Pokémon GO Steeled Resolve event — Orthworm debut

Pokémon GO has a new headliner this week, and it’s a weird one — Orthworm, the giant steel earthworm from Paldea. That matters because this isn’t just another themed spawn pool. Niantic tied Orthworm’s debut to one of the better utility events in the game, with 2× catch Candy, faster Mystery Box access, and the return of Shiny Meltan. The event started Tuesday, April 28, at 10 a.m. local time and runs until Monday, May 4, at 8 p.m. local time. (pokemongo.com) ### What’s actually new here? Orthworm is making its Pokémon GO debut during Steeled Resolve, and Niantic also switched on its shiny from day one. That last part is the big deal. A lot of new Pokémon arrive without their shiny form, then get drip-fed later. Orthworm skipped that wait, so collectors are getting the full hunt immediately instead of parking the species in storage and forgetting about it. (pokemongo.com) ### Why is Shiny Meltan back? Because Niantic tied the event to the Mystery Box again. During Steeled Resolve, players can open the Mystery Box more often — the cooldown drops to one day — and Shiny Meltan is available from those encounters for the event window. Basically, if you’ve ever meant to connect Pokémon GO to Pokémon HOME and never bothered, this is the week that makes it worth doing. (pokemongo.com) ### What are the best bonuses? The cleanest bonus is 2× Candy for catching Pokémon. That’s useful on its own, but it pairs especially well with Steel-type spawns and Meltan farming. The daily Mystery Box refresh is the other standout. Niantic also boosted Team GO Rocket grunt Stardust through the event, which matters more than it sounds if you’re stacking battles for resources. (serebii.net) ### What can you catch in the wild? The event leans hard into Steel-types. Wild encounters include Pokémon like Magnemite, Pineco, Beldum, Ferroseed, Togedemaru, and Orthworm, with some species carrying shiny chances if you get lucky. That means the event works on two levels — new Pokédex entry if you just want Orthworm, or deeper resource grinding if you still need XL Candy and shinies on older lines like Beldum. (pokemongo.com) ### Is there paid content too? Yes — there’s event-exclusive Timed Research sold as a ticket, plus regular event Field Research. The paid track adds more encounters and items, but the core news here is still available free. Orthworm’s debut, the shiny chance, the Candy bonus, and Shiny Meltan access are not locked behind the ticket. That keeps the event feeling broad instead of paywalled. (pokemongo.com) ### Where does Team GO Rocket fit in? This week is doing double duty. Steeled Resolve overlaps with a Taken Over phase that starts April 30, so the game shifts from simple catching into Rocket battles, shadow hunting, and extra event pressure. Turns out that makes the week busier than the Orthworm headline suggests — more like a Steel-type event layered onto a Rocket mini-season. (msn.com) ### So who should care? Collectors should care because Orthworm and Shiny Meltan are both live now. Resource grinders should care because 2× catch Candy and the one-day Mystery Box timer are efficient, not flashy. And lapsed players should care because this is the kind of event Pokémon GO rarely(msn.com)app every day this week. (pokemongo.com) ### Bottom line? Steeled Resolve is really an Orthworm debut wrapped in a very practical grind event. If you only have time for one thing before Monday night, make it this: catch Orthworm, open a Mystery Box, and don’t waste the daily reset. (pokemongo.com)