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guides Updated Jun 21, 2026

Pokémon Go Daily Discoveries - New Updates & Returning Spotlight Hours (2026)!

Dive into the latest Pokémon Go daily discoveries, including new bonuses for Max Mondays and Raid Hours, plus the exciting return of Spotlight Hours.

Pokémon Go Daily Discoveries - New Updates & Returning Spotlight Hours (2026)!

Getting Started

Hey there, trainers! Lucky Buns here, ready to break down the exciting new updates to Pokémon Go's Daily Discoveries. If you've been wondering what's shifted in your daily grind, you've come to the right place. From enhanced raid rewards to the much-anticipated return of Spotlight Hours, there's a lot to cover. Let's jump in!

Understanding Daily Discoveries

For those new to the game or needing a refresher, Daily Discoveries are special events that occur each day in Pokémon Go. Think of them as themed days offering unique bonuses: Max Monday, Showcase Tuesday, Raid Hour Wednesday, Go Battle Thursday, Friendship Friday, and Scenic Sunday. Saturdays are typically reserved for major in-game events, so no daily discovery then.

Recently, with the start of the new season, some initial changes were rolled out. Double Time Sunday evolved into Scenic Sunday, bringing more Pokémon to routes, increased incense effectiveness on routes, reduced buddy candy distance, and more Matteo encounters. FastTrack Monday was removed, with its bonuses essentially folded into Max Monday's Power Spots. Showcase Tuesday got an upgrade, allowing players to participate in five showcases instead of three, with more eligible PokéStops.

Recent Daily Discovery Updates

Just a few hours ago, Pokémon Go announced even more updates, adding new bonuses and tweaking existing ones.

Max Monday & Raid Hour Wednesday Boosts

Big news for raiders! Max Monday and Raid Hour Wednesday are getting a significant boost. You'll now receive one Rare Candy XL for completing in-person Max Battles on Mondays and one Rare Candy XL for completing in-person Raid Battles on Wednesdays. Rare Candy XL is a notoriously difficult resource to acquire, so this is a fantastic addition for trainers looking to power up their Pokémon. Other Max Monday bonuses, like more frequent Power Spot refreshes and additional active Power Spots, remain unchanged.

Go Battle Thursdays

Go Battle Thursdays continue to be a Stardust farmer's dream. You can now complete up to 10 sets, totaling 50 battles per day, and enjoy a 4x Stardust bonus from win rewards. To maximize your Stardust gains, especially from the first and fifth win rewards, it's highly recommended to push for Rank 20 in the Go Battle League.

Spotlight Hours Make a Comeback!

One of the most exciting announcements is the return of Spotlight Hours! Previously removed with the introduction of Daily Discoveries, these popular events are now back and will take place on Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM local time. Not only are they returning, but the much-loved special bonuses are back too.

Here’s the upcoming schedule:

  • June 18th: Swinub
    • Bonus: 2x Candy for transferring Pokémon. Perfect for clearing out your storage!
  • June 25th: Wingull
    • Bonus: 2x Stardust for catching Pokémon. While Pelipper is good in Great League, better Stardust opportunities exist.
  • July 2nd: Pidgey
    • Bonus: 2x Experience for evolving Pokémon. Pidgey's low evolution cost (12 candies) makes this an excellent event for XP farming.
  • July 16th: Zubat
    • Bonus: 2x Experience for catching Pokémon. Zubat's tricky catch circle makes excellent throws difficult, so a Lucky Egg isn't highly recommended here unless you're hunting for a shiny Crobat.
  • July 23rd: Eevee
    • Bonus: 2x Catch Candy. A fan favorite! This is a great opportunity to collect candy for Eevee's numerous evolutions, especially if you're aiming for a strong team of Ice-type attackers via Glaceon.
  • July 30th: Bidoof
    • Bonus: 2x Candy for transferring Pokémon. Another chance to mass transfer and earn extra candy, especially after Go Fest.

Note: There's a gap between July 2nd and July 16th, likely due to Go Fest events.

Friendship Friday Changes

Unfortunately, Friendship Friday has seen some significant changes, with some popular bonuses removed.
Previously, we had:

  • Up to two special trades.
  • Increased chance of lucky trades.
  • 10% Stardust reduction for trades.
  • Two guaranteed Candy XL from trades (for level 31+).

The new Friendship Friday bonuses are:

  • Up to three special trades in total.
  • 20% less Stardust for trades.

While we get an extra special trade and a better Stardust reduction, the increased lucky trade chance and guaranteed Candy XL from trades are gone. This makes Fridays less impactful for some players.

Scenic Sunday Enhancements

Scenic Sunday, which replaced Double Time Sunday, remains largely the same with its route-focused bonuses. However, an additional perk has been added: more Pokémon will now appear in the wild, making it an even better day for general catching.

Conclusion

These new Daily Discovery updates offer a mix of exciting new benefits and some bittersweet changes. The addition of Rare Candy XL to Max Mondays and Raid Hours, combined with the return of Spotlight Hours, provides excellent opportunities for trainers. While Friendship Friday has lost some key benefits, the overall landscape of daily play in Pokémon Go looks promising. Remember, Niantic states these discoveries may change as they experiment, so we might see further adjustments down the line.