Pokémon Go Update Kicks Off New Team Rocket Aerial Invasion Event

Pokémon Go players logging in from today are likely to find a strange object chasing their shadow from above. The villainous Team Rocket, having failed to accomplish its goal of overtaking the mobile game’s Poké Stops, has come up with a new hair-brained scheme that involves aviation. No, we’re not talking about traditional aircraft, but something else. Something suitably humorous and a perfect fit for the series’ hapless antagonists – hot air balloons.

So, how do you know if Team Rocket is spying on you from the skies and, more importantly, what can you do about it? In answer to the first question, you’ll either need to play with your in-game camera zoomed out in order to spot one of the balloons or keep an eye on the environment around your avatar. Should a patch of earth turn darker than usual, this will be your cue tilt the camera up. Simply tapping on the balloon will start an encounter.

Similarly to existing Rocket Stops, any members of the group found inside will need to be defeated in a Pokémon battle, with rewards for emerging victorious including the chance to catch a rare Shadow Pokémon as well as Mysterious Components. When combined, these enigmatic devices will reveal balloons being manned by Team Rocket’s three leaders. Defeat them and construct the Super Rocket Radar and you’ll even have a chance of squaring off against the head honcho himself, Giovanni.

If this is your first time encountering Team Rocket and their corrupted captives in Pokémon Go, you can check out our guides on how to defeat and purify the poor souls, as well as find a list of all the currently available Shadow Pokémon by hitting the respective links. Good luck!