Pokemon GO is celebrating the holiday season with the Dec 2023 Winter Holiday event. Part 1 of this event is set to go live on Dec.18, 2023, bringing plenty for players to enjoy.
Whether you’re looking to jump into some Raids, catch some festive-themed wild Pokemon, or head into the store to dress up your avatar in festive attire, we’ve got all the details you’ll need to know, so follow along below.
Pokemon GO Catch Winter Holiday Part 1 Event – All Wild Spawns, Raids, Research & More
With the arrival of Pokemon GO’s Timeless Travels Season , a series of winter and holiday-themed events are to be showcased, including the Winter Holiday Part 1 event. Pokemon GO’s Winter Holiday Part 1 will go live on Dec.18, 2023, at 10 AM local time, and will run through til to Dec. 25, 2023, at 10 AM local time. During this time, there will be increased wild spawn encounters, event bonuses, Field Research tasks, and Timed Research, which have been explained in further detail below.
Pokemon Debuts
There are a select handful of Pokemon making their debut in Pokemon GO through Part 1 of the Holiday Event, including the Paldea Region’s little narwhal ‘Mon, Cetoddle. Here is a complete list of all new additions, so keep your eyes peeled:
- Cetoddle
- Cetitan
- Holiday Attire Pikachu + shiny chance
- Holiday Attire Raichu + shiny chance
Event Bonuses
During Pokemon GO’s Winter Holiday Part 1, Trainers can choose from two different Bonuses to receive for completing Timed Research.
- Option 1 – Double XP for catching Pokemon
- Option 2 – Double Stardust for catching Pokemon
Timed Research: Winter Wishes
The Timed Research for this event will differ slightly depending on which path a Trainer decides to pick. Depending on the path chosen, players will gain one of the two event Bonuses mentioned prior, and all Trainers who complete the Winter Wishes research will obtain various Items and encounters with winter-themed Pokemon as a reward.
Note: Winter Wishes Timed Research will last through both Part 1 and Part 2 of the Winter Holiday event.
Wild Encounters
Part 1 of the Winter Holiday event will offer plenty of winter and holiday-themed Pokemon to encounter in the wild, catch, and evolve. From classic Ice-Type favorites to Christmas dress-ups, there are plenty of Pokemon variants to collect over the event, some of which even have a chance to spawn as a shiny encounter.
Here is a list of all available ‘Mons as wild encounters, to help you prepare:
- Holiday attire Pikachu + shiny chance
- Alolan Sandshrew + shiny chance
- Seel + shiny chance
- Holiday hat Eevee + shiny chance
- Swinub + shiny chance
- Holiday outfit Stantler + shiny chance
- Holiday scarff Spheal + shiny chance
- Galarian Darumaka + shiny chance
- Cryogonal + shiny chance
- Bergmite + shiny chance
- Cetoddle
- Sneasel (rare encounter) + shiny chance
- Piloswine (rare encounter)
- Amaura (rare encounter) + shiny chance
Raids
There is also a variety of Raids taking place over this period, with both One-Star and Three-Star Raids making an appearance. On top of this, Holiday Attire Pikachu will also have an increased chance of appearing in shiny vriant through Raids in comparison to the wild.
One-Star Raids:
- Holiday Attire Pikachu + shiny chance
- Alolan Sandshrew + shiny chance
- Holiday Scarf Speal + shiny chance
- Crabrawler
- Cetoddle
Three-Star Raids:
- Dewgong
- Lapras + shiny chance
- Holiday Outfit Stantler + shiny chance
- Undersea Holiday Outfit Glaceon + shiny chance
Eggs
For the Pokemon GO Holiday Event Part 1, there are four different Egg hatchables that can be obtained. Each of these Eggs fall into the 2 km category, so they should be relatively quick hatches compared to others, too. Here are the Egg Pokemon available in Part 1 of the Holiday Event:
- Holiday Hat Eevee + shiny chance
- Smoochum + shiny chance
- Galarian Darumaka + shiny chance
- Amaura + shiny chance
Field Research Task Encounters
As part of the event Field Research, there will be certain Pokemon encounters that players can obtain. When triggering these encounters, there is a pool of specific holiday-themed Pokemon that can appear, as per the official Pokemon GO website. We’ve listed these below so you’ll know what to expect on your Field Research journey.
- Holiday Attire Pikachu + shiny chance
- Alolan Sandshrew + shiny chance
- Shellder + shiny chance
- Jynx + shiny chance
- Lapras + shiny chance
- Holiday Attire Delibird + shiny chance
- Holiday Scarf Spheal + shiny chance
- Snover + shiny chance
- Undersea Holiday Outfit Glaceon + shiny chance
- Vanillite
- Holiday Ribbon Cubchoo + shiny chance
- Crabrawler
New Avatar Items & Stickers
To celebrate the holiday season, Pokemon GO will also be adding a variety of holiday-themed cosmetic items. These items can be purchased from the in-game shop throughout the duration of the Winter Holiday Part 1 Event, and are as listed below:
- Delibird Onesie
- Cetoddle Hat
- Holiday Boots
- Holiday Gloves
- Holiday Sweater with Scarf
Alongside these special holiday cosmetics, there are a series of adorable holiday-themed stickers that can be collected during the Winter Holiday event. These stickers can be obtained by spinning Pokestops, opening Gifts sent by friends, or purchasing them from the in-game stop. This sticker collection features six different stickers in total:
- Snowman Pikachu
- Cetoddle
- Cryogonal
- Seel
- Christmas Psyduck
- Vanillite
Prime Gaming Avatar Item & Partner Research
As part of a collaboration with Prime Gaming, Pokemon GO will be offering extra unlockables to Amazon Prime members. Prior to it becoming available to purchase in the shop, these lucky Trainers will be able to redeem the Holiday Sweater with Scarf avatar item for free.
Paid Timed Research
There is Timed Research available for all Trainers as a part of the Holiday Event. However, there is also optional Paid Research up for grabs for those looking for a few more rewards. Here are the details for all options, as provided by the official Pokemon GO website:
Ticket 1 – $2.00 USD:
Note: Purchasing this ticket will grant you Timed Research for both parts of the Winter Holiday event.
Timed Research rewards for Winter Holiday Part 1 include the following:
- Event-themed Pokemon encounters, such as Holiday Scarf Spheal, Cryogonal, and brand new Holiday Attire Psyduck.
- Two Premium Battle Passes.
Timed Research rewards for Winter Holiday Part 2 include the following.
- Event-themed Pokémon encounters, such as Holiday Attire Psyduck and Holiday Ribbon Cubchoo.
- Two Premium Battle Passes.
Note: Trainers who purchase this ticket during the Winter Holiday Part 2 Timed Research will be able to access the Winter Holiday Part 1 Timed Research as well.
Ticket 2 – $5.00 USD:
Complete the research tasks to earn an event-themed avatar pose! Other Timed Research rewards include the following.
- 2× Candy for catching Pokémon.
- Various event-themed Pokémon encounters, such as Holiday Attire Pikachu, Holiday Ribbon Delibird, and an early encounter with the new Holiday Attire Psyduck.
That’s everything you need to know about Pokemon GO’s Winter Holiday Part 1 event. For more helpful guides, check out the rest of our content here at Twinfinite. We have a variety of topics that can help you catch ’em all and climb the ranks in battle, such as the best Eeveelution for PvP.
