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Ultra Beasts Pokemon Go Ultra Space event artwork
Image via Niantic

What Are Special Backgrounds in Pokémon Go?

Summaries have been spiced up.

Pokémon Go has added a fresh new mechanic to spice up gameplay for collectors, the Special Background. This feature will change what a Pokémon’s summary looks like, and ultimately just make them more unique. Here’s everything you need to know about this upcoming addition.

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Pokémon Go Special Backgrounds, Explained

Pokemon Go Fest 2024 Unique Special Backgrounds
Image via Niantic

Pokémon Go Special Backgrounds can be seen as unique visual changes to a Pokémon’s Summary page within the app. These are similar to those that have previously only been available at in-person special events, however, now they will be available to everyone no matter where they’re playing from.

Special Backgrounds are only available for specific Pokémon during special events, so don’t expect to see the background change for every Pokémon that you catch. An example of what they will look like came with the announcement of their upcoming addition.

Solgaleo’s unique background will have the sun while Lunala’s showcases the moon. Expect more visuals like this that relate to select Pokémon when they appear during events. The first time that they will be available is the Ultra Space event starting on July 8, but they’ll become a regular occurrence after that. Most importantly, yes, there will be Pokémon Go Fest 2024: Global backgrounds to collect.

How To View Pokémon Go Backgrounds

Pokémon Go backgrounds only appear on the summary page for any Pokémon that you’ve caught, so this is the place to check if you think a new addition might have something special.

To see the summary of a Pokémon follow these steps:

  • Open Map View
  • Choose Main Menu
  • From here select Pokémon 
  • Now choose the Pokémon that you want to look at

On this summary page should be a unique background if the Pokémon that you’ve caught has one. If not, it’s back to seeking out these unique Pokémon in the wild.


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Author
Image of Ryan Galloway
Ryan Galloway
Ryan is a Senior Staff Writer for The Escapist who has been working at GAMURS since 2020. He covers a wide variety of topics between anime and gaming and boasts a degree in Journalism from Murdoch University. Email: [email protected]