The Pokémon GO January 2026 Community Day Classic, a highly anticipated in-game event, spotlighted Piplup, the Penguin Pokémon, on Sunday, January 4, 2026. The main event ran from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time, allowing trainers globally to encounter Piplup more frequently in the wild. Lucky players also had an increased chance of finding its Shiny variant. A significant draw of the event was the opportunity to evolve Prinplup, Piplup's evolution, into Empoleon from the start of the event until 9:00 PM local time to obtain an Empoleon that knew the powerful Charged Attack Hydro Cannon. This exclusive move is particularly beneficial for battles in the GO Battle League, making Empoleon a strong contender. Various in-game bonuses were active during the Community Day Classic, enhancing the player experience. These included a 1/4 reduction in Hatch Distance for Eggs placed into Incubators during the event. Additionally, Incense (excluding Daily Adventure Incense) activated during the event lasted for three hours, and Lure Modules remained active for one hour, effectively attracting more Piplup to PokéStops. Trainers could also complete January Community Day Classic–themed Field Research tasks, earning rewards such as Stardust, Great Balls, and extra Piplup encounters. For a nominal fee of US$1.99, players could access a Special Research story, offering further rewards like additional Piplup encounters with a special background, a Premium Battle Pass, and Rare Candy XL. The event was widely covered by credible gaming news outlets like Bleeding Cool News, Dexerto, and Pokemon GO Hub, confirming its details and significance to the global Pokémon GO community.