Pokemon GO's first major region exclusive event, Pokemon GO Fest, is just a few days away. Although not everyone can make it to the main event in Chicago, other players around the world still have a chance to participate from a distance thanks to the worldwide challenges. Players in the designated regions should take a look at the schedule now and start blocking off chunks of time for Pokemon hunting.

For those unsure about how the big challenge events work, here's the deal. There will be three challenge windows where Pokemon GO players all over the world will try to catch as many Pokemon as possible. Trainers at Grant Park in Chicago will rack up bonus modifiers for all Pokemon GO players by catching Pokemon of specific types, and those elsewhere will want to focus on catching any and every thing to reach a gold tier rating.

The event is meant to encourage trainers in big cities around the world to get out and work together to earn special rewards.

Here's a look at the schedule, courtesy of Reddit...

If the trainers are able to hit the gold tier, a mystery challenge will begin in Grant Park. Niantic is keeping the details of the mystery challenge a secret for now, but many players are assuming that it has something to do with catching a legendary Pokemon or participating in a special Battle Raid. (maybe a level 5?). If the mystery challenge is completed, it will unlock an “extra-special bonus” for Pokemon GO players on a global scale.

In the spirit of mystery, that extra-special bonus is also a secret until July 23. Unlocking this high level reward will require a major turnout from players around the world, so hopefully the event's buzz is able to get enough people interested to take part. It would definitely be a shame if there wasn't enough participation to reveal the secret rewards.

Pokemon GO is available now in select regions on Android and iOS devices.

Source: Reddit