Pokémon Go Update Includes Legendary Pokémon, Niantic Confirms

Developer Niantic has been celebrating the one-year anniversary of Pokémon Go throughout July and the latest birthday announcement will give fans something major to look forward to. Niantic confirmed Thursday Legendary Pokémon will be coming to the game. Check out a teaser for the update via YouTube below:

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Within the game, Legendary Pokémon will appear alongside several new updates. Legendary Eggs will appear at gyms periodically and can show up to potentially be caught when groups of trainers beat a Legendary Raid Boss. However, Legendary Pokémon can’t be left in gyms to defend them.

The announcement is also tied to Niantic's inaugural Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago's Grant Park July 22. As part of the real-world event, attendees will be first be tasked with catching enough Pokémon during the festival. If they catch enough Pokémon, the game’s first Legendary Pokémon will be revealed and they’ll then have to fight it. Once attendees beat the Legendary Pokémon, it’ll be unlocked for players worldwide. Niantic will host streams for the Fest on Twitch and YouTube.

The update from Niantic comes alongside a batch of new updates the developer has pushed for Pokémon Go. Earlier this year, Niantic revamped the game’s gym system and added Raid Battles, a new mode that encourages players to work together to defeat rare Pokémon. The developer has also made a renewed effort to fight against hackers and exploit users in the game by either banning them or discouraging them from using cheats.

Niantic also plans to launch additional long-awaited updates for Pokémon Go later this year. CEO John Hanke previously said that the studio has features including player-vs-player combat and in-game trading in the works. Pokémon Go Fest is also one of several real-world events Niantic has planned for the game this summer, thanks to a partnership with the John S. And James L. Knight Foundation announced earlier this year.

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Since its hit launch last July, Pokémon Go has seen a rollercoaster of attention among regular players. While the game hasn’t necessarily recaptured the mania of its initial release, Pokémon Go has still been a financial boon for Niantic and the Pokémon series. Analyst firm Sensor Tower estimates that the game is still bringing in around $1.5 million to $2.5 million daily for Niantic.

The game has also come alongside similarly strong performance for the Pokémon franchise at large. Thanks to hits like Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, parent company Pokémon Co. saw profit increases of around 2,500 percent this year.