‘Pokémon Go’ Legendaries Update: Moltres, Zapdos Release Dates Announced After Disastrous Fest

Niantic has revealed the release dates for Legendary Birds Moltres and Zapdos. Get more information below.

It seems Niantic is giving “Pokémon Go” players what they’ve been asking for since rumors about the arrival of Legendary Pokémon into the game swirled early this year. John Hanke’s company has now announced the official release dates for Legendary Birds Moltres and Zapdos.

Release Dates & Availability

Just a few days after finally introducing Articuno to Trainers, Niantic is now preparing to launch Moltres and Zapdos. The Legendary Fire/Flying type Pokémon Moltres is scheduled for release next Monday, July 31. On the other hand, Electric/Flying type monster Zapdos is coming to the world of “Pokémon Go” on Aug. 8, according to Eurogamer.

Niantic has also disclosed the availability of the three Legendary Birds. Flying/Ice type Articuno, which was released in the game last July 22, will only spawn until July 31. Moltres will only be present in the game until Aug. 7, while Zapdos will disappear after Aug. 14. Therefore, Trainers are encouraged to go all out and grab the chance to catch the Legendary Birds when they become available.

READ: ‘Pokémon Go’ In-Game Bonuses Extended After Chicago Event Fiasco

Lugia & Ho-oh

While Niantic divulged the pertinent details regarding Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos, the company did not reveal as to when will Lugia continue to be available in the game. Lugia was the first Legendry to be announced for “Pokémon Go.” The Flying/Psychic Pokémon was supposed to be introduced in Raid Battles during the Pokémon Go Fest last weekend. However, due to the technical issues that turned the celebration into a disaster, Niantic decided to just give the Pokémon to all registered attendees of the event. Lugia has also been spawning in the game since July 22.

The only remaining Legendary Bird that has yet to join the mix is Ho-oh. The Fire/Flying type Pokémon is rumored to be joining the flock of Legendaries soon, but no specific date has been provided as of late. Based on some mined data, Ho-oh and Mewtwo have the highest base attacks in the game — even higher than what Alakazam and Dragonite can offer. This explains why many are excited for the Legendary Bird’s arrival.

Pokémon Go Fest Debacle

Meanwhile, Niantic has published another blog post regarding the disappointing special anniversary event that was staged in Chicago’s Grant Park this past weekend. The event was supposed to be a fun gathering of all Pokémon Trainers, but it turned into a disaster due to several factors. In Niantic’s new blog post, it is blaming technical issues and network congestion for the fiasco.

READ: Chicago Pokemon Go Fest Attendees Given Ticket Refunds, Technical Failures Plague Event

“Technical issues with our game software caused client crashes and interfered with gameplay for some users,” Hanke wrote. “The gameplay issue was resolved with a server configuration change and the crashes were also addressed for many but not all users.”

Hanke then added, “A more protracted problem was caused by oversaturation of the mobile data networks of some network providers. This caused many attendees to be unable to access Pokémon GO or other Internet services. Network congestion also led to a login issue which affected some users able to access the Internet. This latency-related login issue was addressed with a second Niantic configuration change.”

Despite the problems that transpired during the first Pokémon Go event, Hanke appears to be more resolute in continuing what they started. They will continue to hold real-world meet-ups so that players can collaborate on taking down the Legendaries. The next festival is set to happen in Yokohama, Japan and the succeeding ones will be held in certain parts of Europe.