Pokémon Go World Championships 2025 updates

A concise look at the 2025 Pokémon World Championships event in Pokémon Go, including tasks, bonuses and the new costume Pokémon.

Pokémon Go World Championships 2025 Brings Bonuses and Varsity Jacket Pikachu

The 2025 Pokémon World Championships event runs until Sunday 17 August at 8pm local time and includes field research tasks, bonuses and encounters with featured attacks. A new costume Pokémon named Varsity Jacket Pikachu is part of the event, and players can earn rewards such as Charged TMs along with Paldean Wooper or Marill encounters through event research tasks. The Go Battle Weekend Delightful Days is also active during the event, adding extra activity for battle-focused players.

Wild Pokémon spawns during the event rise, with several species appearing more often in the wild and in raids. The event also introduces a daily five Special Trades limit and increases reward opportunities from the Go Battle League track. Avatar items and stickers expand the cosmetic catalog, and players can access World Jersey and World Visor alongside a scavenger hunt for a yellow Worlds Tee example, available to attendees.

This event blends competitive play with collector incentives, encouraging players to engage across battle, research and trading. The trade limit and expanded Go Battle League rewards may reward regulars while pushing newer players to participate more deeply. The limited time window creates urgency and could widen gaps between casual players and those who invest more time and resources.

The rollout of Varsity Jacket Pikachu with boosted shiny odds and new cosmetic items signals Niantic’s continued push toward seasonal, collectible experiences. While this keeps long term engagement high, it also raises questions about accessibility for free to play players and how balanced the rewards are across different play styles.

Highlights

The World Championships format continues to blend play, collection and community events.