Believe it or not, the once cultural phenomenon and still decently popular Pokémon GO is turning three years old this summer. Niantic is celebrating the milestone with a series of special events and promotions.
From now until July 6 at 1 pm Pacific/4 pm Eastern, you’ll be able to find a Pikachu wearing a party hat. The partying Pikachu has a chance of appearing whenever you take a Go Snapshot photo. The hat-wearing mouse can also be hatched from 7 km eggs.
For the rest of the summer a new Special Research quest line has been added. It’s designed to help lapsed players jump back into Pokémon GO, with a slew of helpful rewards. The Special Research is only available to trainers who are at least level 10.
During the third anniversary promotion, raid bosses will be easier to take down when joining with friends, and everyone can earn bonus Premiere Balls. The stardust cost of trading Pokémon has also been temporarily reduced to 25%.
Finally, the first generation Alolan Pokémon who have made their way into Pokémon GO – Rattata, Sandshrew, Vulpix, Diglett, Meowth, Geodude, Grimer, and Exeggutor, have an increased chance of spawning as shiny versions.
The promotion ends September 2 at 1 pm Pacific/4 pm Eastern, except for the party hat Pikachu, which end July 6. Pokémon GO is free to download on iOS and Android mobile devices.
