A comprehensive guide to maximize rewards, catch exclusive Pokémon, and avoid pitfalls during Pokémon GO’s 7th Anniversary Party.
Pokémon GO 7th Anniversary Party: Event Overview & Key Dates
Pokémon GO celebrates a monumental seven-year journey with a vibrant Anniversary Party event. This celebration is not just a look back but a packed week of new content, offering trainers exclusive opportunities to catch rare Pokémon and earn substantial rewards.
Niantic has officially launched the 7th Anniversary Party, a cornerstone event featuring the debut of special costumed Pokémon, the triumphant return of Shiny Mew research, and a suite of time-limited bonuses designed for both new and veteran players.
Marking seven years of exploration and community, this event builds upon the legacy of past celebrations while introducing fresh mechanics. Trainers should prepare for a dynamic schedule, as the event’s structure rewards daily participation with unique bonuses that rotate on a 48-hour cycle, a detail crucial for optimization.
Our guide provides a detailed breakdown of all event components, strategic advice for maximizing your haul, and common pitfalls to avoid, ensuring you don’t miss out on this milestone celebration.
Event Schedule & Essential Timing
As confirmed on the official Pokémon GO blog, the 7th Anniversary Party commences on Thursday, July 6, 2023, at 10:00 AM local time and concludes on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at 8:00 PM local time. This extended duration provides ample time to engage with all content, but key activities are gated behind specific days.
Pro Tip: Set calendar reminders for the daily bonus windows (active from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM local time on their respective days). Missing a day like July 9th with its ½ Egg Hatch Distance means losing a prime opportunity to clear Egg inventory efficiently. Plan your Incubator usage accordingly.
New Pokémon Debuts & Evolution Strategies
The event introduces two brand-new costumed variants for the first time:
Both have a chance to appear in their Shiny form during the event. Crucially, these are not standalone catches. The evolutionary line is a core mechanic.
Trainers must first catch or acquire a Squirtle wearing a party hat (available in the wild and raids). Using Squirtle Candy, you can evolve it into Wartortle wearing a party hat, and subsequently into Blastoise wearing a party hat.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Do not evolve a Shiny Squirtle with a party hat unless you have enough candy to reach Blastoise immediately. The costume is locked per evolution stage; you cannot add it later. Ensure you have 125 Squirtle Candy (25 for Wartortle, 100 for Blastoise) before committing if Shiny hunting.
Optimizing Event Bonuses & Daily Rotations
The anniversary boasts enhanced permanent bonuses and a strategic daily rotation. Permanent benefits include an increased chance of becoming Lucky Friends and an increased chance for Pokémon to become Lucky via trades, making this an ideal week for trading fodder. Additionally, spinning a PokéStop with a Golden Lure Module has a chance to yield 7, 77, or more Gimmighoul Coins.
The daily rotating bonuses are split into two categories:
All-Day Bonuses (Event Days):
24-Hour Bonuses (Midnight to Midnight):
Advanced Optimization: Stack your gameplay. On July 8 (2x Catch Candy), use a Pinap Berry on every catch, especially on rare wild spawns. On July 11 (2x Transfer Candy), mass-transfer all your accumulated event Pokémon *after* the bonus becomes active to double your candy yield. Prepare a list of Pokémon to evolve for July 12’s 2x Evolve XP, and use a Lucky Egg for a potential 4x XP multiplier.
Wild Encounters, Raids & Shiny Hunting Guide
Wild spawns will feature increased frequencies of costumed and rare Pokémon. Key spawns include:
Furthermore, Bulbasaur*, Charmander*, and Squirtle* – all wearing party hats – will have increased spawns specifically on July 6, the event’s launch day. This is the best day to hunt for these costumed starters.
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Pokemon marked with a * may appear as shiny.
Raids offer another avenue. One-star, three-star, and five-star raids will feature various Pokémon, including Pikachu wearing a cake hat, Magneton, and Lapras. The headline is Mega Raids, which will feature Mega Blastoise. Defeating it awards Mega Energy critical for powering up your own Blastoise.
Pokemon marked with a * may appear as shiny.
Shiny Hunting Strategy: Focus on checking every costumed Pokémon, as their shiny rates are typically the standard ~1/512. However, prioritize tasks that reward encounters (like Field Research) over purely wild hunting, as they guarantee an interaction with a potential shiny.
Masterwork Research: All-in-One #151 for Shiny Mew
The centerpiece of the event is the return of the Masterwork Research story, All-in-One #151, available for US$5.00 (or local equivalent). This is the only method to obtain a Shiny Mew in Pokémon GO outside of the original 2021 GO Tour: Kanto event.
This research is notoriously long and challenging, designed to be completed over weeks or months. It requires tasks like catching Pokémon of every type, reaching high friendship levels, and exploring significant distances. Purchasing it grants immediate auxiliary benefits: 2× Incense duration, 2× Daily Adventure Incense duration, and 2× Lure Module duration for the event’s duration.
Critical Purchase Window: You must buy the research by Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at 8:00 PM local time. To access the purchase, you simply need to open Pokémon GO at any point between the event start and end times. Once purchased, it remains in your Special Research tab indefinitely until completed.
Pro Tip for Veterans: If you already own this research from 2021, you do not need to repurchase it. You will still receive the 2× duration bonuses for Incense and Lures. Focus on progressing its difficult tasks during this event week to leverage the various catch and friendship bonuses.
Field Research, Timed Research & Rewards
Anniversary-themed Field Research tasks from PokéStops will reward encounters with various first-partner Pokémon (starters) like Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil, and Mudkip. Some tasks will also award Mega Energy for specific Pokémon, providing a valuable resource for unlocking Mega Evolutions.
A separate, event-exclusive Timed Research storyline is available for US$2.00. This paid track offers a more immediate payoff, rewarding trainers for completing event-themed tasks with an encounter with Pikachu wearing a party hat, a substantial 77,777 XP, and multiple useful items. This is a good option for players seeking a guided, rewarding challenge within the event week itself.
Strategy: Spin as many unique PokéStops as possible to collect the free Field Research tasks. Discard tasks with undesirable rewards (like common berries) to try for ones that reward encounters or Mega Energy. The Timed Research is worth considering if the Pikachu costume and large XP bundle align with your goals.
Avatar Items, Stickers & Web Store Exclusive
New anniversary-themed avatar items and stickers will be available in the in-game shop during and after the event, allowing for permanent cosmetic celebration.
Additionally, trainers should check the Pokémon GO Web Store for an exclusive Anniversary Box available from July 6 to July 10. Web Store bundles often contain better value than in-game shop offers, including raid passes, incubators, and other premium items at a discounted rate. This is a limited-time opportunity not to be missed by dedicated players.
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