Pokemon Go Events: Celebrate the Equinox Starting March 19

Equinox Event, Community Day, Lotad Research, Giratina returns, and more!

Pokémon Go is intended to get you out and about, both on your own and with family and friends. One of the ways Pokémon Go tries to bolster activity is with events. Some of the events get splashy announcements and coincide with big public holidays. Others are quieter and more regular. Here's what's happened already and what's coming up next.

Pokemon Go Lotad Limited Research on March 30

I'm not as big a fan of the research days as I was the legendary raid days because spinning is just so much more tedious than raiding, but this one sounds fun.

Professor Willow is looking to conduct Limited Research on the impact of weather on Pokémon, with a focus on the Water- and Grass-type Pokémon Lotad. Spin Photo Discs at nearby PokéStops to obtain Field Research tasks that lead to encounters with this Water Weed Pokémon. While you're completing research, keep an eye out for other Pokémon that could be impacted by weather conditions, such as Castform! See more details below:

Date + Time

• Mar. 30, 2019, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in your local time zone.

Features

• Pokémon that appear due to weather conditions will appear more frequently during the event.
• Limited Research tasks will be available when you spin Photo Discs at PokéStops.
• Completing the Limited Research tasks will award you encounters with Lotad.
• If you're lucky, you may encounter Shiny Lotad and Shiny Castform in its Normal form!

Move

• The move Weather Ball for Castform will be permanently added to the game.

Remember, Trainers! As long as you've collected the Limited Research during the event window, you can complete it at any time. Don't forget—you'll need to venture onward to many PokéStops in order to get new Field Research tasks and encounter as many Lotad as possible!

It's also nice the window has been widened so people who work or have other commitments for part of the day have a better chance to enjoy at least some of the rest of it. Well done.

Giratina returns to Legendary Raids starting March 28... and in both formes.

Guess who's back?

You did your team leaders proud back when you battled Giratina in its Altered Forme. However, there are still many mysteries to be unlocked about the Renegade Pokémon. Giratina has reemerged from the Distortion World to renew and transform. Starting March 28, Altered Forme Giratina will return to raids until April 2, when it will transform into Origin Forme to keep testing Trainers' strength until April 29.

Date + Time

• Giratina (Altered Forme): Thursday, Mar. 28, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) to Tuesday, Apr. 2, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT (GMT −7)
• Giratina (Origin Forme): Tuesday, Apr. 2, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) to Monday, Apr. 29, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT (GMT −7)

Start prepping your teams to take on this Ghost- and Dragon-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Sinnoh region. Stay safe, and happy exploring!

Pokémon Go Spring/Autumn Equinox Event bursts into action starting March 19

With spring days arriving in the northern hemisphere and autumn quickly approaching in the southern hemisphere, it's the perfect time to celebrate the coming equinox with some Grass-type Pokémon.

Date + Time

• Mar. 19, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. PDT to
• Mar. 26, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7)

Features

Grass-type Pokémon—like Oddish, Exeggcute, Sunkern, and Shroomish—will appear more frequently in the wild. Lunatone and Solrock will switch hemispheres at the start of the event in celebration of the equinox! These Pokémon will stay in their new hemispheres after the event.

Raids

Grass-type Pokémon will be available to challenge in raids.

Field Research

Limited-time Grass-type Pokémon Field Research will be available during this event.

Move

New moves will be permanently added to the game.

• Acid Spray: Arbok, Victreebel, Tentacruel, Muk, Alolan Muk, Quagsire, Qwilfish, Octillery, and Swalot.
• Leaf Tornado: Victreebel and Shiftry.

No word on new Shiny Pokémon and nothing else too exciting so far but let's wait and see what happens when the event goes live.

Deoxys shifts to Defense Forme for Ex-Raid starting March 25

The DNA Pokémon, Deoxys, has tested the strength of Trainers in EX Raids and has changed form again! Defense Forme Deoxys will be in EX Raids with stronger defenses than previously seen, so make sure your team is prepared. This Psychic-type Mythical Pokémon will be available to challenge beginning March 25.

Read more about the new Ex Raid system

Keep your Best Friends close and your Bite / Crunch Tyranitars even closer.

Pokemon Go experiments with Legendary Lunch Hour

If you happen to have lunch between 12pm and 1pm local time, Pokemon has some accelerated Raid action just for you!

To give you more ways to enjoy Pokémon GO, we're trying out a new event called Legendary Lunch Hour! From 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in your local time zone, there will be an increased number of raids to test your battle skills alongside your friends, coworkers, and classmates. The first Legendary Lunch Hour will take place on March 13, and with your help, we hope to make this an event you can enjoy every week!

Date + Time

• Mar. 13, 2019, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in your local time zone

Features

• There will be an increased number of raids during the event hour.

Hope it works out for as many of you as possible!

Pokemon Go Rayqaza Raid Weekend starts March 15

Are you ready for a challenge? From Friday, March 15, to Monday, March 18, there will be a Special Raid Weekend! The Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza will be available in Raid Battles! Take a look at the details below:

Date + Time

• Friday, Mar. 15, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) to
• Monday, Mar. 18, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) Features

The Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza will be joining Raid Battles!

Do you have what it takes to take on Rayquaza? Get ready to GO, Trainer—and best of luck!

They don't mention Shiny Rayquaza. The Japanese text says no Shiny Rayquaza. But there better be Shiny Rayquaza. Right?

Legendary Dialga Raids from March 1 to March 28

Dragon-type, but also Steel, so a lot of resistances. Worth raiding harder than your average... dragon.

A new arrival to raids will test your strength this next month!

The Steel- and Dragon-type Temporal Pokémon, Dialga, will join Raid Battles across the world from March 1 at 1:00 p.m. PST to March 28 at 1:00 p.m. PDT!

Dialga has the ability to warp time by slowing it down, speeding it up, and even stopping it altogether, and Sinnoh region mythology says that time began moving when Dialga was born. Be sure to assemble a team that includes Fighting- and Ground-type Pokémon to take down this Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in Sinnoh before it overpowers your Pokémon with its special attacks!

Don't miss this chance to catch this Legendary Pokémon before it leaves for a new dimension! Stay safe, and happy exploring!

Safari Zone Singapore from April 18 to April 22

The first Pokémon GO Safari Zone in Southeast Asia is taking place in Sentosa, Singapore! Sentosa is known for its pristine beaches, tropical landscape, and wide range of entertainment. Ticket holders will encounter rare Pokémon—such as the Grass- and Flying-type Pokémon Tropius—roaming around the beautiful island of Sentosa from Thursday, April 18, to Monday April 22.

Register now for a chance to receive a free one-day ticket for our Safari Zone event in Sentosa by visiting the event website from 5 March to 7 March at https://safarizone.sentosa.com.sg. Tickets will be sent to selected Trainers via email no later than 11 March. Please note, Trainers with a ticket will only be able to find the special Safari Zone event Pokémon during the day the ticket was first claimed. Trainers without a ticket will experience normal gameplay.

Pokémon Go Treeko Community Day on March 23

Community Day returns on March 23 with Treeko, but, the times are different.

New for March Community Day, start time will be based on your local time! Wherever you are, 23 March from 3:00pm - 6:00pm is your Community Day time, with an extra hour to fully evolve Treecko. https://t.co/To0HS7A60j

— Niantic Support (@NianticHelp) February 22, 2019

Bonuses include:

• 1/4 Egg Hatch Distance
• 3 Hour Lures
• Exclusive Move (almost certainly Frenzy Plant)

Pokémon Go Fest 2019

No word yet on Pokémon Go Fest 2019. Probably not even safe to assume it'll be in Chicago again, now that Niantic has proven it can run an event there and redeemed itself from 2017. But, we'll update as soon as there's anything to update!

Pokemon Go Adventure Sync Hatchathon (Finished)

It'll be hard to beat the Gen 4 babies but here's hoping Pokémon Go tries.

Welcome a brand-new year with the Adventure Sync Hatchathon! To celebrate new beginnings, Trainers will enjoy bonuses for hatching Eggs from January 2 at 1:00 p.m. PST to January 15 at 1:00 p.m. PST. Make sure your shoes are tightly laced for a long journey, as you're more likely to receive 5 km and 10 km Eggs from PokéStops and Gyms.

Don't forget to activate Adventure Sync to make your steps count toward hatching Eggs while you're on the go! Enjoy more ways to stay on top of your well-being for the New Year while working toward rewards with a weekly fitness summary as you start your New Year's resolutions off on the right foot. See details for the event below:

Date + Time

Jan. 2, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8) to Jan. 15, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8)

Bonuses

• 2× Hatch Candy
• 2× Hatch Stardust
• Higher chance of receiving 5 km and 10 km Eggs from PokéStops and Gyms

Update: Nope. Hatches haven't been great. But, the bonuses have been good.

What Pokémon Go events do you want to see?

If you were planning the next big Pokémon Go event, when would you have it and how would you handle it?