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 Dynamax legendary Pokémon in Pokémon GO, following the introduction of Dynamax Pokémon in September 2024.
The Kanto birds remain incredibly popular within the Pokémon community. Pokémon GO previously featured them in standard raids, including their Shiny variants. While the Galarian forms were added to Daily Incense in 2023 (with Shiny variants available since October 2024), their relatively low spawn rate has made them less accessible. This upcoming Dynamax Raid event could significantly increase player engagement with these beloved Pokémon.
The leak suggests a potential trend of bringing more iconic legendary Pokémon into Dynamax Raids. Given the Dynamax forms of Mewtwo, Ho-Oh, and others in Pokémon Sword and Shield, this seems a logical progression for Pokémon GO. However, the difficulty of previous Max Raids remains a concern. October 2024 saw player backlash due to the challenging nature of these raids, particularly the requirement of 40 players for successful completion. Whether this difficulty will persist with the Dynamax legendary birds is yet to be seen.
This leak comes amidst a flurry of Pokémon GO announcements for early 2025. Confirmed events include a Community Day Classic featuring Ralts on January 25th, a Shadow Raid Day with Shadow Ho-Oh on January 19th (offering up to seven free Raid Passes), and the reveal of Osaka, Jersey City, and Paris as host cities for Pokémon GO Fest 2025.
