Pokémon Go celebrates 30 years of Pokémon with Gengar Knit Cap avatar and other themed goodies
- Pokémon Go is helping celebrate 30 years of the Pokémon franchise with new in-game events
- Head to participating retailers to encounter new Mega Raids and nab exclusive Timed Research
- And redeem gift cards bought from said retailers to net an in-game Gengar Knit Cap
With Pokémon celebrating 30 years in 2026, it shouldn't be surprising that they're going big on tie-in events for all their games. And Pokémon Go certainly isn't missing the chance for a host of live events, taking place at plenty of local retailers in the United States, with Raids, Timed Research and more!
Kicking off Sunday and available until October 20th, these events consist of new Mega Raids taking place at participating retailers such as Best Buy, Target and GameStop. Mega Gengar is set to appear more frequently during these raids, with a chance to even net a shiny one if you're lucky!
PokeStop at GameStop
Naturally, by visiting participating retailers, you can also grab yourself special Timed Research as well. And while there's nothing too special there, you'll still get the usual crop of rewards such as PokéBalls and encounters with special Pokémon!And finally, by redeeming purchased Pokémon Go Gift Cards at retailers, you'll also be able to nab yourself the in-game Gengar Knit Cap to adorn your avatar with, which is available to claim until October 31st. Not bad, and at least it means you don't have to fight off the scalpers for actual Pokémon Cards!
Overall, it's not a bad set of events for the 30th anniversary. Of course, there could always be space for more. But hot on the heels of major events such as Go Fest earlier in the year, it's no surprise that the 30th anniversary events are just a tad more low-key than those.
But even so, this isn't the only major set of real-world locations that Pokémon Go is tying into. Why not check out our own Jupiter's coverage of Pokémon Go's National Trust collaboration to find out how one of the most popular mobile games today is helping people explore the wilds and heritage sites of the United Kingdom?
