Pokemon GO Team GO Rocket Takeover Event January 2026: Start Date, Bonuses, and More

Pokemon GO Team GO Rocket Takeover events are rare, as we get them once every three to four months. In this event, most of the PokeStops will be occupied by Team GO Rocket grunts, and each of them will use a new set of Shadow Pokemon.

This is a perfect time to hunt for some of the strongest shadow Pokemon and get your desired moveset on them. In this guide, we have listed all the information regarding the upcoming Team GO Rocket Takeover event in Pokemon GO.

Pokemon GO Team GO Rocket Takeover Event Start and End Date

The Team GO Rocket Takeover event in Pokemon GO will be released on Friday, January 23, 2026, and will be available for 3 days. We have listed the start and the end times below.

• Start Date and Time: Friday, January 23, 2026, at 12 AM local time
• End Date and Time: Sunday, January 25, 2026, at 8 PM local time

Once this Pokemon GO event ends, you will no longer be able to take part and obtain the rewards.

Pokemon GO Team GO Rocket Takeover Event Bonuses

The Team GO Rocket Takeover event will feature bonuses related to Shadow Pokemon. Here’s a list of them:

• Team GO Rocket Grunts will appear more frequently at PokeStops and in balloons.
• You can use a Charged TM to help a Shadow Pokémon forget the Charged Attack Frustration.
• Pokemon caught from one-star and three-star Shadow Raids during the event will have a higher Attack, Defense, and HP.

Make sure to stock up on Charged TMS, and defeat as many GO Rocket grunts as possible to catch their Shadow Pokemon. Don’t forget to participate in Shadow Legendary Raids as they’ll have much better stats during the event.

Featured Shadow Pokemon

Note: Shadow Pokemon marked with a * can be shiny

A new shadow Legendary Pokemon will be added to Giovanni’s lineup. Along with that, the first Pokemon of Cliff, Arlo, and Sierra will be changed as well. Here’s a list of the Pokemon to be featured in the lineup of the Rocket Boss and Rocket Leaders:

Pokemon	Type	GO Rocket NPC
Thundurus (Incarnate)	Electric / Flying	Giovanni (Go Rocket Boss)
Fennekin*	Fire	Cliff (Go Rocket Leader)
Froakie*	Water	Arlo (Go Rocket Leader)
Chespin*	Grass	Sierra (Go Rocket Leader)

Field and Special Research Tasks and Rewards

Players can complete new field research tasks during the Team GO Rocket Takeover event and earn Fast TMs, Charged TMs, and Mysterious Components. A new Special Research will be unlocked at the beginning of this event, which will reward you with a Super Rocket Radar to hunt Giovanni. You can claim this Special Research until March 3, 2026, at 9:59 AM local time.

As of now, the tasks and the exact amount of rewards are not known yet. However, once the event is out, we will update this part.

Collection Challenge

Alongside defeating grunts, you can take part in a collection challenge, which requires you to catch Shadow Chespin, Froakie, and Fennekin. Doing so will reward you with Stardust, XP, and one Rocket Radar.

That’s everything about the Pokemon GO Team GO Rocket Takeover Event for January 2026. Are you excited about the shadow Kalos starters? Let us know in the comments.