Get ready, Trainers! The biggest event in the Pokémon Go calendar is almost here. Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Global brings two full days of exciting gameplay, rare Pokémon encounters, and valuable bonuses right to your doorstep, no matter where you play. From the highly anticipated global debut of the Crowned forms of Zacian and Zamazenta in raids to the first worldwide appearance of the Mythical Pokémon Volcanion for ticket holders, there’s something for everyone. This comprehensive guide breaks down everything you need to know about the habitat rotations, featured spawns, exciting bonuses, and activities scheduled for the event on June 28 and 29, 2025. Whether you’re playing for free or maximizing your experience with a paid ticket, preparing ahead will ensure you make the most of this epic celebration.
What is Pokémon GO Fest 2025: Global?
Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Global is a massive, two-day digital event accessible to all players worldwide. It’s the flagship event of the year, offering unique Pokémon encounters, boosted shiny rates (for ticket holders), special research stories, and a variety of in-game bonuses. While the core experience is available to everyone without charge, purchasing an optional ticket ($14.99 USD) unlocks a wealth of additional perks and exclusive content.
The event marks several significant debuts. The powerful Crowned Shield Zamazenta and Crowned Sword Zacian will make their global debut in five-star raids, appearing on separate days. For ticket holders, the elusive Mythical Pokémon Volcanion becomes available through a dedicated Special Research story. Additionally, lucky trainers might be among the first globally to encounter Shiny Carbink and Shiny Frigibax in the wild, with Shiny Arctibax also making its shiny debut. The event also introduces new regional Pokémon like Skiddo (previously City Safari exclusive) and Klefki (normally limited to France) as potential encounters, particularly via Incense for ticket holders.
Key Event Dates and Times
Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Global runs across two days:
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Sunday, June 29, 2025
The main event activities, including habitat rotations and special spawns, will be active each day from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM local time. Some ticket holder bonuses, however, are active all day from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM local time on both days.
Free vs. Paid Ticket Experience
Understanding the difference between the free and paid experiences is crucial for planning your Go Fest weekend.
Free Player Experience:
All Trainers can participate in the core event activities without purchasing a ticket. This includes:
Enjoying event-themed Pokémon appearing in the wild via rotating habitats.
Encountering day-specific Pokémon spawns.
Participating in themed raids, including the global debut of Crowned Shield Zamazenta (Saturday) and Crowned Sword Zacian (Sunday).
Receiving surprise GO Snapshot encounters (one per day).
Lure Modules will last for one hour when activated.
Party Play duration is increased to 8 hours.
Paid Ticket Holder Experience ($14.99):
Purchasing a ticket unlocks a significantly enhanced experience with many exclusive bonuses and content.
Event Hours Bonuses (10 AM – 6 PM local time):
Access to a Special Research story leading to an encounter with the Mythical Pokémon Volcanion.
Access to a branching Special Research story titled “Sword or Shield” related to the debuting Crowned forms.
Significantly increased chance to find Shiny Pokémon in the wild.
Unique Pokémon attracted to Incense (excluding Daily Incense), including rare regionals and Unown forms.
Participation in hourly Global Challenges to unlock special bonuses for ticket holders for the remainder of that hour.
Access to habitat-themed Collection Challenges.
Three surprise GO Snapshot encounters per day (instead of one).
All-Day Bonuses (12 AM – 11:59 PM local time):
Receive up to 9 free Raid Passes daily by spinning Gym Photo Discs.
Earn extra hearts with your Buddy Pokémon.
Ability to open up to 40 Gifts per day.
Access to 6 Special Trades per day.
50% reduction in Stardust cost for all trades.
Note: Purchasing the ticket via the Pokémon Go Web Store may also grant additional items like Premium Battle Passes, Rare Candies, and Max Revives.
Rotating Habitat Spawns
A signature feature of GO Fest is the rotation of themed habitats, bringing different sets of Pokémon into the wild at specific times. For GO Fest 2025, these habitats will rotate throughout both Saturday and Sunday, a change from previous years. Each of the four habitats will appear twice per day for one hour each.
Here is the habitat schedule and featured wild spawns (all listed Pokémon have a chance to be shiny unless noted):
Moonless Volcano (10-11 a.m., 2-3 p.m.)
Houndour
Numel
Duskull
Gothita
Golett
Fletchling
Flabébé (Red Flower) – Rare Shiny Target
Skrelp
Fuecoco – Rare Shiny Target
Carbink – Global Shiny Debut, Rare Shiny Target
Incense Exclusive (Ticket Holders Only): Torkoal (Regionally exclusive)
Galvanic Dojo (11 a.m.-12 p.m., 3-4 p.m.)
Machop
Electabuzz – Good Shiny Target
Teddiursa
Scraggy
Chespin
Flabébé (Yellow Flower) – Rare Shiny Target
Pancham – Good Shiny Target
Dedenne – Good PvP Pick
Crabrawler
Mienfoo – Rare Shiny Target
Incense Exclusive (Ticket Holders Only): Skiddo (Previously City Safari Exclusive)
Hypnotic Tundra (12-1 p.m., 4-5 p.m.)
Alolan Sandshrew
Swinub – Evolves into Great Raid Attacker
Spheal
Piplup
Snover
Munna
Elgyem
Flabébé (Blue Flower) – Rare Shiny Target
Bergmite – Good Shiny Target
Frigibax – Global Shiny Debut, Rare Shiny Target, Good PvP/Raid Pick
Incense Exclusive (Ticket Holders Only): Pachirisu (Regionally exclusive)
Fae Swamp (1-2 p.m., 5-6 p.m.)
Clefairy
Tentacool – Evolves into Good PvP Pick
Mawile
Gulpin
Venipede
Popplio
Mareanie – Good PvP Pick, Good Shiny Target
Morelull
Togetic – Rare Shiny Target
Flabébé (Orange Flower) – Rare Shiny Target
Incense Exclusive (Ticket Holders Only): Klefki (Normally France Exclusive) – Cannot be Shiny
Ticket holders using Incense will also encounter specific Unown forms during habitat hours: D, E, H, I, L, S on Saturday (SHIELD theme) and D, O, R, S, W on Sunday (SWORD theme). Unown are typically very rare encounters outside of events.
All-Day Event Spawns
In addition to the rotating habitats, certain Pokémon will appear in the wild throughout the entire event day (10 AM – 6 PM), regardless of the current habitat. These often tie into the “Sword” and “Shield” themes.
Saturday All-Day Spawns: Chansey, Skarmory, Larvitar, Shieldon, Shelmet, Vullaby, Oranguru, Goomy – Shiny Goomy is a rare target.
Sunday All-Day Spawns: Galarian Farfetch’d, Cubone, Ralts, Karrablast, Pawniard, Deino, Passimian, Jangmo-o – Shiny Jangmo-o is a rare target.
All listed all-day spawns have a chance to be shiny. Note that costume Pokémon like Dapper Pikachu and Train Conductor Falinks are not wild habitat spawns, but can be obtained through other means mentioned below.
Go Fest 2025 Raid Targets
Raids are a key part of the GO Fest experience, featuring special costumed Pokémon and the major legendary debuts.
1-Star Raids: Dapper Pikachu (features different hat colors: red, blue, yellow)
3-Star Raids: Train Conductor Falinks
5-Star Raids:
Saturday, June 28: Crowned Shield Zamazenta (Global Debut)
Sunday, June 29: Crowned Sword Zacian (Global Debut)
While Zacian and Zamazenta will appear in their Crowned forms in raids and may have a unique background when caught, they will revert to their Hero of Many Battles forms afterward. Niantic has stated that a future method will be available to transform them into their Crowned forms again.
Event Field Research
Spinning PokéStops during the event can yield exclusive Field Research tasks, offering various rewards and encounters. Some tasks are tied to specific days or habitats.
Catch 8 different species of Pokémon (Rewards: Dapper Pikachu encounter)
Catch 10 Pokémon (Rewards: 10 Poké Balls, 3 Ultra Balls, or 500 Stardust)
Hatch an egg (Rewards: 1,000 Stardust)
Spin 5 PokéStops or gyms (Rewards: 10 Poké Balls, 3 Ultra Balls, or 500 Stardust)
Win a raid (Rewards: Train Conductor Falinks encounter)
Saturday Only: Catch 6 Steel-type Pokémon (Rewards: 3 Zamazenta Candy)
Saturday Only: Power up Steel-type Pokémon 6 times (Rewards: 2 Zamazenta Candy XL or 500 Stardust)
Sunday Only: Catch 6 Fairy-type Pokémon (Rewards: 3 Zacian Candy)
Sunday Only: Power up Fairy-type Pokémon 6 times (Rewards: 2 Zacian Candy XL or 500 Stardust)
Moonless Volcano Only: Catch 6 Fire-type Pokémon (Rewards: Golett encounter)
Moonless Volcano Only: Power up Fire-type Pokémon 6 times (Rewards: Carbink encounter)
Galvanic Dojo Only: Catch 6 Fighting-type Pokémon (Rewards: Pancham encounter)
Galvanic Dojo Only: Power up Fighting-type Pokémon 6 times (Rewards: Mienfoo encounter)
Hypnotic Tundra Only: Catch 6 Ice-type Pokémon (Rewards: Bergmite encounter)
Hypnotic Tundra Only: Power up Ice-type Pokémon 6 times (Rewards: Frigibax encounter)
Fae Swamp Only: Catch 6 Poison-type Pokémon (Rewards: Mawile encounter)
Fae Swamp Only: Power up Poison-type Pokémon 6 times (Rewards: Togetic encounter)
Special Evolution Moves
Evolving specific Pokémon during the event, or acquiring them via Incense or wild encounters, can grant them special legacy moves previously available during Community Days or other events.
Evolve Alolan Sandshrew into Alolan Sandslash to learn Shadow Claw.
Evolve Clefairy into Clefable to learn Pound.
Evolve Machoke into Machamp to learn Stone Edge.
Evolve Pupitar into Tyranitar to learn Smack Down.
Evolve Prinplup into Empoleon to learn Hydro Cannon.
Evolve Quilladin into Chesnaught to learn Frenzy Plant.
Evolve Fletchinder into Talonflame to learn Incinerate.
Evolve Brionne into Primarina to learn Hydro Cannon.
Evolve Crocalor into Skeledirge to learn Blast Burn.
Event Egg Hatches
Event-themed Pokémon will be hatching from 2 km and 5 km eggs obtained during GO Fest hours. The egg pools differ based on ticket ownership.
2 km Eggs (All Players):
Karrablast
Shelmet
Golett
Pawniard
Vullaby
Pancham
Flabébé (Blue, Red, Yellow, Orange Flowers)
Oranguru
Passimian
5 km Eggs (Ticket Holders Only):
Togepi
Torkoal (Regionally exclusive)
Pachirisu (Regionally exclusive)
Mienfoo
Skiddo (Previously City Safari Exclusive)
Carbink (Global Shiny Debut)
Goomy
Klefki (Normally France Exclusive) – Cannot be Shiny
Jangmo-o
Frigibax (Global Shiny Debut)
All Pokémon listed in the egg pools have a chance to hatch as shiny, except for Klefki.
Global Challenges and Ultra Unlocks
Ticket holders can participate in Global Challenges that occur each habitat hour. If ticket holders worldwide collectively complete a challenge within that hour, a special bonus is unlocked for all ticket holders for the remainder of that specific hour. These challenges also contribute to cumulative goals throughout the weekend. Meeting these cumulative goals unlocks special Ultra Unlock events later in the season:
15 Challenges Completed: Unlocks Ultra Unlock, Part 1: Hisui Celebration (July 8-13, 2025)
30 Challenges Completed: Unlocks Ultra Unlock, Part 2: Steel and Scales (July 22-27, 2025)
45 Challenges Completed: Unlocks Ultra Unlock, Part 3: Origin Raid Day (August 10, 2025)
Specific details for these Ultra Unlock events will be announced after GO Fest concludes.
Preparing for Go Fest
To maximize your Go Fest experience, consider these tips:
Manage Storage: Free up Pokémon storage and item bag space. You’ll be catching and collecting a lot!
Stock Up: Gather Poké Balls, Berries, Incense, Lure Modules, and Raid Passes. Ticket holders get extra free raid passes from gyms, but you might want Premium passes too.
Plan Your Day: Review the habitat schedule and decide which hours you want to focus on for specific Pokémon or shiny hunts.
Prioritize Targets: Consider which Pokémon are most important for you. Are you hunting new shinies (Carbink, Frigibax, Arctibax), regionals (Torkoal, Pachirisu, Klefki, Skiddo via Incense), or meta-relevant Pokémon?
Meta-Relevant Catches: Look out for Larvitar (Tyranitar), Cubone (Marowak – Great League), Flabébé (Florges – Master League), Fuecoco (Skeledirge – PvP/Raid), Carbink (Great League), Dedenne (Great League), Swinub (Mamoswine – Raid), Frigibax (Baxcalibur – PvP/Raid), Tentacool (Tentacruel – Ultra League), and Mareanie (Toxapex – Great League).
Battery Life: Bring portable chargers! 8 hours of gameplay drains batteries fast.
Group Up: Play with friends using Party Play for bonuses and easier raid completion. The Campfire app can help you find local players and plan routes.
- Pre-Event Bonuses: Take advantage of the “Ancients Recovered” event (June 23-27) bonuses, including potential increases to Remote Raid Pass limits leading up to Go Fest.
- www.polygon.com
- pokemongolive.com
- timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- www.si.com
- www.gamespot.com
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main differences between the free and paid GO Fest experience?
The free experience allows all players to participate in core activities like encountering themed wild spawns from habitats and day-specific pools, plus challenging event raids like Crowned Zacian and Zamazenta. Paid ticket holders get significantly more: access to the Mythical Volcanion via Special Research, increased shiny rates, exclusive Pokémon encounters via Incense (including regionals and Unown), participation in hourly Global Challenges, Collection Challenges, more daily raid passes, increased trade limits (6 Special Trades per day), reduced Stardust costs for trades, and extra Buddy hearts.
How do the rotating habitats work and what are their schedules?
During GO Fest hours (10 AM – 6 PM local time) on both Saturday and Sunday, four distinct habitats will rotate hourly. Each habitat features a specific set of Pokémon spawns. Each habitat appears twice per day: Moonless Volcano (10-11 AM, 2-3 PM), Galvanic Dojo (11 AM-12 PM, 3-4 PM), Hypnotic Tundra (12-1 PM, 4-5 PM), and Fae Swamp (1-2 PM, 5-6 PM). Planning around this schedule is essential to target specific Pokémon.
Which Pokémon should I prioritize during GO Fest 2025, especially for shiny hunting or battling?
Priorities depend on your goals. For shiny hunters, target the global shiny debuts (Carbink, Frigibax, Arctibax), rare regional shinies (Torkoal, Pachirisu), rarely available regionals (Klefki, Skiddo – ticket/Incense only), and hard-to-find shinies like the Flabébé variants, Fuecoco, Mienfoo, Togetic, Goomy, and Jangmo-o. For battling, focus on Pokémon like Larvitar, Carbink, Frigibax, Mareanie, Tentacool, Swinub, Fuecoco, and Dedenne, which evolve into strong options for PvP or raids.
Conclusion
Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Global is shaping up to be an action-packed event filled with rare encounters, exciting debuts, and valuable bonuses for trainers everywhere. Whether you’re catching shiny Pokémon, completing collection challenges, battling in raids for Crowned Legendaries, or finally adding Volcanion to your collection, the weekend of June 28-29 offers a wealth of opportunities. Plan your approach, make use of the habitat schedule, and get ready to explore the diverse world of Pokémon Go right from your location. Good luck, Trainers!
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