A leaked, then deleted, tweet from the official Pokémon GO Saudi Arabia Twitter account revealed an upcoming Dynamax Raid event featuring the legendary Kanto birds: Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno. The event is tentatively scheduled for January 20th to February 3rd. This would mark the first appearance of legendary Dynamax Pokémon in Pokémon GO.
Dynamax Pokémon were introduced to Pokémon GO in September 2024, but this would be the first time legendary Pokémon receive this treatment. The Kanto birds, along with their Shiny forms, have been popular raid encounters since the game's early days. Galarian forms of these birds were added to Daily Incense in 2023, and Shiny Galarian versions became available in October 2024.
The premature announcement and subsequent deletion suggest the information may have been released ahead of schedule. The inclusion of these legendary birds in Dynamax Raids could potentially boost the popularity of Max Battles, which have faced criticism for their difficulty and reliance on large groups of players. Past Max Raids required 40 players, leading to complaints; whether this will be replicated with the legendary Dynamax Raids remains to be seen.
The addition of these iconic legendary Pokémon to Dynamax Raids hints at the possibility of more legendary Dynamax encounters in the future, mirroring the Dynamax forms of Mewtwo, Ho-Oh, and others featured in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
Pokémon GO's 2025 event schedule is already packed. 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 Pokémon GO Fest 2025 in Osaka, Jersey City, and Paris.
