Pokemon GO Community Day is the monthly three-hour event where one featured Pokemon floods the map with boosted Shiny odds, an exclusive move and stacked bonuses. The November 2026 Community Day features Pawniard, and it is one of the most useful Community Days of the Twilight Trails season because it cuts Kingambit's evolution requirement from 15 raids to 1 and hands Kingambit its signature Charged Attack, Kowtow Cleave. This page covers the exact date and hours, every bonus and how long each one lasts, the fastest way to get a Kowtow Cleave Kingambit, the US$1.99 Special Research ticket, and a plan for the day. It applies to the Saturday, November 21, 2026 event and is checked against the official Pokemon GO announcement, with every detail cross-checked on Leek Duck and Pokemon GO Hub. This page is updated in place each month for the next Community Day.
Quick answer (last checked October 22, 2026, 04:45 UTC): The next Pokemon GO Community Day is Pawniard Community Day on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. Bonuses: 2x Catch Candy, 2x Candy XL chance for level 31+, 1/4 Egg hatch distance, 3-hour Incense and 1-hour Lures. Evolve Bisharp until 9:00 p.m. local to get Kingambit with Kowtow Cleave (85 power in raids and Gyms, 75 in Trainer Battles), and until 9:00 p.m. Kingambit needs only 1 Dark- or Steel-type raid win instead of 15. A Special Research ticket costs US$1.99. The event is free to play.
When is the next Pokemon GO Community Day?
The next Community Day is Pawniard Community Day, Saturday, November 21, 2026, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in your local time zone. The official post went live on October 21, 2026, a month ahead of the event, and Leek Duck, Pokemon GO Hub and Dittobase all list the same date and hours.
Several bonuses run longer than the three core hours. That extra window, 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., is where most of the value of this particular Community Day sits.
| Window (local time, Nov 21, 2026) | What is active |
|---|---|
| 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Increased Pawniard spawns, boosted Shiny chance, 2x Catch Candy, 2x Candy XL chance, 1/4 Egg distance, 3-hour Incense, Field Research, Photobomb |
| 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. | 1-hour Lures, Pawniard at regular Lure Modules, one extra Special Trade (2 total), 50% less Stardust for trades |
| 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. | Bisharp evolves into Kingambit with Kowtow Cleave and needs just 1 Dark- or Steel-type raid win |
| After 9:00 p.m. | Normal Kingambit requirement (15 raids) returns; no more Kowtow Cleave from evolution |
For context, October's Community Day featured Zorua on October 10, 2026. Pawniard lands in a busy November: the Pokemon GO Halloween event Part II runs to November 5, GO Wild Area 2026 Global runs November 14 and 15, Dynamax Trails runs November 16 to 23 per Pokemon GO Hub's November calendar, and the Twilight Trails season ends December 1. The December 2026 Community Day had not been announced as of October 22. For the current week's events, see our Pokemon GO events this week page.
What are the Pawniard Community Day bonuses?
These are the bonuses listed in the official announcement, as mirrored line for line by Leek Duck:
| Bonus | Details | Active |
|---|---|---|
| Increased spawns | Pawniard appears far more often in the wild | 2 to 5 p.m. |
| Shiny chance | Boosted Shiny Pawniard rate; Shiny evolves into Shiny Bisharp and Shiny Kingambit | 2 to 5 p.m. (and Lures to 9 p.m.) |
| 2x Catch Candy | Double Candy for every catch | 2 to 5 p.m. |
| 2x Candy XL chance | For Trainers level 31 and up | 2 to 5 p.m. |
| 1/4 Egg hatch distance | Applies to Eggs placed in an Incubator during the event | 2 to 5 p.m. |
| 3-hour Incense | Excludes Daily Adventure Incense | 2 to 5 p.m. |
| 1-hour Lure Modules | Excludes Golden Lure Modules | 2 to 9 p.m. |
| Extra Special Trade | Maximum of 2 Special Trades for the day | 2 to 9 p.m. |
| Cheaper trades | Trades need 50% less Stardust | 2 to 9 p.m. |
| Photobomb | Snap AR photos to get photobombed by Pawniard | 2 to 5 p.m. |
Two details are easy to miss. First, the 1/4 Egg distance only applies to Eggs you put into an Incubator during the three hours, so a 10 km Egg started at 2:05 p.m. needs only 2.5 km. Second, regular Lure Modules keep pulling Pawniard until 9:00 p.m., and Leek Duck's copy of the announcement confirms those Lure spawns "will still have an increased chance to be Shiny." If you can only play in the evening, a Lure at a PokeStop is your best source of Shiny attempts.
Pawniard is a Dark and Steel-type Pokemon boosted by Fog and Snow weather. Pokemon GO Hub estimates Shiny odds at "around 1 in 20 (5%)" based on typical Community Day rates and notes that "the official announcement does not specify an exact rate."
How do you get Kingambit with Kowtow Cleave?
This is the reason to play this Community Day. The official announcement says: "Evolve Bisharp during the event or up to four hours afterwards to get a Kingambit that knows the Charged Attack Kowtow Cleave." That means any Bisharp you evolve between 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. local time gets the move, including Bisharp you already have in storage.
Kowtow Cleave stats in Pokemon GO (official announcement, via Leek Duck):
| Mode | Power |
|---|---|
| Gyms and raids | 85 |
| Trainer Battles (PvP) | 75 |
Kowtow Cleave is a Dark-type Charged Attack and is Kingambit's signature move in the main series games too. Energy cost and duration were not in the announcement; check them in-game when the move goes live rather than trusting early guesses.
The full evolution path:
- Catch Pawniard and build Candy. Pawniard to Bisharp costs 50 Pawniard Candy.
- Bisharp to Kingambit costs 100 Pawniard Candy plus a raid requirement.
- Normally that requirement is defeating 15 Dark- or Steel-type Raid Bosses with Bisharp as your Buddy, the rule since Kingambit debuted in the Crown Clash event on May 10, 2025 (Polygon, Eurogamer).
- From 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on November 21, the requirement drops to 1 Dark- or Steel-type Raid Boss. Leek Duck's copy of the announcement says this "applies to all of your Bisharp, regardless of whether they are your Buddy Pokemon."
- Evolve before 9:00 p.m. local time so Kingambit learns Kowtow Cleave.
So one Kowtow Cleave Kingambit from scratch costs 150 Pawniard Candy (50 + 100) and one qualifying raid win.
A caution on the buddy rule. Pokemon GO Hub's event page contradicts the official wording: its bonus list repeats that the reduced requirement applies to all Bisharp "whether or not they are your Buddy," but a separate note on the same page says each Bisharp must be set as Buddy for its own raid. We follow the official text. If you only plan one Kingambit, make that Bisharp your Buddy before the raid anyway; it costs nothing and covers both readings. If you plan several, evolve one first and check whether the Evolve button lights up on your other Bisharp before spending more raids. A PSA on r/TheSilphRoad this week makes the same point about order: evolve Pawniard into Bisharp first, then do the raid, so a Bisharp is already in your collection when the win is recorded.
Which raids count for the Kingambit requirement on November 21?
You need to defeat a Raid Boss that is Dark-type or Steel-type. According to Pokemon GO Hub's November 2026 calendar, the five-star bosses from November 9 to 24 are Cresselia and Darkrai. Darkrai is a pure Dark-type, so a Darkrai raid on Community Day counts.
| Raid option on Nov 21 | Type | Counts for Kingambit? |
|---|---|---|
| Darkrai (5-star, Nov 9 to 24, per Hub) | Dark | Yes |
| Cresselia (5-star, Nov 9 to 24, per Hub) | Psychic | No |
| Mega Banette (Nov 16 to 24, per Hub) | Ghost | No |
| Shadow Tornadus (weekend Shadow Raids, Nov 3 to Dec 1, per Hub) | Flying | No |
| One-star and three-star bosses | Not announced as of Oct 22 | Check in-game on the day |
Darkrai is a Mythical five-star boss, so plan a group or join remotely with a Remote Raid Pass. Darkrai is Dark-type, which means Fighting, Bug and Fairy moves hit it super effectively; in Pokemon GO a single weakness is a 1.6x multiplier. If a Dark- or Steel-type one-star or three-star boss shows up in the rotation, it is a far cheaper way to clear the requirement solo. We will add the lower-tier lineup to this page once it is announced. Whether Max Battles count as raids for this requirement has not been stated, so do not rely on them.
Is the Pawniard Community Day Special Research worth US$1.99?
The event-exclusive Special Research costs US$1.99 or the local equivalent. According to the official announcement, rewards include:
- 3 encounters with Pawniard that have a Special Background
- Additional encounters with Pawniard
- 1 Premium Battle Pass
- 1 Rare Candy XL
- "And more"
Leek Duck's step breakdown adds 7,500 Stardust, 10,000 XP, 60 Ultra Balls across three steps, a Charged TM, an Incubator, an Incense, a Rocket Radar and 3 Silver Pinap Berries. Tickets were not yet on sale on October 22. A Pawniard Community Day Ultra Ticket Box with the ticket plus 5 Ultra Balls will be sold on the Pokemon GO Web Store for the same US$1.99, so buy it there rather than in-game. You can gift tickets to Great Friends or higher, and the research has no medal or story.
Our verdict: worth it if you raid. The Premium Battle Pass alone normally costs 100 PokeCoins in the shop, and the Rare Candy XL is the scarce item. Note that a regular Charged TM cannot teach an event-exclusive attack like Kowtow Cleave; only an Elite Charged TM can, so evolve inside the window. If you never raid and only want Shiny Pawniard, the free event is enough. Check our Pokemon GO codes page before buying anything on the Web Store, since some offer codes give free items there.
Free alternatives for Special Background Pawniard: the Community Day Field Research from PokeStops can award one, and checking in at a Community Ambassador meetup on the official event map gives Timed Research with Special Background Pawniard encounters.
What Field Research is available?
Spin PokeStops between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. for Community Day Field Research. Leek Duck lists these tasks:
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Catch 3 Pawniard | Pawniard encounter or items such as 5 Great Balls, 2 Ultra Balls, 2 Pinap Berries or 500 Stardust |
| Catch 5 Pokemon while in a Party | Pawniard encounter with a Special Background |
| Catch 50 Pokemon | Pawniard encounter with a Special Background |
Clear unwanted tasks before 2:00 p.m. so your three slots fill with event tasks.
What is the best plan for Pawniard Community Day?
Here is the order that gets the most out of the day for a free player:
- Before the event: Stock Pinap Berries and Poke Balls, and check your storage for Bisharp. Every Bisharp you already own can become a Kowtow Cleave Kingambit in the evening window.
- 2:00 p.m.: Put Eggs in Incubators straight away for the 1/4 distance bonus, start Incense and spin for Field Research.
- 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.: Pinap every Pawniard you plan to keep. With 2x Catch Candy, a Pinap catch plus a transfer adds up to roughly 13 Candy, so about 12 catches cover the 150 Candy for one Kingambit (our estimate from standard catch Candy rates).
- Late afternoon: Pick your Bisharp. Choose the best IVs for the mode you play, then evolve Pawniard into Bisharp.
- Before 9:00 p.m.: Win one Darkrai raid or a Dark- or Steel-type lower-tier raid, with your chosen Bisharp as Buddy, then evolve to Kingambit and confirm Kowtow Cleave in the move list.
- Evening: Drop regular Lures at PokeStops for extra Shiny attempts and use your second Special Trade at half Stardust.
The easiest way to miss Kowtow Cleave is evolving after 9:00 p.m. Set an alarm for 8:30 p.m. local time.
FAQ
When is the next Pokemon GO Community Day? Pawniard Community Day on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. The December 2026 Community Day had not been announced as of October 22, 2026.
How long do I have to evolve Bisharp for Kowtow Cleave? Until 9:00 p.m. local time on November 21, 2026, four hours after the main event ends. Any Bisharp evolved between 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. gets Kowtow Cleave.
How many raids do I need for Kingambit on Community Day? One. From 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. you only need to defeat 1 Dark- or Steel-type Raid Boss instead of the usual 15. Darkrai, a five-star boss from November 9 to 24, counts.
Does Bisharp need to be my Buddy for the reduced requirement? The official text says the bonus applies to all your Bisharp regardless of Buddy status, but Pokemon GO Hub publishes a conflicting note. Set your chosen Bisharp as Buddy before the raid to be safe.
Is Pawniard Community Day free? Yes. All bonuses, spawns and Field Research are free. Only the event Special Research costs US$1.99.
Can I get Shiny Pawniard after 5:00 p.m.? Yes. Pawniard drawn to regular Lure Modules until 9:00 p.m. still have an increased Shiny chance.
Sources
- Official Pokemon GO announcement: November 2026 Community Day: Pawniard
- Leek Duck: Pawniard Community Day
- Pokemon GO Hub: Pawniard Community Day (November 2026)
- Pokemon GO Hub: November 2026 events calendar
- Polygon: How to evolve Bisharp into Kingambit
Short on time in your other games? timesaver.gg runs boosting, carries and items across a large multi-game catalog.
- All timesaver.gg services — browse the full catalog
