Pokemon GO has confirmed a brand-new event set to run in July 2026, giving fans access to one of the most powerful Legendary Pokemon in the franchise. The event will give players access to special Pokemon GO Timed Research missions with Rayquaza as a reward.
The mobile spin-off of the beloved monster-catching franchise has pulled out all the stops to celebrate the game’s tenth anniversary. Pokemon GO has rolled out multiple special events in 2026, ranging from the All Out event, making nearly every Pokemon available in the wild, to the plethora of new Pokemon added throughout the year. Niantic even confirmed that Pokemon GO will finally debut one of the most popular Mega forms, adding Mega Mewtwo X and Y to the game during 2026’s GO Fest event. Now, a brand-new event will reward players with another iconic Mega Pokemon.
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Pokemon GO Adding New Rayquaza Event in July 2026
- July 25, 10:00 a.m. to July 26, 8:00 p.m. local time
- Special free and paid Timed Research missions
- Free rewards: An encounter with Rayquaza, a Meteorite, and more
- Paid rewards also include Mega Rayquaza Energy
Pokemon GO officially revealed the upcoming Ozone Ascent event on June 26, set to run for two days in mid-July 2026. The event will introduce exclusive Timed Research missions that will give players the chance to encounter Rayquaza, along with a Meteorite as one of the event’s rewards. Ozone Ascent will include both free and paid Timed Research, with the premium missions costing $4.99 and giving Mega Rayquaza Energy, another Meteorite, and more rewards for a limited time. The Meteorite will also give fans the chance to Mega Evolve their Rayquaza from the event, using the Meteorite to teach Dragon Ascent to Rayquaza and unlock its Mega form. Ozone Ascent is scheduled to begin on July 25 at 10:00 a.m. local time, and will run until July 26 at 8:00 p.m. local time.
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Pokemon GO‘s Rayquaza event joins multiple new releases featuring the Gen 3 Legendary Pokemon during the summer. The Pokemon Trading Card Game will debut the Storm Emerald expansion in Japan on July 31, with Mega Rayquaza EX serving as the spotlight Pokemon for the set. Pokemon TCG Pocket will also receive a Rayquaza-focused set to coincide with the physical trading card game release, debuting the Ruler of the Skies set one day earlier on July 30. The Pokemon Company is also widely rumored to be planning Nintendo Switch rereleases of Pokemon‘s third-generation games, including Pokemon Emerald, following the Switch debuts of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen.
Niantic already has plenty of exciting content in store for Pokemon GO during July, alongside the Rayquaza event. GO Fest Global is scheduled to be held during the second weekend of July, with the previously mentioned Mega Mewtwo X and Y available alongside a multitude of other Pokemon. July 21 will welcome the Professor Willow’s Birthday Research event, giving players the chance to obtain a unique variant of Pikachu wearing the Pokemon GO professor’s full outfit. July 6 also officially marks the tenth anniversary of Pokemon GO‘s original release, with a special event running throughout the weekend.
The tenth anniversary of the beloved mobile game has brought plenty of big changes beyond its newly-added Pokemon. Pokemon GO recently revealed a major overhaul of the game’s PvP battle system, adjusting the timing of attacks, making swap timing more predictable, and reducing issues with latency and lag, among other changes. Leaks have also hinted at some major potential upgrades coming to the game, including an item that allows players to automatically catch Pokemon. Pokemon GO fans should have every reason to be excited about what’s in store for the future of the mobile game.
- Released
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July 6, 2016
- Engine
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Unity
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
