Pokémon Go players are being overwhelmed by April Fool's Ditto

Pokémon Go dittos climbing palm trees
(Image credit: Niantic)

Pokémon Go's April Fool's Day event is here once more and, like last year, a Ditto influx is upon us.

Throughout April 1 (from 12am to 11:59pm local time), Ditto will run amock in Pokémon Go. That means you can expect the purple trickster to be disguised as other pokémon as part of its own April Fool's joke. And you'll also have the chance to encounter a rare Shiny Ditto.

Between 5pm and 8pm local time, Ditto will appear more frequently masquerading as other pokémon in the wild. You may even encounter other shiny pokémon. These are all of the pokémon that Ditto may appear as in that time period:

  • Ekans
  • Gastly
  • Natu
  • Surskit
  • Finneon
  • Dwebble
  • Swirlix

Not enough Ditto content for you? Well, you'll also be able to pick up Ditto-themed stickers from PokéStops and by opening gifts – though you can purchase them from the shop too.

Dittos everywhere

While a Pokémon Go event is always exciting, the real draw for this one is the ability to capture Shiny Dittos. We're already seeing plenty of players capturing Shiny Dittos while they have the chance – after all, they're extremely rare and the last time we had the opportunity to catch them was during last September's Special Research Task.

See more

There are a couple of things worth noting for catching a Shiny Ditto though. Firstly, as Ditto is appearing as other pokémon, you may catch an average-looking pokémon that could transform into a Shiny (or normal) Ditto. However, if you encounter a shiny pokémon then it can't transform into Ditto at all.

Vic Hood
Associate Editor, TechRadar Gaming

Vic is TechRadar Gaming's Associate Editor. An award-winning games journalist, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer and more to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's also an avid mental health advocate who has appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.