Pokemon Go December events include Kyurem raids, new research tasks, and more

By Jordan Gerblick
published

Pokemon Spotlight hours and Double Catch XP times detailed

Pokemon Go December events
(Image credit: Niantic)

Niantic has detailed the events coming to Pokemon Go this December, and you can expect the return of the Legendary Pokemon Kyurem to raids, new Field Research tasks, and more.

First up is December's Research Breakthrough encounter, which runs from Tuesday, December 1 at 1pm PST / 4pm EST / 9pm GMT until the same time on January 1. In that time, you'll get the chance to come across either Lapras or Unovan Darumaka in Research Breakthrough encounters, and if you manage to successfully catch either Pokemon you'll get some bonus XP.

December will also see the return of Kyurem, which will pop up in five-star raids from Tuesday, December 1 at 1pm PST / 4pm EST / 9pm GMT until the same time on January 1. Further, Mega Abomasnow will replace Mega Blastoise in Mega Raids during the same time period.

Pokemon Spotlight Hours are pretty much what they say on the tin: specific timeframes where your chances of encountering certain Pokemon are increased. Here are the events for December:

  • Tuesday, December 1, 2020: Seel will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the XP for evolving Pokémon.
  • Tuesday, December 8, 2020: Swinub will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Stardust for catching Pokémon.
  • Tuesday, December 15, 2020: A surprise Pokémon will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Candy for catching Pokémon.
  • Tuesday, December 22, 2020: Snorunt will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Candy for transferring Pokémon.
  • Tuesday, December 29, 2020: Snover will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the XP for evolving Pokémon.

Ahead of December's big Pokemon Go Beyond update, which among other things increases the level cap to 50, Niantic is helping you level up faster with a double catch XP bonus, which is live now and runs until the end of December. Finally, a couple convenience features are on the way including Pokemon tagging, which lets you attach colored tags to the Pokemon in your collection for easy filtering, and recommended search terms for the Pokemon search function.

Here's everything you need to know about Pokemon Go Mega Evolutions. 

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.