Pokemon GO Accidentally Reveals Upcoming Legendary Dynamax Raids

A leaked, then deleted, tweet from the official Pokémon GO Saudi Arabia Twitter account revealed upcoming Dynamax Raids featuring Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno. These raids are slated to run from January 20th to February 3rd. This would mark the first appearance of Dynamax legendary Pokémon in Pokémon GO, following the introduction of Dynamax Pokémon in September 2024.

The Kanto legendary birds are long-time fan favorites. While they've previously appeared in standard raids (including their Shiny forms), and their Galarian counterparts appeared in Daily Incense (with Shiny variants available since October 2024), their Dynamax forms represent a significant addition. The quick deletion of the announcement suggests the information may have been prematurely released.

The inclusion of these iconic legendary Pokémon in Dynamax Raids could boost the popularity of Max Battles, which have faced criticism for their difficulty, particularly the requirement of 40 players for successful completion. The challenge level of these upcoming legendary Dynamax Raids remains unknown. The potential for other iconic legendary Pokémon, such as Mewtwo and Ho-Oh (featured in Dynamax form in Pokémon Sword and Shield), to receive similar treatment in future Max Raids is also suggested.

This leak arrives amidst a flurry of Pokémon GO event announcements for early 2025, including 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 announcement of the host cities for Pokémon GO Fest 2025 (Osaka, Jersey City, and Paris).