Niantic has revealed details for the upcoming Mega Squads event in Pokemon GO, scheduled to run from September 8 at 10:00 a.m. to September 14 at 8:00 p.m. local time. The week-long celebration marks the official debut of ninth-generation Paldean Dark-type Pokemon Maschiff and its evolution, Mabosstiff. Alongside these additions, the event will introduce a new shiny creature variant and expand mechanics for existing Mega Evolutions.
Players looking to obtain Maschiff during the event will have three distinct methods. The dog-like creature can be earned by progressing through the limited-time GO Pass, completing event-exclusive Field Research tasks, or hatching 5 km Eggs collected between September 11 at 10:00 a.m. and September 14 at 8:00 p.m. Evolving Maschiff into Mabosstiff requires players to accumulate 50 Maschiff Candies.
The Mega Squads event also brings the debut of Shiny Flamigo. Additionally, specific wild encounters will see temporary boosts in shiny availability. Shiny Pidgey will feature increased spawn rates from September 8 to 11, while Shiny Carvanha will take over higher spawn frequencies from September 11 through September 14.
True to the event's name, Mega Evolutions are receiving significant enhancements. Starting with this event, Mega Beedrill and Mega Houndoom will become eligible to reach Super Max Level. Achieving this tier allows both monsters to unlock an additional Charged Attack while Mega Evolved, granting Mega Beedrill access to Fell Stinger+ and Mega Houndoom access to Dark Pulse+.
To help trainers gather necessary Mega Energy and encounters, Mega Raids will highlight Beedrill from September 8 to 15, while Houndoom will take over the raid rotation from September 11 to 15. Dedicated Spotlight Hours running from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time will focus on Weedle on September 10 and Houndour on September 13.
These updates form part of the broader content slate heading into the game's Twilight Trails season, which was recently teased to include debutants such as Mega Chandelure and Mega Staraptor. Prior to the Mega Squads kickoff, Pokemon GO will conclude its Forever Forward season with the GO Fest: Mega Finale on September 5 and 6, featuring Super Mega Raids and the return of Armored Mewtwo after a six-year absence.
About the Author
