Pokémon GO 10th Anniversary 2026: Ultra Unlock, 10x Catch XP and the Level 200 GO Pass
By Matt · Published · Updated The Ultra Unlock 10th Anniversary Edition ran from 21 to 27 July 2026, with up to 10x XP for catching Pokémon, or 20x with a Lucky Egg. Starter Pokémon from every region appeared across three date brackets with a chance of a team-specific background, and evolving them to their final form gave Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn or Hydro Cannon. July's GO Pass went beyond level 100 for the first time, up to level 200.
The Ultra Unlock 10th Anniversary Edition brought huge catch XP, special backgrounds and free legacy moves.
Dates
Ultra Unlock 1 ran for the 10th anniversary from 21 to 27 July 2026.
Up to 10x catch XP
Catch XP scaled up across the week to 10x. With a Lucky Egg, that’s 20x XP per catch.
Starters with team backgrounds
First Partner Pokémon had a chance of a team-specific special background, split across three date brackets:
- 21 to 23 July: Kanto, Johto and Hoenn starters
- 23 to 25 July: Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos starters
- 25 to 27 July: Alola, Galar and Paldea starters
Evolving them to their final evolution gave them Frenzy Plant*, Blast Burn* or Hydro Cannon*.
Raids and research
- Raids had party hat costume Pokémon.
- There was another chance to buy the shiny Shaymin Masterwork Research.
July’s GO Pass
GO Passes had only ever given items and encounters up to level 100, with Stardust beyond that. To celebrate 10 years, July’s GO Pass had items and encounters up to level 200, including shiny-eligible Gimmighoul at levels 101 and 200. It centred on a Ho-Oh encounter, with 400 PokéCoins on the free tier and an extra 1,000 PokéCoins on the Deluxe tier.
Matt's take20x XP per catch is wild, so if you needed to level up, this was your event.
Levelling towards 80? See my level 80 guide.
FAQ
When was the Pokémon GO 10th Anniversary Ultra Unlock?
From 21 to 27 July 2026.
How much catch XP was there for the 10th anniversary?
Up to 10x XP for catching Pokémon across the week, or 20x per catch with a Lucky Egg.
When did each region's starters appear?
Kanto, Johto and Hoenn from 21 to 23 July, Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos from 23 to 25 July, and Alola, Galar and Paldea from 25 to 27 July.
Did evolved starters get legacy moves?
Yes. Evolving them to their final evolution during the event gave Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn or Hydro Cannon.
What was special about July 2026's GO Pass?
It had items and encounters up to level 200 for the first time, including shiny-eligible Gimmighoul at levels 101 and 200, a Ho-Oh encounter, 400 PokéCoins on the free tier and an extra 1,000 on the Deluxe tier.
Get Matt's full take
The extended write-up on Patreon has Matt’s commentary, what to prioritise and Matt’s own plan.