Complete guide to Pokemon Go’s Winter Holiday 2023 Part 1 with new Pokemon, event strategies, and exclusive rewards
Event Overview and Key Dates
Pokemon Go’s eagerly anticipated Winter Holiday 2023 Part 1 marks the next major seasonal celebration following the recent Timeless Travels season launch. This festive event brings substantial new content for trainers to explore throughout the holiday period.
The Winter Holiday 2023 Part 1 celebration officially commences on Monday, December 18, 2023, at 10:00 AM local time and concludes exactly one week later on Monday, December 25, 2023, at 10:00 AM local time.
Building upon the foundation established by December’s Adamant Time and Catch Mastery events, this winter festival introduces Cetoddle from the Paldea region alongside its powerful evolution Cetitan. Additionally, festive versions of Pikachu and Raichu sporting holiday attire make their seasonal appearance.
Strategic timing is crucial for maximizing event participation. The week-long duration provides ample opportunity to engage with all content, but planning your gameplay sessions around the specific Pokemon encounters you prioritize will yield better results.
Wild Pokemon Encounters
Throughout the event duration, trainers will encounter specially dressed Pokemon appearing more frequently in the wild. These seasonal variants offer both collection opportunities and potential shiny encounters for dedicated hunters.
Available wild spawns include:
Pokemon marked with an * may appear as shiny
For optimal shiny hunting, focus on areas with high spawn density such as parks, shopping centers, and locations with multiple PokeStops. Using Incense during your hunting sessions significantly increases encounter rates. The costumed Eevee presents particular value since its holiday hat appearance may become a rare collectible in future seasons.
Advanced players should prioritize Stantler encounters as it can evolve into Wyrdeer using the new evolution method introduced in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, requiring 25 candies while using Psybeam as a charged move.
Raid Encounters
Raid battles during the Winter Holiday event feature festive Pokemon variants across various difficulty tiers. These encounters provide alternative methods for obtaining costumed Pokemon with potentially better IV distributions.
Available raid bosses include:
Pokemon marked with an * may appear as shiny
Raid strategy should focus on Glaceon encounters since Ice-type Pokemon remain valuable for battling Dragon-type raid bosses. The holiday-attired Glaceon likely occupies 3-star raids, requiring coordination with 1-2 other trainers. For solo players, the 1-star raids featuring costumed Pikachu and Spheal offer consistent shiny opportunities with minimal resource investment.
Remember that raid catches guarantee at least 10/10/10 IV spreads, making them superior to wild catches for players seeking battle-ready Pokemon. The costumed Glaceon presents particular PvP relevance in Great League formats.
2km Egg Pool
Event-exclusive 2km eggs offer concentrated opportunities for obtaining specific costumed Pokemon. These shortened hatch distances allow for rapid accumulation of desired species during the week-long event.
Egg pool contents include:
Pokemon marked with an * may appear as shiny
With only Eevee featured in the 2km egg pool, trainers can efficiently target this specific costumed variant. Egg hatches typically provide better IV ranges than wild catches, making this the optimal method for obtaining a competitive holiday Eevee. Utilize your unlimited incubator for these 2km eggs while saving paid incubators for longer-distance eggs.
For maximum efficiency, synchronize your egg hatching with adventure sync and plan walking routes that pass by multiple PokeStops to maintain egg inventory. The holiday Eevee’s potential evolutions into various forms wearing holiday hats could become highly collectible, so accumulating candy reserves is advisable.
Field Research Tasks
Field Research tasks distributed at PokeStops provide consistent encounters with costumed Pokemon alongside valuable resource rewards. Completing these tasks efficiently can yield substantial progress toward event collections.
Research task encounters include:
Pokemon marked with an * may appear as shiny
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Trainers will also be able to earn Mega Energy for Mega Abomasnow and Mega Glalie from Field Research tasks.
Field Research task optimization involves identifying and repeating tasks that reward Mega Energy for Abomasnow and Glalie, as these resources remain valuable beyond the event period. The costumed Delibird encounter presents special interest since it typically appears only during holiday events and may retain its holiday ribbon in future appearances.
For efficient task completion, focus on areas with high PokeStop density and prioritize tasks that align with your current gameplay activities. Remember that task encounters have the same shiny chance as wild spawns but guarantee the encounter, making them reliable for targeting specific costumed variants.
Event Bonuses and Avatar Items
Beyond Pokemon encounters, the Winter Holiday event introduces several gameplay bonuses and cosmetic items to enhance the festive experience. These additional elements provide quality-of-life improvements and customization options.
All trainers will receive increased XP and Stardust when opening gifts during the event period, making gift exchanges particularly valuable for resource accumulation. This bonus synergizes well with the event’s focus on catching costumed Pokemon.
Niantic is pushing new avatar items into the shop during the event too.
The Holiday Sweater with Scarf represents a seasonal cosmetic that may become unavailable after the event concludes. While purely aesthetic, these items often gain nostalgic value among dedicated players. The gift-opening bonuses present an excellent opportunity to stockpile Stardust for upcoming Pokemon power-ups, especially when combined with star pieces.
Strategic players should maximize gift interactions throughout the event week, ensuring they open the maximum 30 daily gifts and send gifts to all available friends. The additional XP gains significantly benefit players working toward leveling up their trainer levels.
Timed Research Quests
The Winter Holiday event introduces innovative Timed Research mechanics that provide trainers with customization options for their reward preferences. This player-choice system represents a new direction for Pokemon Go event design.
There will be three Timed Research quests during Winter Holiday Part 1. Two paid, and one free for all trainers.
The Winter Wishes Timed Research quest allows trainers to choose between 2× XP for catching Pokemon or 2× Stardust for catching Pokemon. Their choice will determine the tasks they have to complete.
For the first time in Pokemon Go history, trainers will be able to choose what they receive from completing Timed Research. Here are the options:
Two paid Timed Research quests will be available, with the first one being a $2 two-part quest that will span across Part 2 of the Winter Holiday 2023 event as well.
The second is $5 and gives you the chance to earn an event-themed avatar pose.
The reward choice in the free Winter Wishes research should align with your current gameplay goals. Players focusing on level progression should select double XP, while those building Pokemon for battles or trading should opt for double Stardust. The paid research options offer extended content but require careful consideration of their value relative to your budget and play patterns.
The $2 two-part quest provides content spanning both event parts, offering better long-term value than the $5 avatar pose option for most players. However, collectors may find the exclusive avatar pose justifies the higher price point given its potential rarity in future seasons.
Advanced Player Strategies
Maximizing your Winter Holiday event experience requires strategic planning and resource management. These advanced techniques will help dedicated trainers optimize their event participation and outcomes.
Resource Allocation Strategy: Prioritize your PokéCoin expenditure on item storage and Pokemon storage expansions rather than incubators or raid passes. The costumed Pokemon have multiple acquisition methods, making specialized items less critical. Focus your free raid passes on Glaceon encounters for their PvP relevance.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid: Don’t waste Star Pieces or Lucky Eggs without planning their activation around your chosen Timed Research rewards. Avoid evolving costumed Pokemon until you’ve caught multiple specimens—some costume variants cannot be evolved, and you may want to preserve the costumed form. Never transfer costumed Pokemon without checking their IVs first, as they may not reappear until next year’s holiday event.
Event Prioritization Framework: Day 1-2: Focus on completing free Timed Research and identifying optimal Field Research tasks. Days 3-5: Concentrate on shiny hunting for your most desired costumed Pokemon. Days 6-7: Use accumulated resources for final raids and egg hatching. This structured approach ensures you experience all event elements without missing time-limited opportunities.
That’s all you need to know about the Winter Holiday 2023 event. Check out some of our other guides below:
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No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Pokemon Go Winter Holiday 2023 Part 1 event: Cetitan debut, new costumes, more Complete guide to Pokemon Go's Winter Holiday 2023 Part 1 with new Pokemon, event strategies, and exclusive rewards