December Research Breakthrough encounter

From Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, January 1, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8), Trainers will have a chance of encountering either Lapras or Unovan Darumaka in Research Breakthrough encounters, and catching either will reward bonus XP.

The Legendary Pokémon Kyurem returns to raids, and Mega Abomasnow arrives in Pokémon GO

The Legendary Pokémon Kyurem will be appearing in five-star raids from Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, January 1, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8).

In addition, Mega Abomasnow will be appearing in Mega Raids beginning Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m PST (GMT −8), replacing Mega Blastoise. Until then, Mega Blastoise will be appearing more frequently in Mega Raids.

Pokémon Spotlight Hours

In the month of December, Pokémon Spotlight Hour will take place every Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. local time, and each hour will spotlight a different Pokémon and special bonus!

• Tuesday, December 1, 2020: Seel will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the XP for evolving Pokémon.
• Tuesday, December 8, 2020: Swinub will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Stardust for catching Pokémon.
• Tuesday, December 15, 2020: A surprise Pokémon will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Candy for catching Pokémon.
• Tuesday, December 22, 2020: Snorunt will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Candy for transferring Pokémon.
• Tuesday, December 29, 2020: Snover will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the XP for evolving Pokémon.

Double Catch XP bonus ends Thursday, December 31, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. local time

As part of the huge GO Beyond update in December, level cap will be increased to 50! To help Trainers level up during this time, a double Catch XP bonus has been live since Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at 1:00 p.m., and it’ll stay in effect until Thursday, December 31, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. local time.

More exciting feature updates

Managing your Pokémon is about to become much easier with the introduction of Pokémon tagging and other general search updates. Pokémon tagging will allow you to create different colored tags, apply them to Pokémon, and use them to filter Pokémon in your collection. The Pokémon search function will also be updated to allow for enhanced usability. When you tap into the search bar, a new screen will appear with recommended search terms, such as Pokémon Type, Region, Buddy Level, Shiny, and more.