New Pokemon Go Fest 2021 Details Emerge, Ultra Unlock Event Detailed

Niantic has pulled back the curtain on more information regarding Pokemon Go Fest 2021 coming up on July 17-18, including a new Ultra Unlock event and special Go Fest-exclusive Pokemon.

A Global Challenge Arena will be available during Go Fest, where players can join together to complete challenges, with a new challenge added every hour. Players who complete the challenge receive temporary bonuses for the rest of that hour. 

A three-part Ultra Unlock event can be earned by completing a certain number of challenges in the Arena, with each part scheduled to run after Go Fest 2021 concludes if the parameters are met. Each part of the Ultra Unlock event has a specific theme:

• Part 1 is Time, which will see Pokemon from multiple generations appear more often. It will be unlocked after eight challenges are completed and will run from 10 a.m. on July 23 to 8 p.m. on August 3 (local time).
• Part 2 is Space, which will unlock after 16 completed challenges and will run from 10 a.m. on August 6 to 8 p.m. on August 17 (local time). 
• Part 3 is ???, an event that Niantic has not yet unveiled specific details for. ??? requires 24 completed challenges to run and is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. on August 20 to 8 p.m. on August 31 (local time).

Rotating habitats are also returning for Go Fest 2021, again featuring times where Pokemon from certain environments will occur more frequently. The habitats include Jungle, Desert Mountain, Ocean Beach, and Cave, with Jungle kicking things off at 10 a.m. local time on July 17.

Special Raid Pokemon will be appearing throughout the event, including a few wearing special Meloetta-themed hats. Look for Galarian Ponyta and Galarian Zigzagoon in one-star raids donning the unique look, while Cranidos, Hitmontop, and Galarian Weezing will be appearing in three-star raids (sadly without cool hats). 

Finally, exclusive moves from Flygon, Gardevoir, and the two special Pikachu — Pop Star and Rock Star — have been unveiled. Players who evolve Vibrava to Flygon will gain the Earth Power move, while Kirlia that evolve to Gardevoir will learn Synchronoise. Pikachu Pop Star will know Draining Kiss, while Pikachu Rock Star will have access to Meteor Mash.

Pokemon Go Fest 2021 begins on July 17 and ends the next day on July 18. Check out our coverage on everything we know about the 2021 event, including perks exclusive to Google Play members and real-world celebrations of the event.