Pokemon GO Anniversary 2021: Check event starting time, rewards and how to participate

Pokemon GO Anniversary 2021: The fifth-anniversary celebrations in popular AR-based Pokemon GO have begun, so here’s everything you need to know about the special event and how to participate.

Pokemon GO Anniversary 2021: The fifth anniversary celebrations of the popular AR game have begun.  (Niantic)

Pokemon Go Anniversary 2021: Niantic's Pokemon GO is one of the most successful Augmented Reality based games. It has managed to stay relevant and popular even today, five years after the AR game was first launched for Android and iOS smartphones. This is courtesy some of its remarkable features, one of them being that despite having been designed to be played outdoors, it had the ability to adapt to the novel coronavirus pandemic that forced most of the world to remain indoors for most of last year and this year too.

With the fifth anniversary of Pokemon GO, Niantic and the Pokemon Company have announced the Pokemon GO Anniversary celebrations that will bring exciting events for players, new rewards and Pokemon to be collected. This year's celebrations will also feature the in-game fireworks from last years Pokemon GO Fest event.

Here's everything you need to know about Niantic's ongoing fifth-anniversary celebrations for Pokemon GO on Android and iOS devices.

What time does the Pokemon GO Anniversary 2021 event begin?

The Pokemon GO Anniversary celebrations have already begun – for Indian players. Niantic had previously stated that users around the world would be able to participate in the Pokemon GO Anniversary 2021 event at 10 AM local time on July 6. This means that no matter where you are in the world, the game will begin when it is 10 AM in your time zone. The Pokemon GO Anniversary 2021 event will go on till 8 PM (local time) on July 15.

What can gamers expect from the Pokemon GO Anniversary 2021 event?

Niantic has announced that gamers will be able to participate in a celebration event featuring Flying Pikachu with a 5-shaped balloon, Darumaka and much more as part of the Pokemon GO Anniversary 2021 event. They will appear much more frequently when in the wild. Meanwhile, gamers will also be able to encounter a Shiny Darumaka if they are lucky. One-star raids will also feature Darumaka, Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie, and Flying Pikachu with a 5-shaped balloon, according to the company.

After completing Field Research, gamers will be able to find more Pokemon at PokeStops with active Lure Modules. These include Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. Niantic also says that some of these first-partner Pokemon can be spotted in the wild as well, including Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott.

Pokemon GO item bag

Niantic will also allow gamers to expand their Item Bag to 3,500 and users can pick it up Item Bag Upgrades from the shop. Meanwhile, trainers who missed out on last year's anniversary celebrations will be able to take advantage of the Jump-Start Special Research to catch up with other trainers with extra Stardust and XP rewards as well as new Pokemon encounters.

Pokemon GO in-game fireworks

The developer also notes that users can look out for the in-game fireworks that featured on last year's Pokemon GO Fest, along with a new in-game sky that comes with the new real-time sky mechanic and additional PokeDex classifications in the game. Meanwhile, the Special Box, Ultra Box and Adventure Box will also offer new items, according to the company.