Niantic announced details for Pokémon GO Fest 2020, a two-day event that players around the world can participate in on July 25th and 26th. Usually, GO Fest would be held in locations around the world, but due to COVID-19, this year, the event will be everywhere as long as players purchase the event pass for $14.99.
The first day of GO fest will take place on July 25th from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m local time. The first day will feature a special research story only available on that day. There will also be rotating habitats themed around fire, grass, water, battle, and friendship. Each habitat will be featured twice and switch every hour. There are over 75 species of Pokémon to catch during day 1, which can be found in the wild, through raids, and by completing special research tasks.
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There is also a Global Challenge Arena, exclusive to this year's GO Fest. Trainers will be able to join up to complete a collaborative challenge each hour. Trainers who complete these arena challenges will earn a bonus for the remainder of the hour. Global Challenge Arena functions similarly to previous GO Fests, where players outside of the event area can help complete challenges that unlock bonuses for everybody.
On July 26th, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time, Niantic promises something different from the first day. They want day 2 to be a surprise, and won't reveal any details until the day of the event. All that Niantic mentions is another special research story. At GO Fests, players usually get early access to mythical pokemon. That will most likely be the case at GO Fest 2020, but Niantic might be planning something new to unleash on GO Fest participants.
Niantic has done an excellent job altering Pokémon GO to be playable during COVID-19. They have increased the distance at which trainers can get Pokéstops, created raid passes so trainers can raid from home, and created bonuses so that players can keep on playing Pokémon GO during the quarantine. Pokémon GO Fest 2020 is just another example of Niantic creating safe ways for trainers to get the full Pokémon GO experience. Hopefully, if GO Fest 2020 is successful, the ability to buy into GO Fest wherever the player is will become the standard moving forward. Trainers can purchase the event ticket in the game for $14.99 right now.
Source: Pokémon Go Live