Posted in: Games, Mobile Games, Niantic, Pokémon GO | Tagged: Niantic, Niantic Labs, pokemon, pokemon go, Team GO Rocket

Pokémon GO Celebrates Niantic's Fifth Birthday With Sunday Event

A surprise event is coming to Pokémon GO tomorrow. On Sunday, October 4th from 11 AM – 5 PM local time, the Niantic Birthday Event will celebrate the mobile developer's fifth anniversary. Here's a breakdown of everything trainers can expect.

This new event will happen during the current Pokémon GO Fashion Week and will offer bonuses over the event rather than spawns that interfere with it. The full details of this event are:

• Timed Research: Trainers will be tasked with research during the event's hours that will reward Incense, an Egg Incubator, a Lucky Eggs, both Fast and Charged TMs, a Star Piece, and more.
• Team GO Rocket: Increased Balloon activity. In our upcoming report on the full Timed Research, we will time zones that begin the event early and report back on how frequently these Rocket Balloons will arrive.
• Double Lucky Egg and Star Piece duration
• Double Catch and Hatch XP
• Half Egg distance, which is something that, until yesterday, was a normal pandemic bonus in Pokémon GO. Que sera, que sera.
• Event Box: 30 Ultra Balls will be featured in the in-game shop for 1 PokéCoin… essentially free.

The increased Team GO Rocket activity will surely be the favorite aspect of this event for most Pokémon GO trainers. It was not specified if, as with other Team GO Rocket events, players would be able to TM away the move "Frustration" from Shadow Pokémon, which essentially unlocks their move and allows for them to receive that species' normal moveset. If that does happen, this event will turn from a fun surprise bonus into a must-play for dedicated raiders, due to the sheer power that Shadows pack.

Beyond the potential for that Shadow Pokémon content, the bonuses featured during this surprise one-day Pokémon GO event are attractive for players of any level. Stay tuned for our article breaking down the Niantic Birthday Event Timed Research.

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