Celebrate the Year of the Dragon like never before in Pokémon GO’s 2024 Lunar New Year event, “Dragons Unleashed.” From February 5 to 11, trainers worldwide can catch the elusive Drampa making its debut, join a global challenge to unlock powerful bonuses, and experience a fiery lineup of Dragon-type Pokémon in raids and wild encounters. Sharpen your throwing skills-every Nice Throw counts toward epic rewards and a spectacular fireworks finale!
In addition to this, Drampa (yes, the dragon grandpa Pokémon) is making its debut and can be found shiny.
Below we list out all the perks and bonuses that are part of the Pokémon Go Lunar New Year 2024 event, including the paid Timed Research.
Pokémon Go Lunar New Year 2024 event Timed Research and rewards
During the Pokémon Go Lunar New Year 2024 event, players could access a special paid Timed Research for US$2.00 (or local equivalent). This Timed Research offered a series of tasks that, once completed, rewarded players with Stardust, XP, and two Lucky Eggs, along with encounters with event-themed Pokémon such as Bagon, Axew, Skrelp, Gible, Goomy, Deino, Jangmo-o, Turtonator, and the debuting Drampa. The Timed Research was available for purchase and could also be gifted to friends at the Great Friends level or higher, but tickets could not be bought with PokéCoins and were non-refundable. All tasks and rewards had to be completed and claimed before the event ended on February 11, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. local time.
This is a paid research, meaning that if you want to do it, you’ll need to pay $1.99 for a ticket from the shop. The research expires when the event does, so make sure you complete it if you buy it.
Is the “Dragons Unleashed” Timed Research worth it? If you still don’t have high-IV versions of the pseudo-legendary dragons, then yes, it’s worth it to get a shot at these guaranteed decent IVs. Do you really want a Drampa now and you don’t want to raid? Then also yes! If you have a bundle of dragons already and you don’t care about Drampa, then you’re good to ignore this pass.
’Dragons Unleashed’ step 1 of 2
- Power up 5 dragon-type Pokémon (Bagon encounter)
- Spin 10 PokéStops or gyms (Axew encounter)
- Catch 15 dragon-type Pokémon (Skrelp encounter)
Rewards: 2 Lucky Eggs, 2,000 Stardust, 4,000 XP
’Dragons Unleashed’ step 2 of 2
- Power up 5 dragon-type Pokémon (Gible encounter)
- Evolve a dragon-type Pokémon (Goomy encounter)
- Power up 10 dragon-type Pokémon (Deino encounter)
- Evolve 3 dragon-type Pokémon (Jangmo-o encounter)
- Power up 15 dragon-type Pokémon (Turtonator encounter)
Rewards: Drampa encounter, 4,000 Stardust, 8,000 XP
Pokémon Go Lunar New Year 2024 event Field Research and rewards
During the Pokémon Go Lunar New Year 2024 event, players could complete special Field Research tasks for exclusive rewards and encounters with event-themed Pokémon. Tasks included catching 10 Pokémon (rewarding Trapinch or Swablu), making 3 Great Throws (rewarding Darumaka), making an Excellent Throw (rewarding Gible), winning a raid (rewarding Dratini, Deino, or Goomy), winning 3 raids (rewarding Druddigon, Turtonator, or Drampa), powering up 5 Dragon-type Pokémon (rewarding Skrelp or Tyrunt), and spinning 5 PokéStops or Gyms (rewarding Poké Balls and Great Balls). These research tasks provided trainers with opportunities to encounter rare and newly debuted Pokémon, such as Drampa, and to earn useful items during the event period.
Spinning a PokéStop during the event period may yield one of these research tasks:
- Catch 10 Pokémon (Trapinch or Swablu encounter)
- Make 3 great throws (Darumaka encounter)
- Make an excellent throw (Gible encounter)
- Power up 5 dragon-type Pokémon (Skrelp or Tyrunt encounter)
- Spin 5 PokéStops or gyms (5 Poké Balls or 2 Great Balls)
- Win a raid (Dratini, Deino, or Goomy encounter)
- Win 3 raids (Druddigon, Turtonator, or Drampa encounter)
Pokémon Go Lunar New Year 2024 event boosted spawns
During the Pokémon Go Lunar New Year 2024 event, players experienced increased wild spawns of several Dragon-type and themed Pokémon. Notably, Dratini, Magikarp, and Shuckle appeared more frequently throughout the event, with Drampa making its Pokémon Go debut. The event focused on Dragon-type Pokémon, so trainers had more opportunities to encounter and catch rare species like Dratini, which is coveted for its evolution into Dragonite-a top pick for competitive play. These boosted spawns provided an excellent chance for players to hunt for shinies and fill out their Pokédex with event-specific Pokémon.
These Pokémon will spawn more frequently throughout the event:
- Magikarp
- Dratini
- Shuckle
- Fennekin
- Skrelp
- Noibat
- Jangmo-o
Pokémon Go Lunar New Year 2024 event raid targets
During the Pokémon Go Lunar New Year 2024 event, themed “Dragons Unleashed,” several Dragon-type Pokémon took center stage in raids. One-star raids featured Dratini, Deino, and Goomy, making them accessible targets for solo players or small groups. Three-star raids offered greater challenges with Druddigon, Turtonator, and the debut of Drampa, the Placid Pokémon, giving trainers a chance to catch this new addition for the first time. These raid lineups highlighted the event’s focus on Dragon-types, aligning with the Year of the Dragon celebration and providing opportunities for both casual and dedicated raiders to expand their collections with powerful and rare Pokémon.
How can I maximize my catches during Pokémon GO’s Lunar New Year 2024 event
To maximize your catches during Pokémon GO’s Lunar New Year 2024 event, focus on the following strategies:
1. Use Lure Modules and Incense
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Activate Lure Modules at PokéStops and use Incense while walking to significantly boost the spawn rate of event Pokémon, many of which are rare or have valuable evolutions.
2. Practice Accurate Throws
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Aim for Nice, Great, and Excellent Throws. During the event, these throws grant extra Candy and, for trainers level 31 and up, an increased chance at Candy XL. This not only helps with evolving and powering up Pokémon but also increases your catch rate.
3. Target Rare and Shiny Pokémon
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Prioritize catching featured rare Pokémon like Dratini, Jangmo-o, Drampa (debut), Swablu, Gible, and Deino. Many of these have strong evolutions for PvP and raids. Shiny forms of Drampa, Goomy, Magikarp, Turtonator, and Gible are also available, so keep an eye out for those.
4. Trade Frequently
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Take advantage of the increased chance for Lucky Pokémon in trades. Lucky Pokémon require half the Stardust to power up and have a minimum 12/12/12 IV floor. Trading older Pokémon (from 2016-2018) increases your odds even more.
5. Interact with Friends Daily
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The event boosts the chance of becoming Lucky Friends with Ultra Friends through gifting, battling, trading, or raiding. Try to interact with as many friends as possible each day to maximize this bonus.
6. Complete Event Research
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Spin PokéStops and Gyms for event-themed Field Research tasks, which reward Stardust and encounters with event Pokémon. Timed Research and Collection Challenges also offer rewards like XP, Stardust, and rare encounters.
7. Stay Mobile
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Move around while using Incense to maximize spawns, as stationary play reduces the effectiveness of Incense.
By combining these strategies-using spawn-boosting items, perfecting your throws, trading and interacting with friends, and completing research-you’ll make the most of the Lunar New Year event and greatly increase your haul of rare, shiny, and Lucky Pokémon.
How can I increase my chances of getting Lucky Pokémon during trades
To increase your chances of getting Lucky Pokémon during trades in Pokémon GO, use these proven methods:
1. Trade Older Pokémon
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The older the Pokémon being traded, the higher the chance it will become Lucky. Pokémon caught in 2019 or earlier can trigger a guaranteed Lucky trade if you or your trading partner have not exceeded the limit of 35 guaranteed Lucky trades. After reaching this cap, trading older Pokémon still increases your odds, but does not guarantee a Lucky Pokémon.
2. Become Lucky Friends
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When you and a Best Friend become Lucky Friends (which has about a 1-2% chance per daily interaction), your next trade with that friend is guaranteed to be Lucky, regardless of which Pokémon you trade. Interact daily with your Best Friends-by opening gifts, battling, raiding, or trading-to maximize your chances of triggering Lucky Friend status.
3. Trade Frequently
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Each trade has a base chance (about 5%) to result in a Lucky Pokémon, and this chance increases up to 20% if the Pokémon being traded are three years old or older. The more trades you do, especially with older Pokémon, the more likely you are to get Lucky Pokémon.
Summary Table: Lucky Pokémon Odds by Pokémon Age
| Pokémon Age | Lucky Trade Odds |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 5% |
| 1 year | 10% |
| 2 years | 15% |
| 3+ years | 20% |
Tips:
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Save your oldest Pokémon for trading, especially if you or your friend have not used up all guaranteed Lucky trades.
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Focus on daily interactions with Best Friends to become Lucky Friends and secure guaranteed Lucky trades.
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Trade in bulk during events or Community Days to maximize opportunities.
By combining these strategies, you can significantly boost your chances of obtaining Lucky Pokémon through trades in Pokémon GO.
