Pokémon GO’s Mega Squads event begins Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 10 a.m. local time, and its raid schedule starts with a packed one-day lineup before the five-star bosses shift on September 9. The event runs through Monday, September 14, at 8 p.m. local time, with the egg and wild encounter pools changing on September 11.
The official Pokémon GO announcement confirms the debuts of Maschiff, Mabosstiff, and Shiny Flamigo, along with new Mega bonuses. Our Mega Squads event guide covers that broader debut lineup, while the latest research fills in the event’s changing encounter pools and detailed raid schedule.
Mega Squads Event Megathread
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September 11 changes the event’s target pool
From September 8 at 10 a.m. through September 11 at 10 a.m. local time, 5 km Eggs will feature Emolga, Fletchling, Rookidee, and Flamigo in the 1-Egg tier. Weedle and Flamigo will have boosted wild appearances throughout the event, while Pidgey and Rookidee will join the boosted spawns during this first window.
At 10 a.m. local time on September 11, the egg pool will feature Sandile, Pancham, Maschiff, and Flamigo. Houndour and Carvanha will also become the boosted wild encounters for the rest of the event. The increased Shiny chance will move from Pidgey to Carvanha at the same time, with Pidgey’s bonus ending on September 11 and Carvanha’s continuing through September 14 at 8 p.m. local time.
GO Pass rewards follow the event’s Pokémon
GO Pass Tier 1 will award Mega Energy for catching Weedle, Pidgey, Houndour, or Carvanha, including their evolutions. Tier 2 will provide double Hatch Stardust, while Deluxe Tier 2 will cut Hatch Distance in half.
Two additional Spotlight Hours are scheduled during the event. Weedle, Kakuna, and Beedrill will be featured on September 10, followed by Houndour and Houndoom on September 13.
Mega Beedrill and Mega Houndoom will also be able to reach Super Max Mega Level and use the moves Fell Stinger+ and Dark Pulse+.
Field Research offers two reward pools
Event Field Research will use separate reward pools before and after the September 11 change.
- September 8 at 10 a.m. through September 11 at 10 a.m. local time: Weedle, Pidgey, Fletchling, and Flamigo.
- September 11 at 10 a.m. through September 14 at 8 p.m. local time: Houndour, Carvanha, Nickit, Maschiff, and Flamigo.
That gives Trainers a clear reason to collect tasks in both windows, especially if they want encounters tied to the boosted spawns or the new Maschiff line.
September 8 brings two Mega raid targets
Mega Beedrill will appear in Tier 4 raids on September 8 from 10 a.m. to around 9:30 p.m. local time. Mega Gyarados will appear in the same tier, giving the opening raid window two Mega targets to pursue.
Regirock, Regice, and Registeel will occupy Tier 5 during the September 8 rotation. Tier 3 will feature Hisuian Sneasel, Hisuian Lilligant, and Passimian, while Tier 1 will include Dratini, Honedge, Tyrunt, and Amaura.
Mega Squads｜From 10:00 a.m. to around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 (Local Time)｜Mega Beedrill will also appear in 4-star raids.
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At 6 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9, the five-star Legendary raid lineup will change to Zacian (Hero of Many Battles). Trainers planning to target the three Regis will have the September 8 window to find them before that rotation ends.
Mega Beedrill will run from September 8 through September 15, while Mega Houndoom will join the rotation from September 11 through September 15. The listed Tier 5 rotation will feature Regirock, Regice, and Registeel on September 8, followed by Hero Zacian from September 9 through September 15.
The event itself ends on September 14, but the listed raid rotation continues into September 15. Trainers planning around Mega Houndoom or Hero Zacian will have one extra day of raid availability after the main event window closes.
Which encounter are you prioritizing during Mega Squads? Share your plans in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram for more Pokémon GO updates.
Pokémon Go
Developed by Niantic Labs, The Pokémon Company
Pokémon Go is an augmented reality mobile game that uses GPS to let players locate, capture, train, and battle Pokémon in real-world locations. Players explore their physical surroundings to find PokéStops for items, battle at Gyms for team control, participate in Raid Battles cooperatively, and compete in the Go Battle League's player-versus-player format. The game is free-to-play with in-app purchases and features Pokémon from across multiple generations of the franchise.
- Genre Role-playing (RPG), Simulator
- Platforms Android, iOS
- Perspective Third person, Bird view / Isometric, Side view
- Modes Single player, Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)
- Release July 6, 2016
- Publisher Niantic Labs
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Age Rating
