Pokémon GO Leak Hints at Dynamax Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno Raids
A prematurely released tweet from the official Pokémon GO Saudi Arabia Twitter account revealed upcoming Dynamax Raids featuring the Kanto legendary birds: Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno. The tweet, quickly deleted, indicated the event will run from January 20th to February 3rd. This would mark the first appearance of legendary Dynamax Pokémon in Pokémon GO, following the introduction of Dynamax Pokémon in September 2024.
The Kanto birds remain incredibly popular within the Pokémon community. While previously featured in standard raids (including Shiny variants), and their Galarian counterparts in Daily Incense (with Shiny forms available since October 2024), this Dynamax iteration represents a significant new addition.
The leak, spotted by Reddit user nintendo101, suggests a potential boost to the popularity of Max Raids in Pokémon GO. These raids have faced criticism for their difficulty, particularly the requirement of 40 players for successful completion. Whether this challenge will persist with the legendary Dynamax raids remains to be seen. The inclusion of these iconic Pokémon, however, could entice players previously hesitant to participate.
The possibility of future Dynamax legendary Pokémon, mirroring the Dynamax forms in Pokémon Sword and Shield (e.g., Mewtwo, Ho-Oh), is also raised by this leak.
This news arrives amidst a flurry of other Pokémon GO announcements for early 2025, including:
- Community Day Classic: Ralts on January 25th.
- Shadow Raid Day: Featuring Shadow Ho-Oh on January 19th, with up to seven free Raid Passes available from Gyms.
- Pokémon GO Fest 2025: Confirmed host cities: Osaka, Jersey City, and Paris.
