No, your eyes do not deceive you, aspiring Pokemon masters, Niantic has finally made official the arrival of legendary ‘Mons to the shores of Pokemon GO, the first of which will debut at this weekend’s fan festival. Announced via a flashy new trailer (above) to mark the occasion, the likes of Zapdos, Moltres and Articuno are shown hatching from oversized eggs, whereupon hordes of players proceed to battle the one-of-a-kind beasts in the hopes of catching them.
But of course, you likely want to know how to go about catching one of the rare beasts, to which the answer is what we’ve all been suspecting, ever since the release of Raid Battles. Like the datamined update suggested, legendary Pokemon will appear randomly in Gyms which, when hatched will signal the beginning of a Legendary Raid. Trainers will then need to team up in order to wear it down into submission, wherein they’ll be in with a chance of catching said critter.
However, before you start taking a road trip around the country looking for them, do note that they’ll only begin to appear following the conclusion of Pokemon GO Fest in Grant Park, Chicago, and only if attendees are able to collectively topple the very first legendary Pokemon present there. If all phases of the event (read more about those here) are successfully completed, then the mythical creatures will be free to spread their wings and take up residence at any Gym.
Niantic has yet to reveal which legendary will be first to debut at the event but, alongside the aforementioned trio of birds, Generation 2 legendaries Lugia and Ho-Oh are present in the trailer, as is Mewtwo, though only for a brief moment towards the end of the video.
Whatever the outcome, be sure to stock up on Poke Balls and get your squad well and rested for July 22 – they’re going to need all the help they can get!