The Pokémon Go Winter Weekend event is your final opportunity to earn extra rewards before everything starts anew. It fits into a mini-event, but this 34-hour time slot offers enough value to squeeze the air out of most week-long holiday celebrations, if you play it right.
After testing the event mechanics myself during the early hours, I’ve found that the unlimited GO Points system and boosted shiny Eevee rates make this one of the most efficient progression windows we’ve seen all season. Here’s your complete roadmap to dominating Winter Weekend.
Quick Event Overview: What You Need to Know First
| Event Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Start Time | Saturday, December 27, 2025, 10:00 AM (local time) |
| End Time | Sunday, December 28, 2025, 8:00 PM (local time) |
| Duration | 34 hours |
| Main Feature | Shiny Eevee wearing a holiday hat |
| Key Bonus | Unlimited daily GO Points cap |
| Research Type | Free Timed Research (expires Dec 28, 8 PM) |
| Cost | Completely free to participate |
Winter Weekend Event Bonuses: Why This Matters
Unlimited GO Points Farming (The Game-Changer)
For the first time since the GO Pass system launched, there’s no daily 500-point cap during Winter Weekend. This is massive for players rushing to complete their Winter Holiday 2025 Pass before December 29.
Normal Daily Cap: 500 GO Points maximum
Winter Weekend Cap: NONE
I racked up more than 2,000 GO Points in just six hours of testing by doing some serious raiding and egg hatching — something that would usually take me four days.
| Activity | GO Points Earned |
|---|---|
| Win a Raid | 100 Points |
| Hatch an Egg | 40 Points |
| Catch a Pokémon | 5 Points |
| Complete Daily/Weekly Tasks | Bonus Points (no cap limit) |
Pro Strategy: Stack your 7 km eggs before the event starts. Pop an incubator at 10 AM on December 27, and you’ll have multiple hatches ready throughout the weekend. Each hatch = 40 points toward GO Pass progression.
Bonus Daily Quests for GO Pass
Winter Weekend adds extra daily quests specifically for the GO Pass: Winter Holiday 2025. These aren’t the regular tasks—they’re bonus objectives that stack on top of your normal progression.
Based on what I’ve completed so far, these bonus quests reward:
- Increased Stardust (ranging from 500-1,500 per task)
- Extra XP bonuses
- Additional GO Points beyond catching/hatching
Featured Pokemon: Shiny Eevee Wearing a Holiday Hat
Why Eevee Is The Star of This Event
Eevee wearing a holiday hat takes center stage with significantly boosted shiny odds when encountered through Timed Research tasks. Unlike wild spawns or egg hatches, research-based Eevee encounters have approximately 1 in 20 shiny rates (based on community data and my personal experience catching 15 Eevees with 3 shinies).
The Eeveelution Collection Challenge
What makes this event truly special? All eight Eevee evolutions retain the holiday hat. This is your only chance in 2025 to complete a full collection of festive Eeveelutions, similar to how Pokémon Legends ZA introduces new Mega Evolution mechanics for classic Pokémon.
| Evolution | Type | Candy Required | Evolution Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vaporeon | Water | 25 Eevee Candy | Random evolution |
| Jolteon | Electric | 25 Eevee Candy | Random evolution |
| Flareon | Fire | 25 Eevee Candy | Random evolution |
| Espeon | Psychic | 25 Eevee Candy | Walk 10km as a buddy + evolve during the day |
| Umbreon | Dark | 25 Eevee Candy | Walk 10km as a buddy + evolve at night |
| Leafeon | Grass | 25 Eevee Candy | Evolve near Mossy Lure Module |
| Glaceon | Ice | 25 Eevee Candy | Evolve near the Glacial Lure Module |
| Sylveon | Fairy | 25 Eevee Candy | Earn 70 hearts as buddy + evolve |
Collector’s Tip: You’ll need at least 9 Eevees (one for your collection plus eight evolutions). Catch 12-15 to account for potential shinies and trading with friends.
Guaranteed Evolution Control: The Name Trick
Use these one-time-only nickname tricks to guarantee specific evolutions:
| Evolution | Nickname to Use |
|---|---|
| Vaporeon | Rainer |
| Jolteon | Sparky |
| Flareon | Pyro |
| Espeon | Sakura |
| Umbreon | Tamao |
| Leafeon | Linnea |
| Glaceon | Rea |
| Sylveon | Kira |
Important: These tricks work ONCE per evolution type. After that, you’ll need to use the standard evolution methods listed in the table above.
Winter Weekend Timed Research Guide
Free Timed Research Rewards
The Winter Weekend Timed Research is completely free and available to all trainers. While Niantic hasn’t released the full task list, confirmed rewards include:
| Reward Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Eevee Encounters | Multiple encounters with boosted shiny rates |
| Stardust | 10,000+ across all tasks |
| XP | 15,000+ for completions |
| Premium Items | Fast TMs, Charged TMs expected |
Critical Deadline Warning
You MUST complete and claim all rewards before Sunday, December 28, 2025, at 8:00 PM local time. This is a hard deadline—any unclaimed rewards will disappear permanently.
Time Management Strategy:
- Start research tasks immediately at 10 AM on December 27
- Don’t wait until Sunday evening (server lag happens)
- Claim rewards as you complete each stage
- Set a phone reminder for 6 PM on December 28 as your final warning
Maximizing Your Winter Weekend: Priority Action Plan
Hour 1 (10:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Dec 27)
- Activate Star Piece before catching your first Pokémon (30% Stardust boost)
- Open Timed Research and complete the first set of tasks
- Place eggs in incubators (prioritize 7 km eggs)
- Start earning GO Points through catches
Hours 2-4: The Grind Phase
- Focus on raid battles (100 GO Points each = fastest progression)
- Complete all bonus daily quests for GO Pass
- Use Pinap Berries on every Eevee (double candy for evolutions)
- Continue hatching eggs for GO Points
Final 6 Hours (Dec 28, 2-8 PM)
- Complete the remaining Timed Research tasks
- Claim all rewards before the 8 PM deadline
- Evolve your Eevee collection (candy should be abundant by now)
- Use any remaining Star Pieces on big catches
GO Pass: Winter Holiday 2025 Integration
Why Winter Weekend Matters for the GO Pass
The GO Pass: Winter Holiday 2025 expires on Monday, December 29, at 8:00 PM. Winter Weekend’s unlimited points give you one last power spike to unlock premium rewards:
| Tier Level | Key Rewards |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 GO Pass | 2× Candy for catching event Pokémon, increased XP from Field Research |
| Tier 2 GO Pass Deluxe | 1/2 Egg Hatch Distance (for eggs placed during the event), Additional encounters with costumed Pokémon, Premium Battle Passes, Rare Candy XL |
If you’re at Rank 50-70 in your GO Pass, this weekend could push you to Rank 100+ with focused grinding.
Advanced Strategies I’ve Tested
The “Raid Chain” Method
In my experience, chaining raids is the absolute fastest way to earn GO Points:
- Join Remote Raid lobbies back-to-back (100 points per win)
- Between raids, quick-catch any spawns (5 points each, adds up)
- Use Premium Battle Passes if you have them stocked
- Target 1-star raids for speed (under 2 minutes per raid)
I personally earned 800 GO Points in 90 minutes using this method Saturday morning.
The “Egg Efficiency” Setup
- Before 10 AM: Clear all egg slots except one
- At 10 AM: Spin stops to fill with 7 km eggs from friend gifts
- Stagger your incubators so eggs hatch every 30-60 minutes
- Each hatch = 40 GO Points + potential Stardust/XP
Shiny Hunting Optimization
Research encounters have boosted rates, but here’s how to maximize your odds:
- Complete all Timed Research stages (multiple Eevee encounters)
- Don’t skip Field Research from Pokestops (may include Eevee tasks)
- Trade duplicate Eevees with friends (lucky trades can become shiny)
What About Winter Holiday Part 2?
Winter Weekend runs inside the larger Winter Holiday Part 2 event (Dec 24-29), which means you also get these ongoing bonuses:
| Bonus Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Rolycoly debut | New Galar-region Pokémon |
| Boosted shiny rates | Dedenne and Stantler in holiday costumes |
| Premium item drops | Fast TMs, Charged TMs, Golden Razz Berries, Rare Candy from catching event Pokémon |
| Field Research tasks | Extra encounters available |
Don’t ignore the Part 2 spawns while grinding Winter Weekend—you can multi-task by catching event Pokémon while working toward GO Points.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Based on what I’ve seen in communities and my own gameplay:
| Mistake | What to Do Instead |
|---|---|
| Waiting until Sunday evening to start Timed Research | Start immediately on Saturday morning |
| Ignoring GO Pass bonus quests because they seem minor | These stack significantly over 34 hours |
| Evolving Eevee without walking/buddy requirements | Plan your Espeon/Umbreon/Sylveon evolutions in advance |
| Using Lucky Eggs during low-activity periods | Stack them with Star Pieces during raid chains |
| Forgetting the 8 PM deadline | Set multiple reminders—this is a hard cutoff |
Is Winter Weekend Worth Your Time?
Absolutely—especially if you care about:
- GO Pass completion (unlimited points removes the biggest bottleneck)
- Exclusive costume collections (Eevee + 8 evolutions with hats)
- Shiny hunting (boosted rates on a fan-favorite Pokémon)
- Resource farming (Stardust and XP from research + bonuses)
Even casual players should log in for 2-3 hours to complete the Timed Research. The rewards-to-effort ratio is among the best we’ve seen in any 2025 event.
Event Checklist: Don’t Miss These
Before the event ends Sunday at 8 PM:
- Complete all Timed Research tasks
- Claim all research rewards
- Catch at least 9-12 Eevees
- Evolve one of each Eeveelution
- Maximize GO Points (no daily cap!)
- Complete bonus GO Pass daily quests
- Use Star Pieces/Lucky Eggs during peak grinding
- Hatch all eggs placed in incubators
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I catch Shiny Eevee wearing a holiday hat in the wild
Is the Winter Weekend event free or paid?
Can I complete the GO Pass: Winter Holiday 2025 during Winter Weekend?
Final Thoughts: Winter Weekend condenses incredible value into just 34 hours. Whether you’re a completionist chasing shiny Eeveelutions, a GO Pass grinder racing to Rank 100, or a casual player who wants free premium items—this event delivers. Just remember that deadline: December 28, 8:00 PM sharp. Set your alarms, plan your strategy, and make this weekend count.
