Pokémon Go Lunar New Year Dragons Unleashed Research guide: All tasks, rewards, and challenges

Get ready for some extreme Poké Ball throws.

Dynamic Drampa art from the Pokemon TCG.
Image via The Pokemon Company

Lunar New Year: Dragons Unleashed is this year’s take on a classic Pokémon Go event with fresh, Dragon-themed twists. That includes a new Global Challenge, plenty of Field Research, and additional paid Timed Research filled with rare Dragon-type Pokémon.

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With the first appearance of Drampa to a Global Challenge with unique unlocks to earn, Pokémon players have from Feb. 5 at 10am local time to Feb. 11 at 8pm local time to take advantage of all the Lunar New Year bonuses. The research this time around is varied but entirely divided between paid research and Field Research—so if you want a full look at every piece of content, here is a guide for both sections. 

All Pokémon Go Lunar New Year: Dragons Unleashed Paid Timed Research tasks and rewards

Drampa spotlighted for Pokemon Go's Lunar New Year 2024 event.
Image via Niantic

For this event-exclusive Timed Research, you need to grab a $2 ticket from the in-game shop. This will unlock all available research until Feb. 11 at 8pm local time, when it will end alongside the Lunar New Year: Dragons Unleashed event.

Lunar New Year: Dragons Unleashed Timed Research page one

  • Power up five Dragon-type Pokémon
    • Bagon encounter
  • Spin 10 PokéStops or Gyms
    • Axew encounter
  • Catch 15 Dragon-type Pokémon
    • Skrelp encounter

Total Rewards: Two Lucky Eggs, 2,000 Stardust, and 4,000 XP

Lunar New Year: Dragons Unleashed Timed Research page two

  • Power up five Dragon-type Pokémon
    • Gible encounter
  • Evolve a Dragon-type Pokémon
    • Goomy encounter
  • Power up 10 Dragon-type Pokémon
    • Deino encounter
  • Evolve three Dragon-type Pokémon
    • Jangmo-o encounter
  • Power up 15 Dragon-type Pokémon
    • Turtonator encounter 

Total Rewards: Drampa encounter, 4,000 Stardust, and 8,000 XP

All Pokémon Go Lunar New Year: Dragons Unleashed Field Research tasks and rewards

Research TaskPotential Rewards
Catch 10 PokémonTrapinch encounter
Swablu encounter
Make three Great ThrowsDarumaka encounter
Make an Excellent ThrowGible encounter
Win a RaidDratini encounter
Deino encounter
Goomy encounter
Win three RaidsDruddigon encounter
Turtonator encounter
Drampa encounter
Power up five Dragon-type PokémonSkrelp encounter
Tyrunt encounter
Spin five PokéStops or GymsFive Poké Balls
Five Great Balls

How to complete the Pokémon Go Lunar New Year: Dragons Unleashed Global Challenge: All bonuses

Throughout the Lunar New Year: Dragons Unleashed event Niantic is running a Global Challenge that can unlock additional features and encounters.

Trainers around the world will need to work together and make a combined 1,000,000,000 Nice Throws at any point before the end of the event on Feb. 11. If that goal is achieved, Niantic will set three different rewards live for the duration of the event following the Global Challenge’s completion. These include:

  • Featured Attacks
    • Certain featured Pokémon will learn new attacks after evolving. Six total Featured Moves were teased: two Ground-type, a Fairy-type, a Dragon-type, and a Normal-type move. 
  • Wild Encounters
    • Seven extra Pokémon will begin appearing in the wild with boosted encounter odds. Six of them can also be Shiny. 
  • Extra Raids
    • Two additional Pokémon will appear during event raids; one in one-star and one in three-star raids.

Don’t forget to finish your Timeless Travels Special Research before the season ends at the end of February.

Author
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Cale Michael
Lead Staff Writer for Dota 2, the FGC, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and more who has been writing for Dot Esports since 2018. Graduated with a degree in Journalism from Oklahoma Christian University and also previously covered the NBA. You can usually find him writing, reading, or watching an FGC tournament.