With Pokemon Go still going strong a year after launch, fans have started to question when one of the biggest staples of the series, legendary pocket-sized monsters, will be joining the fray. Based on a recent statement from the developers, it looks like those much coveted critters might be making their way into the popular mobile game very soon.
During the 21st Annual Webby Awards, when host Joel McHale wasn't cracking wise about how much we all love the internet, the developers at Niantic managed to bring home five Webby Awards for Pokemon Go. When brought on stage to celebrate all those trophies, Niantic's Archit Bhargava gave an acceptance speech that was short, sweet, and seems to be pointing to a timeframe for something big.
This summer will be legendary.
How badass is that? The guy just waltzes up on stage, drops that single line and struts away knowing he's said everything he needed to in order to create a fresh frenzy over Pokemon Go.
For those who don't follow Pokemon, legendaries are basically the biggest, baddest monsters you can catch in each iteration of the game. The dual versions of each new Pokemon game usually focus on one legendary apiece, though more than two might appear in a given game. For the most recent Pokemon games, Sun and Moon, those included Solgaleo and Lunaala. As is usually the case, they're the impressive-looking creatures featured prominently on the box.
As for which legendary Pokemon will appear in Pokemon Go, nothing has been confirmed just yet. However, it seems pretty reasonable that players can expect Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres, as they are the three massive bird 'Mon that serve as the mascots for the game's trio of teams, Mystic, Instinct and Valor. Then again, maybe Niantic is going to throw us a curveball.
Just as intriguing as which legendaries will be coming to Pokemon Go is what role they will play in the game. Some are speculating that they'll pop up on the map from time to time and either serve as a specialized gym or offer some sort of unique mini-game to play. Others are hoping that they'll be integrated in a way that encourages lots of players to gather and battle the beasts at once, basically like a raid in an MMORPG. Either way, we also don't know if players will be able to add in-game legendaries to their collection after they've been defeated, but it stands to reason that that is exactly how things will play out.
Niantic has been great about keeping fresh content and activities coming to Pokemon Go, so we figure these legendary encounters will be a big part of whatever summer festivities they have planned. Heck, unleashing legendary Pokemon to celebrate the game's one-year anniversary seems like pretty good timing in our book.
