January has arrived and Pokémon GO players have an exciting month ahead. In addition to a stacked lineup of new year events, fans of the mobile AR game also have a powerful lineup of Battle Raid bosses to take down.
January 2026 Tier 5 Raid Schedule
Players will have the chance to battle four different challenging tier 5 Battle Raid bosses throughout January, as a new challenger appears each week. Most of these bosses have already appeared in the past, so hopefully players have a powered up counter roster prepared.
- January 1 – January 5: Blacephalon
- January 5 – January 16: Genesect (Burn/Chill)
- January 16 – January 25: Incarnate Thundurus
- January 25 – February 4: Incarnate Tornadus
One special event that raiders should prepare for is the Kyurem Fusion Raid Day. Kyurem Fusion Raid Day takes place on Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. During the event, players can battle Reshiram, Zekrom, Black Kyurem and White Kyurem in Raids, with boosted Shiny odds and bonus Raid Passes available.
Additionally, every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. is a Raid Hour for the current Tier 5 boss. Players should take advantage of those times to grind out battles with their crew.
Players can take note that raid rotations usually take place at 10:00 a.m. local time when they occur.
January 2026 Shadow Raid Schedule
Shadow Cresselia will appear in Shadow Raids during weekends from January 2 to February 1.
For players who are unfamiliar with Shadow Raids, this raid type is a few years old now and operates fairly similarly to regular Battle Raids. Shadow Raids appear at Gyms where Team Rocket is in control and the battles provide different rewards for players to claim if they are successful.
January 2026 Mega Raid Schedule
Mega Raids are particularly challenging, so players will definitely want to make sure they’ve reviewed the boss’ weaknesses and brought a powerful counter lineup before they enter one of these battles.
- Late December – January 5: Mega Swapert
- January 5 – January 16: Mega Blaziken
- January 16 – January 25: Mega Sceptile
- January 25 – February 4: Mega Ampharos
Pokémon GO trainers should keep in mind that rotating events are guaranteed to add to the list of Battle Raid bosses as they come and go. Players can keep an eye on the January events schedule and take note of any additional Battle Raid bosses that they might want to battle and capture.
Pokémon GO is available now on mobile devices in select regions.
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