Mega Starmie Debuts in the Starmie Super Mega Raid Day
Ultra Unlock: Starmie Super Mega Raid Day takes place Saturday, August 22, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time, and it is the Pokémon GO debut of Mega Starmie. Unlocked at 45 hourly Global Challenges during GO Fest 2026: Global, the event boosts Shiny Starmie odds, raises the Remote Raid Pass limit to 20, and hands out up to six free Raid Passes from Gym Photo Disc spins. It is a short six-hour window, so plan your raid group before it starts.
Event Bonuses (Free for Everyone)
These bonuses are active for all Trainers during the event:
- +5,000 XP from all raids
- Increased chance to get Rare Candy XL from Raid Battles
- Remote Raid Pass limit raised to 20 (from Fri Aug 21, 2:00 p.m. to Sat Aug 22, 8:00 p.m. PDT)
- Up to six free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs
- Increased Shiny Starmie chance from Super Mega Raids
- Starmie caught from Super Mega Raids starts at Mega Level 1
Timed Research & Event Ticket
Free Timed Research rewards a Premium Battle Pass and a Scizor encounter — finish it before it expires. A paid ticket ($4.99) adds:
- Another +5,000 XP from all raids
- Up to 14 Raid Passes from Gym Photo Disc spins
- Even higher Rare Candy XL chance
- Guaranteed Rare Candy XL on a successful Starmie catch
The ticket is only in the in-game shop until 5:00 p.m. local on August 22. The Web Store "Ultra Ticket Box" bundles the ticket with a bonus Premium Battle Pass for the same $4.99.
Best Mega Starmie Counters
Mega Starmie is Water/Psychic, so the winning types are Bug, Dark, Ghost, Electric, and Grass. Super Mega Raids use shields like Mega Mewtwo, so bring a Mega Pokémon to break them and a deep roster of counters:
| Role | Top picks |
|---|---|
| Best Mega | Mega Garchomp, Mega Beedrill, Mega Tyranitar |
| Best Shadow | Shadow Metagross, Shadow Machamp, Shadow Weavile |
| Best Legendary | Dawn Wings Necrozma, Darkrai, Genesect |
| Budget | Garchomp, Lucario, Hydreigon |
Avoid relying on Primal Pokémon alone — they cannot break Super Mega shields, so a standard Mega Evolved Pokémon is mandatory for every raider.
How to Find Super Mega Raids
Super Mega Raids only appear at certain Gyms, but the new web-based map at pokemongo.com/map shows both ongoing and upcoming Super Mega Raids, filters by event type, and displays community meetups days in advance. Use it to scout Gyms near you before the 11:00 a.m. start so you are not wandering at go-time.
Final Thought
Mega Starmie is a niche attacker (strong Water/Psychic but outclassed by older Megas), so the real draw is the Shiny and the free raid economy. Rally at least four to six trainers, pre-break shields with a Mega, and burn your six free passes plus Remote Raids on the boosted Shiny. Happy hunting, trainers!