Pokémon Go is set to introduce Gold Bottle Caps, rare items that will allow players to boost a Pokémon’s stats to a perfect 100%, a coveted “hundo” among fans. However, acquiring these items won’t be easy or cheap.
The introduction of Bottle Caps marks a new frontier for the game, offering a gameplay advantage – better, stronger stats for chosen Pokémon – in exchange for money.
The first Gold Bottle Cap will be offered as part of the new $19.99 event pass, GO Pass Deluxe: Ancients Recovered, available from Monday, June 23 until Sunday, June 29. This pass is the most expensive yet, with previous passes costing $7.99 or $14.99. It also marks the first time players will experience overlapping event passes, as the monthly June pass will still be active.
While a free version of the Ancients Recovered pass will be available, the Gold Bottle Cap will only be offered in the Deluxe version, a paid upgrade. The free pass includes an encounter with a Legendary Pokémon (from the Regi family), three Pikachu wearing “dapper” costumes, plus Stardust, XP, and other items. The paid upgrade adds Zacian and Zamazenta masks for in-game avatars, premium in-game items such as Incense, an Incubator, and Lure Modules, as well as the Gold Bottle Cap.
Purchasing the premium upgrade via the Pokémon Go Web Store grants additional items, including 10 Max Revives, 10 Max Potions, five Premium Battle Passes, five Max Particle Packs, a Max Mushroom, and an Incubator. The even more premium GO Pass: Deluxe: Ancients Recovered + 10 Ranks bundle unlocks the first 10 event pass tiers immediately and comes with even more Incubators when acquired via a Web Store purchase.
The game’s community anticipated the announcement of Gold Bottle Caps for months after dataminers discovered traces of the feature within the game’s code. Fans have discussed various concepts for their implementation, including cost and impact on game balance.
Ahead of the announcement, IGN spoke with Pokémon Go game director Michael Steranka, who said the feature was designed to ensure Pokémon Go would not become pay-to-win.
“We have been really careful with the design for Bottle Caps,” Steranka told IGN during an interview at Go Fest 2025 in Paris. “That’s something where, if we weren’t thoughtful with the integration, it could really destroy the economy of the game.”
“An item like a Bottle Cap is only going to be available very, very rarely,” he continued. “And because of that, we don’t feel that players will be able to just spend their way to having the best of the best of everything. And even once you obtain a Bottle Cap, it’s actually going to be quite a lot of effort for people to Hyper Train their Pokémon to get their stats up.”
Once unlocked via the event pass and applied to a Pokémon, a Gold Bottle Cap will initiate a new feature, Hyper Training, requiring players to complete tasks to slowly level up the Pokémon’s stats over time. Raising a Pokémon’s Attack stat requires battling using the Pokémon while it is set as the player’s Buddy. Boosting defense will be possible by strengthening the bond with the Buddy, by playing together, exploring, and catching other Pokémon. Leveling up HP involves exploring alongside the trainee as a buddy, spinning PokéStops, earning Buddy Candy, or via other adventures.
Steranka emphasized that the further gameplay required would help protect game balance. “It’s not something that is just an immediate, you know, spend money and then get powerful Pokémon type of a system,” he said.
Prior to the official announcement, players expressed concerns about how often Gold Bottle Caps would be offered and emphasized the need for them to be provided sparingly to preserve game balance and avoid pressuring players to spend money.
The announcement describes Gold Bottle Caps as “extremely rare” and states that “obtaining one is a special occasion, so select your trainee wisely!” When asked about the frequency of their availability, Steranka said the exact frequency was still to be announced but confirmed they would remain rare and not be always available via Pokémon Go’s in-game shop.
Players compared the expected frequency to that of the ultra-rare Master Ball item, which Pokémon Go has offered a handful of times over the past few years. Some fans believe a high cost would be justified due to the rarity of finding a 100% stat Pokémon through other means, such as paying for hundreds of chances to encounter the creature through raids.
Prior to the announcement, players wondered whether other forms of Bottle Cap would be available, which might raise a Pokémon’s stats by a fraction or be offered for free. However, only Gold Bottle Caps, which maximize stats, will be available at launch. “Right now we’re launching with the Gold Bottle Cap, and that will enable you to train with a Pokémon to take any Pokémon up to max stats,” Steranka confirmed.
