Pokémon GO’s Season of Precious Paths’ New Year’s 2026 event guide

To ring in the New Year, party and New Year’s-themed costumed Pokémon return in Pokémon GO! Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Jigglypuff, Wurmple, and more will be available to celebrate via in the wild and in Raids. A paid Premium Timed Research will also be available and include plenty of Party Top Hat Pikachu encounters.

Now, check out what’s happening during the New Year’s 2026 event with our guide below:

 

Pokémon GO’s Season of Precious Paths – New Year’s 2026

Begins: Wednesday, December 31st, 2025 at 10 a.m. your local time.

Ends: Sunday, January 4th, 2026 at 8 p.m. your local time.

 

Pokémon featured – Costumed Pokémon (Party Hat, Ribbon, New Years Hat, and Party Top Hat)

 

 

Previously featured Pokémon wearing party hats, party top hat, ribbon, and a New Years hat will be back in the wild and in Raids. Specifically, the following Pokémon will be available: Party Hat Bulbasaur, Party Hat Charmander, Party Hat Squirtle, Party Hat Raticate, Party Top Hat Pikachu, Party Hat Nidorino, Ribbon Jigglypuff, Party Hat Gengar, New Years Hat Hoothoot, Party Hat Wobbuffet, and Party Hat Wurmple.

 

Note: Going forward, these Pokémon will be referred to as “Costumed” rather than the exact outfit they are wearing.

 

Event Bonuses

• 2× XP from Raid Battles
• 2× Stardust from Raid Battles
• Increased chance to encounter Shiny Pikachu wearing a party top hat in the wild and in Raids
• Festive fireworks will light up the skies
• Lucky Pokémon limit permanently increased to 45 and caught Pokémon since 2020 will be a guaranteed Lucky Pokémon when traded

 

Plus, the following Season of Precious Paths bonuses will be in effect:

• One additional Special Trade per day
• Increased Stardust for the first catch of the day
• Increased friendship bonus damage dealt by Pokémon in Raids

 

And if Trainers purchase the GO Pass Deluxe for GO Pass, then the following bonuses will also be active until January 2nd, 2026 at 9 a.m. your local time:

• Tier 1: 
  • Open up to 40 Gifts per day
  • Receive up to 125 Gifts per day from spinning PokéStop and Gym Photo Discs
  • Hold up to 10 additional Gifts in your Item Bag
• Tier 2:
  • 2× Daily Adventure Incense duration
• Tier 3:
  • Additional rewards for completing in-person Raids and Max Battles

 

Event Boxes

If any special event boxes or bundles are released during the event, they’ll be listed here once the event is live. Daily bundles are also available and can be viewed online via the Pokémon GO Web Store.

• New Year, New Me Ultra Ticket Box (US$1.99, Pokémon Web Store only): 1 Ticket (for the Premium Timed Research, 1 Lucky Egg, and 24 Reward Points.

 

Wild Encounters

• The following Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild: Costumed Bulbasaur*, Costumed Charmander*, Costumed Squirtle*, Costumed Jigglypuff*, Costumed Hoothoot*, and Costumed Wurmple*.
  • If you’re lucky, you might encounter the following Pokémon: Costumed Pikachu*.

 

Note: Pokémon marked with an * means that “If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one!”

 

Raids

Standard and Shadow Raids will be active during the event.

 

Standard Raids

The following Pokémon will be appearing in Raids:

• One-Star Raids: Costumed Pikachu* and Costumed Wurmple*.
• Three-Star Raids: Costumed Raticate*, Costumed Nidorino*, Costumed Gengar*, and Costumed Wobbuffet*.
• Five-Star Raids: Blacephalon* (See Additional Notes).
• Mega Raids: Mega Swampert* (See Additional Notes).

 

Shadow Raids

The following Pokémon will be appearing in Shadow Raids:

• One-Star Shadow Raids: Shadow Machop*, Shadow Grimer*, Shadow Sudowoodo, and Shadow Beldum*.
• Three-Star Shadow Raids: Shadow Pinsir*, Shadow Sableye*, and Shadow Mawile*.
• Five-Star Shadow Raids: Shadow Cresselia* (See Additional Notes).

 

Additional Notes:

• Pokémon marked with an * means that “If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one!”
• Standard Raids:
  • Blacephalon* will be available after the event (in Five-Star Raids), until Monday, January 5th, 2026 at 10 a.m. your local time.
  • Mega Swampert* will be available after the event (in Mega Raids), until Monday, January 5th, 2026 at 10 a.m. your local time.
• Shadow Raids:
  • One- and Three-Star Shadow Raids will be available daily.
  • Five-Star Shadow Raids will be available on weekends (Saturday and Sunday), unless otherwise stated by Niantic.

 

Max Battles

Max Battles will be active during the event.

• One-Star Max Battles: Dynamax Bulbasaur*, Dynamax Charmander*, Dynamax Squirtle*, Dynamax Caterpie*,Dynamax Abra*, Dynamax Gastly*, Dynamax Krabby*, Dynamax Omanyte*, Dynamax Kabut0*, Dynamax Ralts*, Dynamax Pidove*, Dynamax Woobat*, Dynamax Drilbur*, Dynamax Trubbish*, Dynamax Inkay*, Dynamax Bounsweet*, Dynamax Grookey, Dynamax Scorbunny, Dynamax Sobble, Dynamax Skwovet*, Dynamax Rookiedee*, Dynamax Wooloo*, and Dynamax Hatenna.
• Two-Star Max Battles: Dynamax Machop*, Dynamax Eevee*, Dynamax Shuckle*, Dynamax Wailmer*, and Dynamax Darumaka*.
• Three-Star Max Battles: Dynamax Hitmonlee*, Dynamax Hitmonchan*, Dynamax Chansey*, Dynamax Sableye*, Dynamax Cryogonal*, Dynamax Passimian*, and Dynamax Falinks*.

 

Additional Notes:

• Pokémon marked with an * means that “If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one!”
• Max Battles require Max Particles (MP):
  • One-Star Max Battles cost 250 MP.
  • Two-Star Max Battles cost 400 MP.
  • Three-Star Max Battles cost 400 MP.
  • Six-Star Max Battles cost 800 MP.

 

Featured Attack for Blacphalon

Blacephalon will know the attack Mind Blow (Charged Attack) when caught from Five-Star Raids between Monday, November 4th, 2026, at 10 a.m. to Monday, November 18th, 2026, at 10 a.m. your local time. You can also teach Lugia this move with the aid of an Elite Charged TM.

Aeroblast’s (Charged Attack) stats are as follows:

• Trainer Battles:  90 power +  guaranteed chance to decrease the user’s Defense
• Gyms and Raids:  130 power

 

Field Research Tasks

There will be event-exclusive Field Research Tasks available and the rewards include the following: Stardust. These Field Research Tasks can be found when spinning PokéStops (and acquired if you have an open slot in your Field Research menu) when the event is active.

A complete list of tasks and rewards will be shared here once the event is live.

 

• Task: Catch 26 Pokémon
  • Reward: 2,026 Stardust
• Task: Win a Raid
  • Reward: 2,026 Stardust

 

Daily Field Research Tasks

During the event, the free bonus daily Field Research task that Trainers can receive by logging in will reward Trainers with 1 Incense or 1 Lucky Egg. In order to get this Field Research task, you must have three or less Field Research tasks when you first login for the day.

You may get one of the following tasks per day:

• Task: Catch 15 Pokémon
  • Reward: 1 Incense OR 1 Lucky Egg
• Task: Transfer 15 Pokémon
  • Reward: 1 Incense OR 1 Lucky Egg
• Task: Power up Pokémon 10 times
  • Reward: 1 Incense OR 1 Lucky Egg
• Task: Send 5 Gifts to Friends
  • Reward: 1 Incense OR 1 Lucky Egg
• Task: Spin 5 PokéStops or Gyms
  • Reward: 1 Incense OR 1 Lucky Egg

 

PokéStop Showcase

During the event, PokéStop Showcases will be active. The theme of these contests is to submit the biggest Pokémon being requested. This section will be updated once the PokéStop Showcases are active.

• Monday, December 29th, 2025 at 10 a.m. to Wednesday, December 31st, 2025 at 8 p.m. your local time: Stantler, Rolycoly, and Coalossal
• Saturday, January 3rd, 2026 at 10 a.m. to Sunday, January 4th, 2026 at 8 p.m. your local time: ???

 

Collection Challenge – New Year’s 2026 Collection Challenge

A special, event-exclusive Collection Challenge will be available. According to Niantic, this Collection Challenge will reward Trainers with Stardust, XP, Ultra Balls, and an addition to the Elite Collector medal. A complete list of what Pokémon must be caught/traded/evolved and the associated rewards will be added here once the event is live.

 

• Catch: Costumed Pikachu, Costumed Bulbasaur, Costumed Charmander, and Costumed Squirtle.
• Completion Rewards: 2,026 Stardust, 2,026 XP, and 26 Ultra Balls.

 

Avatar Item – Blacephalon Boots

A new avatar item themed after Blacephalon will be released during this event. They will be available for purchase (with PokéCoins) via the in-game shop. These avatar items will still be available to purchase after the conclusion of this event.

The new avatar item(s) are the following: Blacephalon Boots (150 PokéCoins).

 

 

Paid Timed Research – New Year’s 2026 Premium Timed Research

During the event, Trainers can purchase a ticket to access an event-themed Timed Research. For US$1.99 OR US$2.00 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency), you’ll get the New Year’s 2026 Premium Timed Research which rewards Trainers with the following (if tasks are completed within the time limit): encounters with Costumed Pikachu*, 2 Premium Battle Passes, and 3,000 Stardust.

According to the fine print, “[t]ickets are nonrefundable (subject to applicable law and the exceptions set forth in the Terms of Service).” Tickets can also be gifted to Trainers you’re friends with provided that you have a Friendship level of Great Friends or higher with them. This can be done via the in-game shop and by selecting the “Gift” button instead of the “Buy” button. Tickets purchased for friends are nonrefundable as well.

Please keep in mind that Timed Research quests have deadlines. Trainers must complete this New Year’s 2026 Premium Timed Research and claim all rewards before Sunday, January 4th, 2026 at 8 p.m. your local time.

 

• Task: Catch 5 Pokémon
  • Reward: Costumed Pikachu* encounter
• Task: Catch 10 Pokémon
  • Reward: Costumed Pikachu* encounter
• Task: Catch 15 Pokémon
  • Reward: Costumed Pikachu* encounter
• Task: Catch 20 Pokémon
  • Reward: Costumed Pikachu* encounter
• Task: Catch 25 Pokémon
  • Reward: Costumed Pikachu* encounter
• Task: Make 5 Nice Throws
  • Reward: Costumed Pikachu* encounter
• Task: Make 10 Nice Throws
  • Reward: Costumed Pikachu* encounter
• Task: Make 15 Nice Throws
  • Reward: Costumed Pikachu* encounter
• Task: Make 5 Great Throws
  • Reward: Costumed Pikachu* encounter
• Task: Make 10 Great Throws
  • Reward: Costumed Pikachu* encounter
• Completion Rewards: Costumed Pikachu* encounter, 2 Premium Battle Passes, and 3,000 Stardust

 

Note: Pokémon marked with an * means that “If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one!”

 

 

More Pokémon GO guides

 

Looking for more help with Pokémon GO? Check out our other guides!

 

 

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