Home News Pokémon Go preps celebratory events for 2025 Worlds

Pokémon Go preps celebratory events for 2025 Worlds

Author: Lily Sep 28,2025

The Pokémon Go World Championships will be held from August 15th to 17th

A special Pikachu sporting a varsity jacket will appear in-game

The Go Battle League receives themed updates alongside other exciting activities

Pokémon Go is celebrating the 2025 Pokémon World Championships in Anaheim, California this August. Trainers worldwide will compete for the ultimate title, and remote viewers can participate too - a special 2025 Worlds Tee (White) costume code will be distributed during Day 1's livestream.

Special Raid Encounters and New Shiny Opportunities

To commemorate the event, a debutant Pikachu wearing a stylish varsity jacket arrives, with its Shiny variant also available. This exclusive Pikachu will appear in one-star raids, Field Research tasks, and wild spawns. Raid rotations will feature Lapras, Honedge, Dusclops, and Diggersby - with both Lapras and Pikachu boasting boosted Shiny encounter rates.

Players can purchase a special $5 Timed Research ticket featuring encounters with Lickitung, Sableye, Guzzlord, and others, plus 25,000 Stardust and a Premium Battle Pass. Certain evolutions like Primeape → Annihilape will unlock exclusive Charged Attacks (Rage Fist), while Clodsire gains Megahorn. Themed stickers will appear at PokéStops, Gifts, and the in-game shop, alongside limited-edition avatar items.

Pokémon Go World Championships 2025 promotional art

Go Battle League Enhancements

From August 11-17, the Go Battle League receives visual and audio upgrades with a new arena design and background music. During Go Battle Weekend, players can complete up to 100 daily battles, earn quadruple Stardust from victories, and claim free Timed Research with battle-themed avatar rewards. Pokémon in GBL will also display expanded stat spreads for Attack, Defense, and HP.