Pokemon GO: Niantic Confirms Release Dates For Zapdos And Moltres

Niantic’s been having a tough time of it lately, what with the disastrous affair that was Pokemon GO Fest and the subsequent fallout thereafter, but the developer is certainly doing its best to make amends for the recent unfortunate events. The long climb back into fans’ good graces began with the gift of a free legendary Pokemon – Lugia – to everyone who attended the event, as well as the release of Articuno into the wild, where Trainers all over the world can currently catch the icy beast by participating in Legendary Raids.

But what about the rest of the mythical avian trio, you ask? Well, as per a post on its blog yesterday, Niantic CEO John Hanke confirmed that both Moltres and Zapdos will be making their debut over the next couple of weeks, beginning with the former. Starting July 31, Team Valor’s fire-breathing mascot will begin taking ownership of Gyms around the globe, offering a new challenge to those wanting to complete the mobile title’s Pokedex.

Do take note, though, that Moltres’ arrival will coincide with Articuno’s departure, so if you’ve yet to catch him, you’ve got less than a week to do so. The same deal will apply when Zapdos swoops in to test Trainers’ resolve on August 7, so you’ll want to keep one eye fixed on surrounding Gyms at all times.

You can find all the relevant details below:

• Articuno (Team Mystic) released on Saturday, July 22 and available through Monday, July 31.
• Moltres (Team Valor) to be released on Monday, July 31 and available through Monday, August 7.
• Zapdos (Team Instinct) to be released on Monday, August 7 and available through Monday, August 14.

As for what’s next after Zapdos’ deadline; Niantic has yet to announce anything, although given that his day of departure coincides with an upcoming event in Japan, it’s not a stretch to imagine that he’ll be replaced by Lugia’s counterpart Ho-Oh, thereby rounding out the entirety of the series’ legendary birds.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens on that front, but in the meantime, let us know in the comments how your recent Pokemon GO adventures have been going, and whether you’ve managed to snag yourself a rare legendary ‘Mon.