Skip to main content

Pokémon Go New Year’s Celebration 2023 field research tasks, spawns and bonuses

Hope you enjoy the New Year’s Celebration event in Pokémon Go!

The New Year’s Celebration event in Pokémon Go rings in the new year!

Throughout this Pokémon Go event, you’ll be able to collect exclusive New Year’s field research tasks and certain Pokémon are spawning more frequently in the wild. The New Year’s Celebration event also sees the release of a new signature move for the fan-favourite legendary Pokémon Reshiram!

Here, we cover everything you need to know about the New Year’s Celebration event in 2023, including all of the new spawns, the debut Pokémon and how to complete the Collection Challenge.

On this page:

Watch us battle Guzzlord - one of the Ultra Beasts in Pokémon GoWatch on YouTube

New Year’s Celebration field research tasks in Pokémon Go

You can collect event-exclusive field research tasks throughout the New Year’s Celebration event by spinning PokéStops in Pokémon Go. These tasks can be saved in your field research collection and completed after the event ends if you so choose.

Here are the New Year’s Celebration field research tasks:

  • Hatch 2 eggs reward – 2023 Stardust
  • Hatch an egg reward – 1000 Stardust

Thank you to SilphScience from reddit for the help with this information!

Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle and Pikachu will be appearing in festive costumes.

Featured attacks during the New Year’s Celebration event in Pokémon Go

Reshiram.

As is tradition, there will be a specific Pokémon in five-star raid that knows an exclusive move. In this instance, we’re looking at Reshiram.

Catch a Reshiram before January 4, 2023 at 8pm (local time) and it will know its signature fire-type Charged Attack, Fusion Flare.

Fusion Flare has the following Power in Pokémon Go:

  • Trainer Battles – 90 Power
  • Gyms and Raids – 140 Power

This is a nice buff to Reshiram, as it will do a lot of damage for its energy cost. It's also a lot better than Overheat, Reshiram’s only other Fire-type Charged move, as it doesn't come with a guaranteed two-stage debuff to your attack. Your optimal moveset now looks like this: Dragon Breath (Fast), Fusion Flare (Exclusive Charged) and Draco Meteor (Charged).

Everything else you need to know about the New Year’s Celebration event in Pokémon Go

Besides Reshiram, you can also battle the following Pokémon in raids throughout New Year’s Celebration:

One StarThree StarFive StarMega
Bulbasaur wearing a party hatRaticate wearing a party hatReshiramMega Steelix
Charmander wearing a party hatNidorino wearing a party hat
Squirtle wearing a party hatGengar wearing a party hat
Pikachu wearing a party top hatWobbuffet wearing a party hat
Hoothoot wearing a New Year’s outfit
Mega Steelix.

Wild spawns

The following Pokémon are appearing more frequently in the wild throughout the New Year’s Celebration event:

  • Pikachu wearing a party top hat
  • Hoothoot wearing a New Year’s outfit
  • Wurmple wearing a party hat

All three of these can be shiny, and Hoothoot in this costume can now evolve!

Egg pool and hatch bonuses

The 7km egg pool will have the following Pokémon in them:

  • Pichu wearing a party hat
  • Cleffa
  • Igglybuff
  • Togepi
  • Tyrogue
  • Smoochum
  • Elekid
  • Magby
  • Azurill
  • Wynaut

Again, all of these can be shiny, so if you're missing one of them, this may be your chance to get it.

Incidentally, there will be a half hatch-distance bonus running alongside the event, along with a quarter hatch-distance bonus for your first three eggs hatched using the Widget. This means if you can get a 12km egg into an incubator using the Widget on your phone's home screen, it should hatch after just 3km!

A new collection of stickers and avatar items, including a very cute Pikachu sticker and Party Popper avatar pose, can now be purchased from the in-game shop.

Seasonal stickers will, of course, be available. (Image via pokemongolive.com)

Collection Challenge

Finally, there is a Collection Challenge that you must complete before 8pm (local time) on Wednesday, January 4th 2023. If you miss this deadline, the challenge will expire and you won’t be able to earn all of the rewards it offers or add to your Medal collection.

The challenge is a relativey easy one – simply catch a party top hat Pikachu and a New Year’s outfit Hoothoot, and then evolve said Hoothoot into a New Year’s outfit Noctowl.

The rewards for the Collection Challenge are, unsurprisingly, 2023 Stardust.

Several other Pokémon Go events are running throughout the New Year’s Celebration event.

Costumed Pokémon

New Year’s outfit Noctowl will be making its Pokémon Go debut – catch a similarly costumed Hoothoot and evolve it to get add this Pokémon to your collection.

Pikachu also makes a new debut, this time with a star-spangled party top hat. If jazzy Pikachus are your thing, here’s one to look forward to.


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 New Year’s Celebration dates

Pokémon Go’s New Year’s Celebration event is running from Saturday, December 31st 2022 at 8pm (local time) to Wednesday, January 4th 2023 at 8:00pm (local time).

Happy New Year! (Image via pokemongolive.com) | Image credit: pokemongolive.com

Hope you enjoy the New Year’s Celebration event!

Read this next