Pokemon GO to celebrate series’ 25th anniversary with special Kanto event

According to reports, Pokemon GO is gearing up to celebrate the series’ upcoming 25th anniversary by going back to the Kanto region. The special event will be centered around the 1996 Japanese Game Boy games Red & Green.

Pokemon initially made its debut in 1996, and quickly became a worldwide phenomena. Decades later, the beloved Nintendo property has grown into an absolute juggernaut and has even become the highest-grossing media franchise of all time.

According to reports, the hit mobile title GO will honor the series upcoming 25th anniversary by going back to very first region, Kanto. The special event will have players choose between the groundbreaking Japanese RPGs Red & Green.

Game Freak / The Pokemon Company

Pokemon GO will celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary with a special themed event based on the 1996 RPGs.

Pokemon GO’s 25th anniversary celebration

While most of the world first played Pokemon in 1998, the series originally launched in Japan two years prior with the Game Boy titles Red and Green (instead of Blue). In 2021, the the franchise will officially reach its 25th anniversary.

So far, Nintendo has been tight-lipped about how it will celebrate the epic milestone, however reports have surfaced about how GO will honor its legacy. According to popular outlet Serebii, the mobile game will be launching a special themed event based around the Kanto region.

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While there aren’t a lot of details known yet, the Pokemon site further revealed it will feature an interesting in-game mechanic. “In a single day, players pick either Pokemon Red or Green and get unique spawns  and Special Research based on on what they have picked and can interact to get all Pokemon,” they wrote.

Perhaps the most interesting part is that Trainers will reportedly be able to work with friends to catch all 151 original Pokemon in a single day – which sounds absolutely wild. According to Serebii’s Joe Merrick, there is currently no date for the Gen I celebration. “This event is likely the one Niantic teased for release in February. We don’t have the date for this one yet,” he tweeted.

At the time of writing, there has been no official confirmation as to when Trainers can expect the event to go live. However, since it’s tied to the 25th anniversary, February 2021 is probably a safe bet.

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Despite releasing over two decades ago, players still can’t get enough of Pokemon’s addicting “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” design – proof that the franchise has never been more popular.