Pokémon Go Thanksgiving event update - When it ends, using a Lucky Egg and everything else you need to know
How to get the most out of the November seasonal event.
It looks like Niantic is planning regular seasonal events, with a Pokémon Go Thanksgiving event following on from a Halloween-themed event in October.
In short, the event doubles the amount of Stardust and XP you'll receive for the duration, and as an extra treat, has ushered in the arrival of one of the game's more elusive Pokémon - Ditto - into the wild.
If you're smart, you can make a lot of gains with your Trainer level and growing your team over the next week.
On this page:
Pokémon Go Thanksgiving event - when does it end?
The Double XP Thanksgiving event went live on Wednesday, November 23 and will end one week later on Wednesday, November 30 at the following times:
- UK: 12:01am (BST)
- Europe: 1:01am (CEST)
- East Coast US: 19:01pm (EDT - Tuesday November 29)
- West Coast US: 16:01am (PDT - Tuesday November 29)
It's worth mentioning the Halloween event actually went on a few days later than scheduled, so there's a chance this could overrun too. But don't count on - get those XP increases in while you can!
Pokémon Go Thanksgiving event - what you need to know
The event essentially does two things:
- Double Stardust
- Double XP
Stardust is used to evolve and Power Up Pokémon, making it a vital resource if you want to expand your Pokedex or strengthen your squad to take on Gyms. Our article of how to get Stardust easily in Pokémon Go explains the many ways to get it, but in short, catching Pokémon is the best way to go - and since that's one of the best ways to get XP as well, then both go hand-in-hand.
XP, meanwhile, is used to level up your Trainer, increasing your chances of meeting higher CP and rarer Pokémon, as well as unlocking new types of items over time. You get it from a variety of sources, which the table below will explore.
The Max Out Season is here. The new global event, Wild Area, is nearly here and In the Wild is our lead-up event, which includes the global release of Toxel. You can now catch Dynamax Pokémon through Max Battles. First, however, you need to visit Power Spots to collect Max Particles and complete the To the Max! quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.
Pokémon Go Thanksgiving - Can you use a Lucky Egg?
One of the most important things to know is that Lucky Eggs will be twice as effective during the Thanksgiving event, meaning instead of a traditional double XP increase, any XP gained will be worth four times as much.
This is huge, especially since using a Lucky Egg is the cornerstone of a get XP fast trick that has you evolve lower Candy Pokémon one after another - seeing your get around 120,000 XP in a half an hour sitting.
Here's a list of all XP increases during the event, compared to before and also if you're using a Lucky Egg:
| Activity | Normal XP | 2x XP | 4x XP with Lucky Egg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capture any Pokémon | 100 XP | 200 XP | 400 XP |
| Catch a new Pokémon | 500 XP (+ 100 XP) | 1000 XP (+ 200 XP) | 2000 XP (+400 XP) |
| Catch a Pokémon with a Curveball | 10 XP | 20 XP | 40 XP |
| Catch a Pokémon with a Nice throw | 10 XP | 20 XP | 40 XP |
| Catch a Pokémon with a Great throw | 50 XP | 100 XP | 200 XP |
| Catch a Pokémon with an Excellent Throw | 100 XP | 200 XP | 400 XP |
| Evolving a Pokémon | 500 XP | 1000 XP | 2000 XP |
| Evolving a new Pokémon | 500 XP (+ 500 XP) | 1000 XP (+ 1000 XP) | 2000 XP (+ 2000 XP) |
| Hatching a 2km Egg | 200 XP | 400 XP | 800 XP |
| Hatching a 5km Egg | 500 XP | 1000 XP | 2000 XP |
| Hatching a 10km Egg | 1000 XP | 2000 XP | 4000 XP |
| Hatching a new Pokémon | 500 XP (+ 200 / 500 / 1000 XP) | 1000 XP (+ 400 / 1000 / 2000 XP) | 2000 XP (+ 800 XP / 2000 XP / 4000 XP) |
| Interact with PokéStop | 50 XP | 100 XP | 200 XP |
| Daily Bonus for PokeStop | 500 XP | 1000 XP | 2000 XP |
| Daily Bonus for PokeStop on day seven | 2000 XP | 4000 XP | 8000 XP |
| Daily Bonus for catching Pokémon | 500 XP | 1000 XP | 2000 XP |
| Daily Bonus for catching Pokémon on day seven | 2000 XP | 4000 XP | 8000 XP |
| Winning a Gym battle vs one Pokémon | 150 XP | 300 XP | 600 XP |
| Winning a Gym battle vs two Pokemon | 250 XP | 500 XP | 1000 XP |
| Winning a Gym battle vs three Pokémon | 350 XP | 700 XP | 1400 XP |
| Winning a Gym battle vs four Pokémon | 450 XP | 900 XP | 1800 XP |
| Winning a Gym battle vs five Pokémon | 550 XP | 1100 XP | 2200 XP |
Whether with or without a Lucky Egg, you'll be wanted to catching and evolving as many Pokémon as you can during the period - especially if they are new for the now 1000 XP (or with a Lucky Egg, 2000 XP bonus) - as well as spinning a PokeStop every day to get the boosted Daily Bonus.
And finally - the other thing to note the coincided with the event is the addition of Ditto, though the timing is a coincidence; the new addition will almost certainly be around after the event is over, so don't sweat it if you fail to catch him any time soon.