The wait is finally over, with the official announcement that Legendary Pokemon will arrive soon in Pokemon Go. These won’t just pop up randomly though, they’ll instead be a part of Legendary Raids and will have to be unlocked by players during the upcoming Pokemon Go Fest in Chicago and around the world.
“If Trainers everywhere catch enough Pokémon during Pokémon GO Fest on July 22, 2017, the debut Legendary Pokémon will be unveiled,” reads the announcement.
“Then, Pokémon GO Fest attendees in Grant Park will be able to encounter this Legendary Pokémon in an epic Raid Battle. If they defeat it, the Pokémon will appear at Gyms across the globe beginning July 23. Mark your calendars for July 22 to start catching as many Pokémon as you can to help your team. The Trainers at Pokémon GO Fest will also be taking part in fun activities that will unlock other in-game rewards for the entire Pokémon GO community, too.”
So it all comes down to Pokemon Go Fest, with players at the event and around the world able to influence whether or not Legendary Pokemon appear for all players. No specific numbers have been set by Niantic, so it’s anyone’s guess how many Pokemon need to be caught. Hopefully the number is reasonable and the battle goes well so that everyone can get a chance at legendaries.
Even if they don’t though the announcement makes it clear that this is just the beginning. Legendary Pokemon have arrived in Pokemon Go, and even if this event doesn’t go well, expect to see them popping up at gyms more and more throughout the year.
They’ll work like how regular Raids do, with players working together to defeat the Pokemon. Once beaten players will have a chance to catch it. However, it seems that Legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Go won’t be able to defend gyms, instead just being available as attackers.
