Pokémon GO: astronaut Pikachu appears from 4 to 10 October 2026

What happened

Pokémon GO is reportedly getting a new costume Pikachu called Astronaut Pikachu. The addition is part of a World Space Week campaign and follows the Pokémon Horizons event in the game. The source explicitly notes that this is a new Pikachu variant, not a completely new Pokémon character.

The event period is listed as 4 October 2026 at 00:00 local time through 10 October 2026 at 23:59 local time. Within that window, Astronaut Pikachu should appear in One-Star Raids. That keeps the raid tier accessible, since One-Star Raids are the lowest raid category mentioned in the source.

The source also says players can obtain Astronaut Pikachu through special timed research. That means the Pokémon is being offered through a second event-based method in addition to raids. The available information mentions timed research, but does not provide a task list, exact rewards, or confirmation of whether the research is free or paid.

A Shiny version is also mentioned, though the exact odds are not given. The source only confirms that a Shiny variant may be available during the event, without any additional numbers. It is also not confirmed whether the Shiny rate differs from the standard Pokémon GO event rate.

The provided information links the rollout to World Space Week and places it in the context of the earlier Pokémon Horizons event. Astronaut Pikachu therefore appears to be part of a broader set of themed Pokémon GO activities focused on space and exploration. The source does not mention any extra event bonuses, any other Pokémon in the same campaign, or additional raid bosses beyond Astronaut Pikachu itself.

Background

World Space Week is the thematic basis for this Pokémon GO rollout. Astronaut Pikachu is presented in the available information as a new costume variant within that campaign, with raids and timed research as the acquisition methods. The Astronaut Pikachu name fits the space theme of World Space Week and the earlier Pokémon Horizons tie-in mentioned in the source.

Several details remain unconfirmed. It is not known whether Astronaut Pikachu will remain available after the event, and the source does not confirm whether the raid and research distribution is identical worldwide. The source does give a local-time window, but no regional exceptions or time zone differences. As a result, it is unclear whether all players in all regions will get the same start and end times or whether the rollout may vary by region.

There are also no concrete details yet about the timed research. The source only says that players can obtain Astronaut Pikachu through special timed research. There is no information about the number of steps, the required tasks, the rewards for each step, or any extra conditions. So the only confirmed point is that timed research is a second acquisition method alongside One-Star Raids.

The same caution applies to the Shiny version. The source mentions a chance for a Shiny version, but gives no percentage, no boosted odds, and no confirmation that the Shiny rate is specially adjusted for this event. The only firm conclusion is that a Shiny variant is considered possible during the event window.

The combination of World Space Week, One-Star Raids, timed research, and a possible Shiny version makes this a focused event rollout in Pokémon GO. However, the provided information does not include extra spawn rates, the duration of individual raid rotations, or any additional event content beyond Astronaut Pikachu itself.

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