Update, October 12, 2026: the August 2026 Mega Raid rotation has ended. This page has been corrected (the earlier per-boss type notes for Mega Aggron and Mega Gyarados were wrong) and now serves as a record of the rotation, plus an evergreen explainer on Mega Energy and Mega Levels. For current bosses, see the October 2026 events calendar.
Alongside the headline 5-star Legendary rotation, August 2026’s Mega Raid tier rotated between five bosses: Mega Aggron, Mega Blaziken, Mega Garchomp, Mega Swampert, and Mega Gyarados. Unlike Legendary raids, Mega Raids reward Mega Energy for the specific species raided, making them the most efficient way to unlock or refresh a Mega Evolution you don’t already have banked.
Not sure how Mega Energy costs and Mega Levels actually work? Our Mega Evolution explained guide breaks down the full system.
Event Recap: What Happened
The August 2026 Mega Raid rotation ran through five bosses. Dates below are Leek Duck’s local-time windows (each started on a Wednesday at 6:00 AM and ended on a Tuesday at 10:00 PM; Pokémon GO Hub says raid pools change at 10:00 AM, so treat the exact hour as approximate).
| Mega boss | Dates (2026) | Type | Weak to | Good counters (Pokémon GO Hub database) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Aggron | July 29 to August 4 | Steel | Fighting, Fire, Ground | Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Lucario, Mega Delphox, Mega Blaziken |
| Mega Blaziken | August 5 to 11 | Fire/Fighting | Flying, Ground, Psychic, Water | Mega Mewtwo Y, Mega Rayquaza, Mega Starmie, Primal Kyogre |
| Mega Garchomp | August 12 to 18 | Dragon/Ground | Ice (double weakness), Dragon, Fairy | White Kyurem, Mega Mewtwo Y, Black Kyurem, Mega Rayquaza |
| Mega Swampert | August 19 to 25 | Water/Ground | Grass (double weakness) | Mega Sceptile, Kartana, Mega Chesnaught, Mega Venusaur |
| Mega Gyarados | August 26 to September 8* | Water/Dark | Bug, Electric, Fairy, Fighting, Grass | Mega Lucario, Mega Mewtwo X, Keldeo (Resolute Forme), Mega Blaziken |
*Mega Gyarados was not available August 31 to September 4 (during Mega Ascension) and returned September 5 to 6 for Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Mega Finale, according to Leek Duck. Shiny Aggron, Garchomp, Swampert and Gyarados were confirmed by Leek Duck’s text; for Blaziken and the Mega forms themselves, shiny status was not spelled out there.
Pokémon GO Hub’s August calendar also lists a Super Mega Starmie Raid Day on August 22, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, which sat outside the normal Mega rotation. We could not confirm it on a second source.
Note on types: in Pokémon GO, Mega Aggron is listed as pure Steel and Mega Gyarados as Water/Dark, so older assumptions (Aggron as Steel/Rock, Gyarados as Water/Flying) lead to the wrong counters.
How Mega Raids Work (Evergreen)
Mega Energy
- Beating a Mega or Super Mega Raid boss rewards 150 to 250 Mega Energy for that species, depending on how fast you finish (Bulbapedia). Super Mega Raids give more, per Niantic.
- The first Mega Evolution of a species costs 100, 200, 300 or 400 Mega Energy depending on the Pokémon (Mewtwo is a special case at 7,500).
- Each Mega Evolution lasts eight hours. Bulbapedia lists a storage cap of 50,000 per Mega Energy type since May 23, 2026; verify this in game.
Mega Levels and re-activation
Mega Levels run Base, High, Max and, since February 2026, Super Max. Higher levels cut the cost of re-evolving and shorten the rest period before a free re-evolution. Bulbapedia’s figures for a Pokémon with a 200 Mega Energy initial cost:
| Mega Level | Re-activation cost (200-cost species) | Rest period |
|---|---|---|
| Base | 40 | 7 days |
| High | 20 | 5 days |
| Max | 10 | 3 days |
| Super Max | 5 | 24 hours |
The cost falls during the rest period and reaches zero when it ends. Trading a Mega-Evolved Pokémon resets its Mega Level.
Why bring a Mega
Mega Evolved Pokémon boost allies in raids and gyms: x1.3 damage for moves matching the Mega’s boosted types and x1.1 for others, with the highest bonus applying and no stacking. You do not get your own bonus. Check any boss’s weaknesses against our type chart.
What To Do Now That It Has Ended
- Keep Mega Energy for the species you plan to use; it is species-specific.
- Re-use your counters. Grass, Ice, Water and Fighting attackers from this rotation remain relevant across raids; see best attackers by type.
- Check the October 2026 events calendar and Live Now for the current Mega boss. Leek Duck’s raid page listed Mega Blastoise in October.
Will It Return?
We only verified the 2026 dates above, so we cannot point to documented earlier or later runs for this exact lineup. Niantic announces rotations on its own schedule, and no return date for these bosses has been announced.
Related Guides
- Pokémon GO events in October 2026
- Beginner’s guide to raids
- Raid counters tool
- Best attackers by type
- Type chart tool
- Pokémon GO raids hub
Sources: Leek Duck: Mega Aggron; Mega Blaziken; Mega Garchomp; Mega Swampert; Mega Gyarados; Leek Duck raid bosses; Pokémon GO Hub: August 2026 events; Pokémon GO Hub database counters for Aggron, Blaziken, Garchomp, Swampert and Gyarados; Bulbapedia: Mega Evolution (GO); Bulbapedia: Mega Energy; Pokémon GO: Mega Evolution 2026 update.
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