Finally, the Spotlight Hours in Pokémon GO are returning. For MeinMMO author Paul Kutzner, the announcement feels like a holiday.
With the start of the previous season, Memories in Motion, the Spotlight Hours were removed from Pokémon GO. This personally affected me a lot, as I have always been a big fan of the short events when the monsters, the bonuses, or both were interesting.
Now Pokémon GO has announced that the Spotlight Hours will return. The comeback is scheduled for next week. In addition to the short events, several other changes in the game have been announced.
More Monsters, Candies and Trades
When will the new Spotlight Hours take place? The Spotlight Hours will now take place every Thursday. The first dates including monsters and bonuses are already known – Pokémon marked with a * can also appear as Shiny:
| Date | Pokémon and Bonus |
|---|---|
| June 18, 2026 | Quiekel* and double transfer candies |
| June 25, 2026 | Wingull* and double catch XP |
| July 2, 2026 | Taubsi* and double evolution XP |
| July 16, 2026 | Zubat* and double catch XP |
| July 23, 2026 | Evoli* and double catch candies |
| July 30, 2026 | Bidiza* and double transfer candies |
It is noticeable that no Spotlight Hour is planned for July 9, 2026. This is likely due to the global GO Fest 2026, which takes place on July 11 and 12.
What other changes are there? There are some changes to the daily discoveries of the current season. The following details are known:
- Dyna Monday: here you will now receive a special candy XL for Dyna battles on-site
- Raid Hour on Wednesday: here you will also receive a special candy XL for raid battles on-site
- Friendship Friday: here there are now 2 additional special trades and 20% less stardust costs when trading
- Pictorial Sunday: more monsters will appear in the wild
What new info is there? There is now a schedule for the “Choose Your Path” research, which will take place in event-free weeks.
- “Choose Your Path: Fossil Fun” takes place from Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at 10:00 AM to Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 8:00 PM
- “Choose Your Path: Sparkling Ember” takes place from Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 10:00 AM to Friday, July 3, 2026 at 8:00 PM
- “Choose Your Path: Phenomenal Time” takes place from Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 10:00 AM to Monday, August 3, 2026 at 8:00 PM
- “Choose Your Path: Poison and Vines” takes place from Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 10:00 AM to Monday, August 17, 2026 at 8:00 PM
What do you think about the return of the Spotlight Hours and the other changes? Let us know in the comments. If you want to know what content awaits you in the coming weeks, feel free to check out our overview with all events in June 2026 in Pokémon GO.
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