Pokémon GO’s GO Pass: Ancients Recovered Might Be the Perfect Reason to Return to the Game
I was there when Pokémon GO first took over the world. Summer 2016—parks packed, phone batteries dying, and the sweet chaos of seeing a hundred people bolt toward a wild Snorlax. Like plenty of others, I drifted away over the years. But this new update? It’s got that spark.
From Monday, June 23 at 10:00 a.m., Pokémon GO is rolling out a brand-new feature called GO Pass: Ancients Recovered, and it just might be the reason lapsed players give it another go.
At its core, the GO Pass is a free, limited-time progression track. By collecting GO Points, you’ll climb ranks and earn in-game rewards - simple, no-nonsense, and actually pretty generous. It runs until Sunday, June 29 at 6:00 p.m. local time, and from June 23 to 27, players can earn up to 1,000 GO Points a day just by playing. Then, on June 28 and 29, that cap disappears. Go hard.
It’s free, it’s automatic, and it rewards you just for being active. That’s a pretty low barrier to jump back in.
A New Kind of Treasure: The Gold Bottle Cap
If you’re willing to level up your grind, there’s also GO Pass Deluxe: Ancients Recovered, a paid version (USD $19.99) available through the Pokémon GO Web Store. That’s where things get interesting.
One of the major draws? The Gold Bottle Cap.
This is a one-time-use item that unlocks Hyper Training for one of your Pokémon. As long as it’s a Good Buddy or higher, you can pick which stats to train - perfect for players looking to fine-tune their team. Gold Bottle Caps are extremely rare, and this one expires on Sunday, July 6, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. local time, so don’t sit on it.
Choose your trainee wisely, because you may not get another shot at this for a while.
Free, Paid, or Both - The Choice Is Yours
Even if you don’t drop a cent, the GO Pass still offers a decent reward loop for the week. But if you do go Deluxe, you’ll get both sets of rewards (free and premium), and you can even unlock everything retroactively -so no stress if you upgrade a few days in.
Key details to keep in mind:
Event window: June 23, 10:00 a.m. to June 29, 6:00 p.m. (local time)
Rewards expire: June 29, 11:59 p.m.
Gold Bottle Cap expires: July 6, 11:59 p.m.
It’s not often an event feels like a true incentive to come back, but Ancients Recovered is one of those times. There’s something here for casuals, grinders, collectors - and yes, even people like me who fell off the wagon years ago. Legendary giants, rare items, and a smart, accessible progression track? That’s the formula.
If it’s been a while since you opened the app, maybe this is the week to dust off your Poké Balls and see what’s changed.
