A very expensive decision, but is it worth purchasing?
This years Pokémon GO Fest brings us a special GO Pass and GO Pass Deluxe, the first we have seen for this premier event. First debuted during the GO Tour earlier this year, Trainers have become accustomed to the Battle Pass style mechanic in the game.
This year, the GO Fest Pokémon GO Pass combines the usual tickets that we would usually see ahead of the event. Gone are the Egg and Raid themed tickets, instead all rolled into the pass.
The good news? The basic GO Pass is free and avaliable for every Trainer worldwide, including encounters, XP, Stardust and some helpful resources. However, there is a Deluxe version and it is expensive!
Prices range from $19.99 all the way to $29.99 in the Pokémon GO Web Store.
The question is, should you spend your hard earned money on the Pokémon GO Pass Deluxe during GO Fest Global? We've got you covered.
Should you buy the Pokémon GO Pass Deluxe?
While the $20 outlay for the GO Pass Deluxe can feel a bit steep, it is important to consider that this pass actually combines some aspects of tickets we usually get at this time of year. The two tickets are usually about $5 each, so that works out for about half of the outlay to get the Deluxe edition.
Deluxe GO Pass bonuses
Those bonuses are spread out across the first 70 levels. Here are all the bonuses:
At purchase
- 1/2 Egg Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed in an Incubator between the start of the GO Pass: Ancients Recovered period and the end of Pokémon GO Fest 2025: Global.
Rank 10
- One additional Raid Pass per day from spinning Gym Photo Discs.*
Rank 20
- 2× Candy from hatching Eggs.
Rank 30
- One additional Candy XL awarded to Trainers level 31 and up for completing 5-star and higher Raid Battles.
Rank 40
- 2× Stardust from hatching Eggs.
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Rank 50
- Three additional Candy awarded for completing 5-star and higher Raid Battles.
Rank 60
- 2× XP from hatching Eggs.
Rank 70
- 5,000 additional XP from completing Raid Battles.
Other Deluxe GO Pass Rewards
If you account those for about half of the cost, what are you getting for the rest of your money? There is a range of things, including:
- 70,000 Stardust (until Level 100)
- Candy for several Pokémon
- Poké Balls, Great Balls, Ultra Balls
- Lucky Eggs
- Star Pieces
- Lure Modules
- Incense
- XP
- 1 Gold Bottle Cap
These things of course carry different value to different Trainers. Whereas some Trainers might really want XP, others will already be Level 50 and not care so much. Some might have a lot of candy for Pokémon like Zacian, others might be in need. Mileage varies.
The Gold Bottle Cap makes the Pokémon GO Pass Deluxe worth it
The main attraction of the Deluxe version is the Level 100 Reward. This will give you the games first ever Gold Bottle Cap, letting you raise all the stats of a single non-shadow Pokémon to maximum from any value.
This is a really powerful tool, and can make a genuinely meaningful change to your Pokémon GO collection. There is a whole host of things to use it on. Consider this, if you've always wanted a shundo Rayquaza, how much would you spend on Raids to get it? That can help soften the blow of the $20 expense of the Deluxe Pokémon GO Pass.
Overall conclusions
Overall, if you can afford it, this is value for money. The bonuses, rewards and Gold Bottle Cap are very useful and combined start to justify the high price tag. Of course, grinding 100 levels is a bit time consuming. You are capped to 10 levels from Monday until Friday, with progress unlimited across the Global GO Fest weekend.
Don't worry about the more expensive bundles, unless you really want a head start on the first 10 levels or need some of the extra items contained.
The Pass isn't value for money if you don't plan to play a lot this week and weekend, as you will not complete it. But if you do, we suggest picking it up and starting your grind this week. A great way to level up is hatching the special GO Fest Eggs that are live now.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest esports news and more Pokémon GO updates.
