Pokémon 30th Anniversary – A Huge Celebration Begins
Pokémon GO is officially celebrating 30 years of Pokémon , and this is not a small in-game event. Running from Tuesday, March 3 at 10:00 a.m. to Monday, March 9, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. local time, the Pokémon GO 30th Anniversary event brings back iconic Kanto Pokémon, powerful raid rotations, a brand-new GO Pass track and one of the most ambitious wild spawn shake-ups we’ve ever seen.
This isn’t just a themed week. It’s a full franchise celebration inside Pokémon GO.
And honestly? It feels big. We are being too nice – this is huge!
GO Pass: Pokémon 30th Anniversary
Every Trainer automatically receives the free GO Pass: Pokémon 30th Anniversary starting March 3 at 10:00 a.m.
This is a limited-time progression track where you:
- Complete Pass Tasks
- Earn GO Points
- Rank up
- Unlock rewards
You can progress through the GO Pass until March 9 at 8:00 p.m. local time.
Unlimited GO Points Window
From Saturday, March 7 at 12:00 a.m. to Monday, March 9 at 7:59 p.m., the daily GO Point limit is removed.
That means you can grind as much as you want during the final weekend push.
GO Pass Deluxe – Is It Worth It?
There are two upgrade options:
- GO Pass Deluxe – $7.99
- GO Pass Deluxe + 10 Ranks – $9.99
The Deluxe version gives:
- Faster progression
- Upgraded rewards
- Access to both free and paid reward tracks
If you upgrade at any time, you can still claim rewards from previously unlocked ranks.
Important: All rewards must be claimed before March 15 at 7:59 p.m., or they expire.
GO Pass Rewards – What You Can Earn
Free GO Pass Includes:
- Encounter with Mewtwo
- Encounters with Pokémon first discovered in the Kanto region
- Candy rewards
GO Pass Deluxe Adds:
- Mewtwo Candy XL
- Additional Kanto encounters including:
- Articuno*
- Zapdos*
- Moltres*
- Rare Candy
- Extra bonus items
(*Shiny possible if you’re lucky – Click here to Read our Shiny Mewtwo Guide.)
This is already one of the strongest reward tracks we’ve seen tied to a franchise milestone.
READ MORE: Best Mewtwo Counters Pokémon GO: How to Beat Mewtwo in Raids
Major Milestone Bonuses
As you rank up, you unlock milestone bonuses.
Free Track
Tier 1
- 2× Catch Candy
Tier 2
- 2× Catch XP
Deluxe Track Boosted Bonuses
Tier 1
- 3× Catch Candy
Tier 2
- 3× Catch XP
For grinders, that’s extremely strong during a Kanto-heavy spawn week.
A Ditto Changeup
Ditto will transform into different Pokémon during the event.
If you’re hunting Ditto right now, this is worth paying attention to, disguise pools are shifting.
For more information on Ditto – click here to view our
Wild Encounters – Kanto Takes Over
During the main anniversary week, you can encounter Pokémon first discovered in the Kanto region in their natural habitats.
Expect spawns like:
- Pikachu*
- Alakazam*
- Machamp*
- Golem*
- Gengar*
- Eevee*
- Dragonite*
And if you’re very lucky:
- Articuno*
- Zapdos*
- Moltres*
Regional exclusives such as Farfetch’d*, Kangaskhan*, Mr. Mime*, and Tauros* remain region-locked.
(*Shiny possible.)
This is pure nostalgia fuel- are you excited yet??
Raid Lineup – Main Anniversary Week
One-Star Raids
- Pikachu wearing Red’s hat*
- Pikachu wearing Leaf’s hat*
Three-Star Raids
- Venusaur*
- Charizard*
- Blastoise*
(*Shiny possible.)
Starter evolutions in raids always pull engagement, especially during milestone events.
Field Research Rewards
Event-themed Field Research will reward encounters with:
- Bulbasaur*
- Charmander*
- Squirtle*
- Pikachu*
- Magikarp*
- Eevee*
You can also earn:
- Rare Candy
- Silver Pinap Berries
- Golden Razz Berries
This is excellent for casual players who don’t raid heavily.
READ MORE: Pokémon GO Berries Guide: All Berries Explained, What They Do, How to Get Them and Which Are Best
Pokémon 30th Anniversary: All Out Weekend
Now this is where it explodes.
Saturday, March 7 at 10:00 a.m. to Monday, March 9 at 8:00 p.m.
The “All Out” celebration turns Pokémon GO into something close to a living Pokédex.
Wild Encounters – Almost Everything Returns
Nearly every Pokémon that has made its Pokémon GO debut can return in the wild.
They will appear based on:
- Natural habitat
- Biome
- Pokédex classification
You’ll need to explore different biomes to see different Pokémon.
Important Exceptions
The following will NOT appear in the wild:
- Mythical Pokémon
- Ultra Beasts
- Certain special species including Mewtwo, Smeargle, Giratina, Zoroark, Zygarde, Gholdengo and others
Costumed Pokémon also will not appear in the wild during this period.
Some Pokémon remain regional or egg-exclusive.
All Out Raid Rotation – Huge Lineup
One-Star Raids
A massive collection of trainer-themed Pikachu wearing hats, including:
- Red
- Leaf
- Ethan
- Lyra
- Brendan
- May
- Lucas
- Dawn
- Rei
- Akari
- Hilbert
- Hilda
- Nate
- Rosa
- Calem
- Serena
This is collector heaven.
Five-Star Raids
- Articuno*
- Zapdos*
- Moltres*
- Deoxys (Normal Forme)*
- Darkrai*
- Genesect*
- Nihilego*
- Buzzwole* (Americas & Greenland)
- Pheromosa* (Europe, Middle East, Africa, India)
- Xurkitree* (Asia-Pacific)
- Celesteela* (Southern Hemisphere)
- Kartana* (Northern Hemisphere)
- Guzzlord*
- Stakataka* (Eastern Hemisphere)
- Blacephalon* (Western Hemisphere)
- Necrozma*
This is one of the most stacked raid rosters we’ve ever seen.
(*Shiny possible.)
2km Egg Pool – Massive Baby & Rare Lineup
During All Out, 2km Eggs may hatch:
- Pichu*
- Cleffa*
- Igglybuff*
- Togepi*
- Tyrogue*
- Smoochum*
- Elekid*
- Magby*
- Azurill*
- Wynaut*
- Budew*
- Chingling*
- Bonsly*
- Mime Jr.*
- Happiny*
- Munchlax*
- Riolu*
- Mantyke*
- Toxel*
(*Shiny possible.)
Mime Jr. remains region-specific.
This is arguably one of the strongest 2km egg pools ever released.
The Pokémon GO 30th Anniversary event is easily one of the biggest franchise celebrations we’ve seen integrated into the game. EVER! Make it count! GO catch ’em all!
Be sure to check out our latest Pokemon Go Hub for all events March – June 2026
