.m. local time, there’s no daily limit for how many GO Points you can earn!
Watch and Earn: Twitch Drops & Timed Research
You can earn exclusive in-game Timed Research simply by tuning into the official broadcasts on the Pokémon GO Twitch Channel and Pokémon Twitch Channel:
Team Building: Great League Bonus Timed Research (30 mins watch time): Choose from branches featuring Lickitung, Totodile, and Paldean Wooper.
2025 World Champion’s Timed Research (60 mins watch time): Unlock an encounter with the same Tinkaton (complete with a unique Special Background) used by last year’s World Champion, Beezleboy, plus an Elite Charged TM.
Greetings from San Francisco! Bonus Timed Research (45 mins watch time): Watch official co-streamers to earn an encounter with World Championships 2026 Pikachu.
PokémonXP Timed Research (30 mins watch time): Tune into the PokémonXP Twitch Channel on Saturday, August 29, during the 10-year anniversary panel to earn a Pikachu wearing a Cosmog-themed spacesuit.
Additionally, keep your eyes glued to the live broadcast screens for a special global code drop to claim the 2026 Worlds Tee (Green) for your avatar!
For more rewards for watching the Twitch Streams, check the 2026 Worlds Rewards page.
Get your teams ready, clear out your Pokémon storage, and tune into the streams starting at 9:00 a.m. PDT each day from August 28 to 30. Whether you’re watching from home or playing out in the wild, it’s time to celebrate a decade of Pokémon GO and crown the next World Champion!
