A new event is arriving in Pokémon GO next week and, in addition to other exciting bonuses, the High Zaptitude festivities will include a Global Challenge. The worldwide challenge will allow players around the globe to work together and try to unlock Wattrel and its Evolution, Kilowattrel, in the mobile AR game.
High Zaptitude Event Date and Details
January 2026 is off to an exciting start for Pokémon GO players. The first weekend of the month brought the Piplup Community Day Classic event and tonight will feature the first spotlight hour of the new year. In addition to both of those events, the game just announced the surprise addition of a High Zaptitude event to this month’s calendar.
Pokémon GO players will be able to enjoy the High Zaptitude event starting on Tuesday, January 13, at 10:00 a.m. The event concludes on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time.
Event Bonus
The main event bonus between January 13 and January 18 is that trainers will have an increased chance to hatch Shiny Tadbulb. That means that players should plan to stock up on Incubators and do a lot of walking during that week.
Eggs and Wild Encounters
The following Pokémon will hatch from 2 km Eggs. Each of these has a chance to be Shiny:
- Pichu
- Elekid
- Toxel
- Tadbulb
Players may encounter event-themed Pokémon in the wild, including Chinchou, Helioptile, Tadbulb, Shinx, and more.
High Zaptitude Global Challenge Rewards
Players will have the chance to help complete Global Challenges throughout the High Zaptitude event. Once a challenge is completed, special bonuses will be unlocked for the remainder of the event and the next Global Challenge will begin.
Level 1 Rewards
- 2× XP for catching Pokémon
Level 2 Rewards
- 2× Stardust for catching Pokémon
- The Storm Petrel Pokémon Wattrel and its Evolution, Kilowattrel, will make their Pokémon GO debuts in the wild and Field Research.
Level 3 Rewards
- 2× XP for hatching Pokémon
- 2× Stardust for hatching Pokémon
During the event, players will also have the chance to complete Field Research and Paid Timed Research for additional rewards and incentives. The Paid Timed Research will cost gamers $1.99 if they would like to purchase the ticket.
Players who make the purchase can earn:
- 1/2 Egg Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed in an Incubator during the event period (included in purchase)
- One Incubator
- One Super Incubator
- Additional encounters with Tadbulb
How To Prepare For the High Zaptitude Event
Given Wattrel’s Electric/Flying-type pairing, this evolution line could be highly valuable for the Great League. It is likely to impact the metagame and shake things up in an exciting way. The earlier players are able to unlock the level 2 rewards, the sooner Wattrel will begin appearing in the wild.
Players may also want to think about how Wattrel’s evolution line will fit into their collection, so they can decide how many to stock up on if that reward tier is reached during the event.
Be sure to save some Incubators and clear out Egg storage ahead of the event. Do not load up Egg Incubators until the event has officially started.
That should be everything players need to know to prepare for next week’s High Zaptitude event.
Pokémon GO is available now on mobile devices in select regions. The High Zaptitude event begins on January 13, 2026.
The post Pokémon GO High Zaptitude Event Dates, Bonuses, and Rewards appeared first on VICE.
