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 post, 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 have consistently been fan favorites, previously appearing in standard raids and featuring Shiny variants. While the Galarian forms were added to Daily Incense in 2023 (with Shiny forms available since October 2024), this leak suggests another iteration for the original trio.
The addition of these iconic Pokémon to Dynamax Raids could significantly boost participation in Max Battles, which have faced criticism for their difficulty and reliance on large groups of players. Previous Max Raids, particularly those launched in October 2024, drew negative feedback due to the challenge of assembling 40 players for each battle. Whether similar issues will arise with the Dynamax legendary birds remains uncertain. The possibility of other legendary Pokémon receiving Dynamax forms in future Max Raids, mirroring the Dynamax forms of Mewtwo and Ho-Oh in Pokémon Sword and Shield, is also suggested.
This leak comes amidst a flurry of Pokémon GO announcements for early 2025, including:
- A Community Day Classic featuring Ralts on January 25th.
- A Shadow Raid Day on January 19th featuring Shadow Ho-Oh, offering up to seven free Raid Passes.
- The announcement of Osaka, Jersey City, and Paris as host cities for Pokémon GO Fest 2025.
The unexpected leak adds further excitement to the already packed Pokémon GO event calendar for the start of the new year.
