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Pokémon Go’s Battle Showdown event is all about fighting Pokémon
August 21, 2025
Coming off the heels of Pokémon Go’sKanto-focusedevent andnew Field Research tasks, Niantic announced the Battle Showdown event for its popular mobile title.
Starting at 4:00 p.m. ET through May 14, players will notice that Fighting-type Pokémon, such as Machop and Makuhita, will appear more frequently. Niantic did not say whether other Fighting-type Pokémon will be frequent spawns, though this is welcome news for those looking to attain Hitmontop.
The event also rewards Pokémon Go players with double XP for fighting in raids and battling in gyms. This is a boon for XP hunters, since they can complete legendary raids with a lucky egg and get 40,000 XP.
Other bonuses from the Battle Showdown event include a guaranteed 3,000 Stardust for participating in Raid Battles, at least one Rare Candy if you win a Raid Battle, double the badge points for Gym visits, and additional items if you spin the Photo Discs at Gyms.
The biggest takeaway from the Battle Showdown event is how it is the latest in a constant stream of events in the last few months. Niantic kicked off 2018 withmonthly Community Day events, and has since celebrated theLunar New Year,Field Researchtasks and rewards, and more.
There is eventalkof an increased level cap, PvP mode, and a second Pokémon Go Fest event. It seems like Niantic wants to shake off the lull that Pokémon Go experienced in 2017 and continually make the mobile game a different experience every time you open it.
The only question left is whether we will get any shiny Fighting-type Pokémon as part of the event.
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