Pokemon Go's Anniversary Event is Live

Pokemon Go unexpectedly started its second anniversary event a few hours early.

Yesterday, Pokemon Go announced plans to release a new costumed Pikachu for its second anniversary celebration. Players expected the "Summer Style" Pikachu, which dons both a straw hat and sunglasses, to appear at 4 PM ET (the standard start time for Pokemon Go events), but the new Pikachu instead popped up around 1 PM ET.

Interestingly, players can get the Summer Style Pikachu by completing any Research Quest that Pikachu would normally appear as a reward. Players can also now hatch Summer Style Pichu from eggs and evolve a Summer Style Pikachu into a Summer Style Raichu.

As of press time, players have not discovered a Shiny variant of the Summer Style Pikachu, so it doesn't appear that it's possible to get a Shiny variant at this time. This can always change in the future, of course, especially as the event will last through July 31st.

As part of the event, players can also unlock new Pikachu-themed clothing items for purchase by earning a gold "Pikachu Fan" badge. The highlight of the new clothing line are new wearable Pikachu ears, which are available for both male and female trainers.

Pokemon Go's anniversary celebration is surprisingly low-key this year. While players will also be able to upgrade their Pokemon Storage to hold up to 2,000 Pokemon, there's no other bonuses or surprises currently planned. Of course, Pokemon Go had a quiet first anniversary event planned for last year, which they then followed up with the addition of Legendary Pokemon a few weeks later. This year's Pokemon Go Fest event will add the Mythical Pokemon Celebi to the game.

The new anniversary event will last through July 31st. Pokemon Go players can also participate in two mini-events this weekend: an Articuno Day event on Saturday and a new Community Day event on Sunday.