Pokemon GO Anniversary COUNTDOWN: Shiny Alolan, New Research, UK Start Times, Raid Changes (Pic: NIANTIC)

Pokemon GO developer Niantic has just announced their plans for the games third anniversary and it's going to be pretty epic.

Best of all though, players don't have long to wait to get stuck in as the celebrations begin tomorrow, Friday, June 28.

"They say third times the charm. Pokémon journeys begin with a choice between three Pokémon," a new blog post from Niantic reads.

"Your journey in Pokémon GO involved joining one of three teams. Today, we celebrate the third anniversary of Pokémon GOs release! Throughout this incredible journey, weve made countless memories along the way."

The team at Niantic have got a lot in store for fans (all listed further down) but it's all set to begin at the usual time most Pokemon GO updates roll out, at 1pm PST in the US, which for anyone in the UK means a start time of 9pm BST.

Happy third anniversary, Pokémon GO! (Pic: Niantic)

In a month where Niantic has been more preoccupied with the launch of Harry Potter Wizards Unite, the developer also took time to thank it's fans for their continued support for the smartphone game.

"We couldnt have reached this epic milestone without you all," Niantic continued "Thank you, Trainers, for your continued passion for Pokémon GO and for joining us on this amazing adventure. In the words of our favourite professor, “Lets GO!”

This year's festivities include a huge amount of new Shiny pokemon, mainly of the Aloan variety along with plenty of more bonuses.

There's new avatar items, a return for Party Hat Pikachu, new raid bonuses and decreased stardust costs for trading.

So grab your friend who's been hoarding that pokemon you've been after and get swapping.

The biggest addition though, is a new jump-start research feature which should help new players get up to speed with the game in double time.

Keep reading to see the full plan as shared by Niantic, with details of all the new bonuses and how long some of these bonuses will last.

New features starting on June 28 at 1 p.m. PDT

  • Shiny Alolan Pokémon — Youll have a chance of encountering the following Shiny Alolan Pokémon: Rattata, Sandshrew, Vulpix, Diglett, Meowth, Geodude, Grimer, and Exeggutor.
  • Team leader avatar items — Avatar items featuring the team leaders personal styles will be available in the Style Shop.

From June 28, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT to July 6, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT

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