Pokemon GO 8 Year Anniversary Event
Image via Niantic

Pokemon GO Celebrates 8 Year Anniversary With Even More Party Hat Pokemon

Get ready to party with Grimer and Muk in Pokemon GO's 8th Anniversary celebration

To celebrate Pokemon GO‘s 8-year anniversary, we’re getting another party hat Pokemon debut alongside some other event bonuses.

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Pokemon GO‘s official launch was July 6, 2016, when the game was released in the US, Australia, and New Zealand. The mobile game has changed a lot since it first came out, but one thing that hasn’t changed is Niantic’s love of Pokemon in party hats.

This year, Niantic is throwing its birthday party a little bit early, with the Pokemon GO 8th Anniversary Party on June 28 at 10 AM local time to July 3 at 8 PM local time.

Like any good Pokemon GO party, the event will feature several Pokemon wearing party hat costumes. This year, we’re getting another new party hat Pokemon debut, with Grimer and Muk wearing party hats to celebrate 8 years of running around the real world catching virtual Pokemon. Both of these new party hat Pokemon can be Shiny.

In addition to these new party hat Pokemon, trainers will be able to catch some old favorites as well. The following Pokemon will spawn in their birthday party best during the 8th Anniversary celebration:

  • Bulbasaur
  • Charmander
  • Eevee
  • Pikachu (in a cake hat)
  • Squirtle

Many other starters will be spawning more frequently in the wild during the event as well, giving trainers a chance to revisit the beginnings of many other favorite Pokemon games from the franchise. Sadly, Poplio still doesn’t have a Shiny version available, which is leaving some fans a little disappointed.

Like much of what Niantic has been up to with the game in recent years, fan reactions to this event announcement have been mixed. While many are excited that Shiny Meltan will feature, other trainers are quick to point out that party hat Bulbasaur still can’t evolve even though party hat Charizard is fully a thing. Even so, the event bonuses are a good perk that has many players looking forward to during this celebration event.


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Amanda Kay Oaks
Amanda Kay Oaks has been a freelancer writer with The Escapist since February 2024. She's a lifelong gamer with an affinity for Pokemon, RPGs, and cozy games, especially The Sims. Amanda has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction, with prior work on pop culture and entertainment at Book Riot, Fanfare, and Gamepur.