Quiet weeks in Pokemon GO are about to get a lot more fun. Niantic is rolling out Choose Your Path Timed Research, where you decide how you want to play. There is also a refreshed set of daily bonuses and the long-awaited return of Spotlight Hour.
Here is everything you need in one place. We will cover the paths, the daily perks, and the full Spotlight Hour schedule, laid out simply so you never miss a bonus.
The Quick Scoop
Short on time? Here are the three big updates at a glance.
| Update | What It Means for You |
| Choose Your Path | On quiet weeks, pick Explore, Catch, or Battle to set your tasks and rewards |
| Daily Discoveries | A fresh bonus every day of the week, from Max Monday to Scenic Sunday |
| Spotlight Hour | Returns every Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. local time, with a new Pokemon weekly |
Heads Up: The new Daily Discovery bonuses begin Monday, June 15, and all listed times are your local time. These experiences can change, so check in-game before you plan your day.
Choose Your Path Timed Research, Explained
This is the headline feature. As Pokemon GO Hub reported, during non-event weeks you will get to pick one of three paths. Your choice sets your Timed Research tasks and rewards for the whole week, so two players can have very different weeks.
The three paths are simple to understand.
| Explore | For the wanderers Built around getting out and discovering, ideal if you love walking, spinning stops, and finding new spots. |
| Catch | For the collectors Focused on catching Pokemon, perfect if your favorite part of the game is filling the Pokedex. |
| Battle | For the fighters Centered on battling, great if you live for raids, Gyms, and the GO Battle League. |
Why It Matters: Quiet, no-event weeks used to feel a bit dull. Now you get to steer your own week toward the part of the game you enjoy most. That keeps things fresh between big events.
Choose Your Path Schedule
These weeks run during the Forever Forward Season. All times are local.
| Path Week | When |
| Fossil Fun | Wednesday, June 17, 10 a.m. to Sunday, June 21, 8 p.m. |
| Charged Embers | Tuesday, June 30, 10 a.m. to Friday, July 3, 8 p.m. |
| Fairy Trail | Tuesday, July 28, 10 a.m. to Monday, August 3, 8 p.m. |
| Venom and Vines | Tuesday, August 11, 10 a.m. to Monday, August 17, 8 p.m. |
Daily Discoveries: A Bonus Every Day
Alongside the paths, every day of the week now has its own perk. Starting Monday, June 15, these run from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time unless noted. Here is the full week.
| Day | The Bonus |
| Max Monday | A Rare Candy XL for in-person Max Battles, more Power Spots than usual, and rotating Dynamax Pokemon |
| Showcase Tuesday | Enter up to five PokeStop Showcases, with more PokeStops hosting them |
| Wednesday Raid Hour | A Rare Candy XL for completing in-person Raid Battles |
| GO Battle Thursday | Spotlight Hour returns from 6 to 7 p.m. local time |
| Friendship Friday | Up to two extra Special Trades, and trades cost 20 percent less Stardust |
| Scenic Sunday | More wild Pokemon and more on Routes with an Incense boost, plus less Buddy Candy distance on Routes and Mateo up to three times a day on Routes |
Quick Tip: Save your trading for Friendship Friday and your Max and Raid battles for Monday and Wednesday. Lining up your activities with the daily bonus is the easiest way to earn more for the same effort.
A Closer Look at Showcase Tuesday
Showcase Tuesday gives your big Pokemon a chance to shine. As Nintendo Wire notes, PokeStop Showcases run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time, and entries are usually scored on biggest size, where height counts for most of the points.
Each week features five categories drawn from a pool of twenty. These are often a couple of Buddy ranks and a few Pokemon types, so the lineup changes week to week.
Spotlight Hour Returns: Full Schedule
The fan-favorite Spotlight Hour is back. Every Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. local time, one Pokemon floods the wild with a special bonus. Here is the confirmed lineup.
| Date | Featured Pokemon | Bonus |
| Thursday, June 18 | Swinub | 2x Candy for transferring |
| Thursday, June 25 | Wingull | 2x Stardust for catching |
| Thursday, July 2 | Pidgey | 2x XP for evolving |
| Thursday, July 16 | Zubat | 2x XP for catching |
| Thursday, July 23 | Eevee | 2x Candy for evolving |
| Thursday, July 30 | Bidoof | 2x Candy for transferring |
The Cool Part: Stack the bonus by saving up first. Hold transfers for the Swinub and Bidoof weeks. Save catches for the Wingull Stardust hour, and line up evolutions for the Pidgey and Eevee dates to double your reward.
How to Get the Most Out of These Updates
Want to play smart? A little planning turns these bonuses into real gains. Here is a simple game plan.
- On a quiet week, pick the path that matches how you like to play, then aim to finish its tasks before the window closes.
- Match your activity to the day, Max and Raid battles on Monday and Wednesday, trades on Friday, exploring on Sunday.
- Set a Thursday reminder for 6 p.m. so you never miss Spotlight Hour, and save up the matching action first.
- Check the in-game news each week, since the featured Showcase categories and daily perks can change.
A Final Thought: You do not have to do everything. Even just catching the weekly Spotlight Hour and trading on Friday will steadily boost your Candy, Stardust, and XP with very little effort.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Choose Your Path in Pokemon GO
Choose Your Path is a new Timed Research feature for non-event weeks. You pick one of three paths, Explore, Catch, or Battle, and your choice sets your research tasks and rewards for the whole week. Different players can pick different paths and have different experiences.
When Does Choose Your Path Start
The first Choose Your Path week, Fossil Fun, runs from Wednesday, June 17, at 10 a.m. to Sunday, June 21, at 8 p.m. local time. More weeks follow, Charged Embers, Fairy Trail, and Venom and Vines, across the Forever Forward Season.
What Are the New Daily Discovery Bonuses
Starting Monday, June 15, each day has a perk. The week runs Max Monday, Showcase Tuesday, Wednesday Raid Hour, GO Battle Thursday with Spotlight Hour, Friendship Friday, and Scenic Sunday. They run from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time unless stated otherwise.
When Is Spotlight Hour in Pokemon GO
Spotlight Hour returns every Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. local time. The June and July lineup is Swinub, Wingull, Pidgey, Zubat, Eevee, and Bidoof, each with its own bonus like double Candy, Stardust, or XP.
What Is the Spotlight Hour Bonus Each Week
Each week has its own bonus. Swinub on June 18 gives 2x Candy for transferring, and Wingull on June 25 gives 2x Stardust for catching. Pidgey on July 2 gives 2x XP for evolving, and Zubat on July 16 gives 2x XP for catching. Eevee on July 23 gives 2x Candy for evolving, and Bidoof on July 30 gives 2x Candy for transferring.
How Does Showcase Tuesday Work
On Showcase Tuesday you can enter up to five PokeStop Showcases, which run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Entries are usually scored on biggest size, where height makes up most of the points, and five categories from a pool of twenty are featured each week.
What Are the Friendship Friday Bonuses
On Friendship Friday you get up to two additional Special Trades, and all trades cost 20 percent less Stardust. It is the best day of the week to trade with friends, especially for Pokemon that normally need a lot of Stardust to swap.
Can the Daily Discovery Bonuses Change
Yes. Niantic notes that Daily Discovery experiences are subject to change, and the featured Showcase categories can rotate weekly. It is a good idea to check the in-game news each week to confirm the current bonuses before you plan around them.
