Legendary Dynamax Raids Incoming on Pokémon GO

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 these raids will run from January 20th to February 3rd. This would mark the first appearance of legendary Dynamax Pokémon in Pokémon GO since the introduction of Dynamax forms in September 2024.

The Kanto birds have consistently been fan favorites. While they've previously appeared in standard raids (including their Shiny forms), and their Galarian counterparts were introduced in Daily Incense (with Shiny variants available since October 2024), this Dynamax iteration represents a significant new addition.

The leak suggests a potential boost to the popularity of Dynamax Raids, which have faced criticism for their difficulty, particularly the requirement of 40 players for successful completion. Whether this challenge will persist with legendary Dynamax Pokémon remains uncertain. The inclusion of these iconic birds hints at the possibility of other legendary Dynamax Pokémon appearing in future Max Raids, mirroring the Dynamax forms of Mewtwo and Ho-Oh seen in Pokémon Sword and Shield.

This leak follows a flurry of Pokémon GO event announcements for early 2025. These 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 confirmed host cities for Pokémon GO Fest 2025: Osaka, Jersey City, and Paris.