Ultra Unlock: Steel and Scales is a global event in Pokémon GO, running from July 22 to July 27, 2025, unlocked by Trainers’ efforts during GO Fest 2025. This event introduces Honedge, Doublade, and Aegislash to Pokémon GO, the long-awaited Shiny Rookidee debut, and boosted Shiny rates for Bagon and Beldum. On top of that, enjoy powerful bonuses like 4× XP and 4× Stardust!
This guide lists all the wild spawns, raids, bonuses, research and shiny-boosted Pokémon you can encounter during the Steel and Scales event in Pokémon GO.
Quick event overview:
- 📅 Dates: July 22 (10 a.m.) – July 27 (8 p.m.) local time
- ⭐ Bonuses: 4x XP, 4x Stardust
- ✨ Shiny: Debut of shiny Rookidee. Plus increased chance to encounter Bagon and Beldum, plus Unown U
- 🆕 Debuts: Honedge, Doublade and Aegislash
Event Details
Date & Time
Pokémon GO Ultra Unlock: Steel and Scales event runs from July 22 to July 27, 2025.
-
Tuesday, July 22, at 10:00 a.m. to Sunday, July 27, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. local time
Event Bonuses
The following bonuses will be active during the Steel and Scales event:
-
Debut of Honedge, Doublade and Aegislash
-
Debut of Shiny Rookidee
-
Increased chance to encounter Shiny Bagon and Shiny Beldum
-
Increased chance to encounter Shiny Unown U from
raids
-
4× XP for catching Pokémon
-
4× Stardust for catching Pokémon
Pokémon Debuts
Honedge, Doublade and Aegislash debut in Pokémon GO
Honedge
Honedge, the Sword Pokémon, makes their Pokémon GO debut during the Steel and Scales event! Honedge can evolve into Doublade and then into Aegislash. You can use 25 Honedge Candy to evolve Honedge into Doublade and 100 Honedge Candy to evolve Doublade into Aegislash.
How to get Honedge
- During the event, Honedge will appear as a Tier 1 Raid Boss
- During the event, Honedge will appear in both GO Battle League reward tracks starting at Rank 6. It will appear more frequently in the premium track.
- After the event, Honedge will appear in both GO Battle League reward tracks starting at Rank 16. It will appear more frequently in the premium track.
How to evolve Honedge into Doublade and Aegislash
| Pokémon | Requirements | Evolution |
|---|---|---|
|
Honedge
|
1×
Honedge
Candy
|
Doublade
|
|
Doublade
|
100×
Honedge
Candy
|
Aegislash
|
Shiny Rookidee debuts in Pokémon GO
Rookidee
For the first time in Pokémon GO, you’ll be able to encounter Shiny Rookidee—if you’re lucky! Here is what the Rookidee family looks like in their shiny versions:
| Rookidee | Corvisquire | Corviknight |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
Wild Encounters
The following Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild:
Rare Spawns
Some Trainers may even encounter the following:
Raids
One-Star Raids
The following Pokémon will be featured in one-star raids:
Three-Star Raids
The following Pokémon will be featured in three-star raids:
Related raid guides: Skarmory Raid Guide, Bisharp Raid Guide, Dragalge Raid Guide and Turtonator Raid Guide
Field Research
Complete Event-themed Field Research tasks to earn XP, Stardust, and encounters with event-themed Pokémon.
Collection Challenge
Complete Collection Challenges to receive XP, Stardust, and encounters with event-themed Pokémon.
Tips for the Steel and Scales Event
- Use a Star Piece + Lucky Egg combo to maximize the 4× XP and Stardust bonuses.
- Don’t ignore Beldum – its final evolution, Metagross, is one of the best Steel-type attackers and gets Meteor Mash on Community Day.
- Stack GBL wins to grab as many Honedge as possible while they’re easy to access.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the dates for the Ultra Unlock: Steel and Scales event in Pokémon GO?
The Steel and Scales event runs from July 22 at 10:00 a.m. local time to July 27 at 8:00 p.m. local time.
Which Pokémon have boosted Shiny rates during the Ultra Unlock: Steel and Scales?
Bagon and Beldum have increased Shiny encounter rates throughout the event in the wild. Unown U has an increased shiny rate when encountered from Raids.
How can I find Honedge in Pokémon GO?
Honedge can be found in Tier 1 raids during the Steel and Scales event, as well as being a GO Battle League reward from Rank 6 upwards. After the end of the event, it will be a GO Battle League reward for Rank 16 upwards. In GO Battle League rewards it will always appear more frequently in the premium track.
What are Ultra Unlock events?
Ultra Unlock events are special bonus events unlocked by Trainers worldwide during Pokémon GO Fest 2025. These limited-time events often feature rare spawns, exclusive debuts, Shiny releases, and powerful gameplay bonuses—like 4× XP and Stardust.
Steel and Scales is the second Ultra Unlock event of July 2025, following the Hisui Celebration earlier in the month.
