Pokémon Go Fest 2026 Global Will Be Free

Details of this year’s Pokémon Go Fest have been announced, with confirmation that the annual summer event will be free for global players this year.

Pokémon Go Fest Global will take place across July 11 and July 12, and celebrate the hit smartphone game’s 10th anniversary by not requiring players purchase a paid ticket this year. Instead, access to the event’s Special Research and boosted Shiny rate will be offered without charge.

This year’s Go Fest will see the long-awaited launch of Mega Mewtwo (in both its X and Y versions) something that the game has been teasing for a very long time. Its arrival this summer will come as no surprise to fans following Pokémon Go’s big Mega Pokémon revamp earlier this year, and a sense that the game’s 10th anniversary would be a fitting milestone for the ultra-powerful creature to finally arrive.

As expected, Mega Mewtwo will be battled via the game’s new Super Mega Raids, which require large crowds to defeat. You’ll then get a chance at catching Mewtwo and receiving either Mega Energy X or Mega Energy Y to Mega Evolve the creature into your Mega Evolution of choice.

Drilling into this a little deeper, it’s interesting to see that the game is requiring different energy resource for Mewtwo’s two version (something that’s not the case for other creatures, such as Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y). Mega Level progression is also being split for Pokémon with multiple Mega Evolutions, though existing progress will be carried over.

These changes seem likely to encourage more raiding and more Mega Evolving over time, though are similar to how previous big events have offered two energy resources to grind for. Of course, while Go Fest Global doesn’t have a paid entry ticket this year, players will still be using in-game resources such as raid passes and the newly-introduced Link Charge currency to battle more creatures — and it remains to be seen how many of those will offered as standard.

Before Go Fest Global, the game’s usual three regional in-person Go Fest events will introduce Mega Mewtwo early for those who make the journey. 2026’s locations include the returning Chicago for North America, Copenhagen in Europe and Tokyo in Japan (the latter of which has now almost sold out). These locations will feature raids that allow more than 1,000 players to battle Mega Mewtwo simultaneously — something that should provide a hefty speed bonus.

In-person Go Fest events will introduce Mythical creature Zeraora, new costumed Pikachu, Shiny Wash Rotom, Shiny regional Pokémon Tauros, Hawaiian regional Pokémon Comfey, and — my personal favorite — a costumed Caterpie wearing a Pokéball hat.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social