Legendary Pokemon are officially coming to Pokemon Go. Earlier today, Niantic Labs announced a ton of new gameplay features for their popular mobile app, including a massive overhaul of their gym system. Included in the announcement was the reveal of a new “Raid” feature that will see powerful Pokemon appear in gyms for a short time. Players will have to work together to defeat these “Raid Bosses” to earn a chance to capture them and earn special items.
Although not mentioned in the press release, several websites are reporting that the new gym system will be how Legendary Pokemon are introduced to Pokemon Go. These websites spoke to Niantic officials during E3 and got a look at the raid system firsthand. According to multiple sites, including Massively Overpowered, players who are active in the new gym gameplay will be given a special code that will give them access to a Legendary Pokemon at a later date.
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This is an interesting solution to the Legendary Pokemon conundrum and one that encourages players to stay involved in the game. It makes sense to reward the most active players with a chance at Legendary Pokemon, instead of limiting access to live events that all players can’t attend. However, giving out codes to top players won’t exactly attract a lot of casual players back to the game either.
What’s unclear is whether this code will unlock a special raid event OR whether it’ll unlock a different sort of encounter. It’s even possible that the code is some sort of giveaway similar to how the main series Pokemon games often distribute Mythical Pokemon. The code system also doesn’t preclude Niantic from bringing Legendary Pokemon into normal raids at a later date.
We’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out more news about the Legendary Pokemon, but it’s nice to see that Niantic officially has plans in place to finally get these Pokemon into action.
More Pokemon: Pokemon Go Announces Gym Closure Date / Pokemon Game Confirmed in Development for Nintendo Switch / Pokemon Go Teases Plans for Exciting New Playground Feature / Pokemon Go to Host First Official Live Event in Chicago / More New Features Teased for Pokemon Go / Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Announced / Legendary Pokemon and More Confirmed for Pokemon Go This Summer
