Initially announced on January 31st, 2020, Niantic announced it would begin testing new types of events during February 2020 – Pokémon Spotlight Hour and Mystery Bonus Hour. After testing and user feedback, Niantic combined both events into one and announced what Pokémon and bonuses would be featured in advance. These Spotlight Hour events would take place on every Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. your local time. That is, until the start of the Season of Memories in Motion in 2026. PokéStop Showcase Tuesday took over Spotlight Hour’s day and Spotlight Hour events would sometimes show up daily during certain events (i.e.: A Shockingly Good Time event).
This changed during the Season of Forever Forward. Starting on Thursday, June 18th, 2026, Spotlight Hour returned to a new a day, but the same time slot (6 p.m. to 7 p.m. your local time). Other than the weekday change, just about everything else is the same. A Pokémon will be featured and a bonus will be active during the hour. The only other change is that Spotlight Hour is sharing the day with GO Battle Thursdays.
Note: In the case of any issues, a makeup event may be held on another day (i.e.: Snover Spotlight Hour in December 2020) and is typically announce on Niantic Support’s official social media channels. Plus, sometimes additional Spotlight Hour events can be held on different days as well (i.e.: Friday through Monday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. your local time as part of November 2021’s Mischief Unbound event).
What Pokémon is in today’s Spotlight Hour?
The Pokémon for Thursday, June 18th, 2026’s Spotlight Hour is Swinub.
Can Swinub be shiny?
Yes, Swinub can be shiny.
Are there any bonuses for today’s Spotlight Hour?
Yes, the bonus for today’s Pokémon GO Spotlight Hour is earning twice the Candy when transferring any Pokémon and is only active during the event (6 p.m. to 7 p.m. your local time).
Who will be next week’s Pokémon in Pokémon GO Spotlight Hour?
Next week’s Pokémon for Spotlight Hour is Wingull.
More Pokémon GO Spotlight Hour guides
Looking for more help with Pokémon GO’s Spotlight Hours? Check out our latest guides!
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Written by Jennifer Burch
Illustrator, designer, writer and big Nintendo geek, you can find Jennifer with an N3DS within reach 24/7. As the oldest of three, she has survived many Mario Party, Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart sessions intact in addition to getting her brothers hooked on some really weird games. (Cubivore anyone?)
