Pokemon Go Will Usher in New Year's With Top Hat-Wearing Pikachu

Pikachu is getting fancy in Pokemon Go to kick off the new year. Today, Niantic announced plans for it's annual New Year's event, which will feature costumed Pokemon wearing New Year's inspired costumes. This year, Pikachu will continue to add to its already impressive wardrobe by wearing a top hat to this year's festivities. Additionally, Pokemon Go will harness the power of evolution to let top hat-wearing Hoothoot evolve into a top hat-wearing Noctowl. While Hoothoot has previously appeared sporting the dapper top hat, it was unable to evolve while wearing the top hat until now. 

More importantly, Pokemon Go will also bring back the ever-popular Wurmple in a party hat, a meme come to life and brought back for years. Fireworks will also appear in the in-game skies to celebrate the new year. Other party hat wearing Pokemon will appear in 1-star and 3-star raids, while Reshiram will appear in 5-star raids and will know the move Fusion Fire. 

As for other bonuses, players will have a 1/2 hatch distance bonus for any egg placed into an incubator during the event.  Players can also purchase a Pikachu Party Hat for their avatar along with a party popper pose. Both will continue to be available to players in the in-game store after the New Year's event ends. 

The New Year's event follows a Pokemon Go event that features Eevee and its assorted evolutions all wearing festive hats. During the holiday event, the hat wearing Cubchoo can evolve into Beartic for the very first time

The Pokemon Go New Year's event will run from 8 PM local time on December 31st through January 4th at 8 PM local time.