Pokémon GO players don’t have much time to rest and recover after the weekend’s Community Day Classic event. A Barboach Spotlight Hour is right around the corner and fans of the mobile AR game should start preparing by reviewing the bonuses that will be available.
Barboach Spotlight Hour Date and Details
The first Spotlight Hour of 2026 takes place this week and offers Pokémon GO players a chance to score a ton of 2x XP during the hour of the event.
Barboach Spotlight Hour takes place on January 6, 2026, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm local time. During the event, trainers have a bonus of 2x XP for catching Pokémon.
Be sure to take advantage of Lucky Eggs, Excellent Throws, and Mega Catch Bonuses during this window. Barboach has a pretty large catch circle and doesn’t move around as much as some other Pokémon, so it’s definitely a good opportunity to get a ton of Excellent Catch bonuses.
Trainers should keep in mind that although shiny Barboach is available in the game, this event does not boost the chances of encountering it. Players do have chance to secure shiny versions of both Barboach and Whiscash during the event, but they would need some extra luck to make it happen. Players should set their expectations accordingly, so they don’t go into the event with the Shiny hopes that they take into a Community Day event.
Don’t forget to clear out storage space before the event begins.
How To Take Advantage of Mega Catch Bonus during Spotlight Hour
If players are new to Pokémon GO or have taken a few years off and are just catching up, there is a mechanic that they should be aware of as they head into Spotlight Hour.
Mega Catch Bonus: While a Pokémon is Mega-Evolved, additional XP and Candy are granted when catching a Pokémon that shares a type with it, or for any raid boss caught.
This means that players will get extra value out of the event if they take the time to Mega-Evolve a Water-type or Ground-type Pokémon at the start of the hour. For this week, the eligible options would be:
- Mega Blastoise
- Mega Slowbro
- Mega Gyarados
- Mega Steelix
- Mega Swampert
- Primal Kyogre
- Primal Groudon
- Mega Garchomp
That should be everything trainers need to know to successfully head into the first January 2026 Spotlight Hour. Keep in mind that this one is all about gaining as much XP as possible and finding a high IV Barboach to evolve and prepare for future PvP battles.
Pokémon GO is available now on mobile devices in select regions.
The post Pokémon GO: Barboach Spotlight Hour January 2026 Guide appeared first on VICE.
