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, hinted at the event running from January 20th to February 3rd. This would mark the first appearance of legendary Dynamax Pokémon in Pokémon GO, following the September 2024 introduction of Dynamax mechanics.
The Kanto birds remain incredibly popular within the Pokémon community. Their previous appearances in standard raids, alongside their Shiny variants, cemented their status as fan favorites. While the Galarian forms were introduced in 2023 Daily Incense spawns (with lower spawn rates), and Shiny Galarian versions became available in October 2024, the prospect of Dynamax versions is generating significant excitement.
The leak suggests a potential boost to the popularity of Dynamax Raids. 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 birds remains to be seen. The inclusion of these iconic Pokémon, however, could encourage greater participation. The success of this event could pave the way for other legendary Pokémon, such as Mewtwo and Ho-Oh (seen in Dynamax form in Pokémon Sword and Shield), to receive similar treatment.
This leak follows a busy start to 2025 for Pokémon GO, with numerous event announcements. Confirmed events include a Community Day Classic featuring Ralts on January 25th, a Shadow Raid Day on January 19th with Shadow Ho-Oh, and the availability of up to seven free Raid Passes from Gyms. Furthermore, the host cities for Pokémon GO Fest 2025 have been revealed as Osaka, Jersey City, and Paris.
