Pokémon Go 8th Anniversary event: Start date and what to expect

radiotimes.com:

We hate to make you feel old, but Pokémon Go is about to celebrate its eighth anniversary.

It's hard to believe it's been almost a decade since the world started to double its step count in search of virtual anime monsters, but here we are.

So, what's on the cards for the big event? There are already festivals in the real world that celebrate the game, so what will the augmented reality mobile game do to celebrate this milestone?

Developers Niantic have a few treats in store for us, so have the party poppers at the ready.

Let's take a look at the anniversary's proceedings.

So, when do the celebrations start? If we think back to the big craze of 2016, we remember that the sun was shining. You could say it was our generation's summer of love...

With it currently being summer, you'd be right to assume that it's not far away.

The Pokémon Go 8th Anniversary event starts on Friday 28th June at 10am and ends on Wednesday 3rd July at 8pm local time.

The Pokémon Go team are promising a festive event for this big milestone, but what exactly will it entail? Let's take a look at the box of treats...

Not only will certain Pokémon appear more frequently in the wild, but some of them will be wearing hats. Pikachu stands out from the rest, though, because he'll be in a cake hat.

The following Pokémon will make more appearances in the wild:

The celebrations will include the following event bonuses:

While the 8th Anniversary event is taking place, you'll be able to open the mystery box more frequently than usual.

This is very welcome on its own, but there's also a high chance you'll encounter a Shiny Meltan! Keep your finger crossed for that one.

Field Research tasks, themed for the event, will also be available. Complete Field Research task rewards for a chance to encounter first-partner Pokémon like Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil and Mudkip.

There will also be event-themed Timed Research, the completing of which will earn you XP, Stardust and encounters with hat-wearing Pokémon!

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