'Pokémon Go' will serve up free goodies on Christmas Day

We hope you like catching new Pokémon, because that's what these two events are all about.
 By 
Adam Rosenberg
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

More like Pokémon Ho-Ho-Ho, amirite?

December has already brought more Pokémon to more places (including Apple Watch), but developer Niantic has one, last treat. And it's a festive Christmas surprise.

Starting on Dec. 25 and ending on Jan. 3, Pokémon Go players will have an increased chance of receiving Togepi, Pichu and other newly added Pokémon from hatched eggs. The Santa hat-wearing Pikachu that's been popping up will also be a more common occurrence.

You can't hatch eggs in Pokémon Go without an incubator, and the event takes that into account. Every day between Dec. 25 and Jan. 3, players will receive an incubator from their first PokéStop visit.

But wait, there's more. Niantic is hosting a separate event that starts on Dec. 30 and ends on Jan. 8. During that time, the three starter Pokémon — Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle -- and their bigger, badder evolutions — will appear more frequently in the world.

What's more, to up your chances of nabbing a Charizard, Blastoise, or Venusaur even further, lures will last for 60 minutes instead of the usual 30.

Got all of that? Good. There's a lot happening to keep Pokémon Go fans occupied over the next couple weeks.

Topics Gaming Pokemon

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Adam Rosenberg

Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.

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