We’re looking at a big week in Pokemon GO, with the debut of some Pokemon first introduced in the Galar region, the end of a major event, and an ongoing controversy.
Let’s get right into it!
Ultra Unlock 2 Ends
On Tuesday, August 17 at 8pm local time, the Ultra Unlock Part 2 event is ending.
This event was focused on "Space" and followed Part 1, which focused on "Time." With Part 2: Space, some regional Pokemon were made available worldwide, including Heatmor, Durant, both forms of Basculin and Shellos, Heracross, and Kangaskhan.
If you haven’t managed to get your hands on regionals that you don’t have yet, you’ll want to take the opportunity before these Pokemon return to their normal exclusivity.
RELATED: Niantic Confirms That Heracross Has Been Removed From The Wild
Niantic drew criticism after it was revealed that Heracross was actually removed from its normal spawn pool in the region where it appears. This was not announced in advance and was seemingly done to prevent some people from having a heightened chance of catching Heracross’s newly-released shiny form.
Sword & Shield Pokemon Debut
The third and final portion of the Ultra Unlock event series is starting this week, following the end of Part 2. Starting Friday, August 20 at 10am local time, Ultra Unlock Part 3: Sword & Shield begins. As part of the event, some Pokemon originally introduced in the Galar region will be introduced to Pokemon GO. We already have some Galarian forms of earlier-generation Pokemon, but we'll now be seeing the following new Gen VIII Pokemon:
- Skwovet
- Greedent
- Wooloo
- Dubwool
- Falinks
- Zacian (Hero of Many Battles form)
- Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles form)
Additionally, some new shinies will release for Galarian forms and their evolutions:
- Galarian Meowth
- Perrserker
- Galarian Farfetch’d
- Sirfetch’d
- Galarian Weezing
- Galarian Stunfisk
Increased wild spawn rates: Galarian Darumaka, Trubbish, Skwovet, Wooloo, and Falinks
7km Eggs will contain: Galarian Meowth, Galarian Ponyta, Galarian Slowpoke, Galarian Farfetch'd, Galarian Zigzagoon, Galarian Darumaka, or Galarian Stunfisk.
There’s also going to be Timed Research that will grant encounters with Gen VIII Pokemon, Field Research tasks that may reward you with encounters with Skwovet, Wooloo, and Falinks, and new avatar items and stickers.
Shellos Spotlight Hour and Palkia Raid Hour
Tuesday and Wednesday will feature the Spotlight Hour and Raid Hour that they usually do. Here’s more info on each:
Shellos (West Sea) Spotlight Hour
From 6pm to 7pm on Tuesday the 17, in your local time, Shellos (West Sea) will spawn in droves. If you live in the eastern hemisphere where this form does not spawn, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of the increased spawns to add this regional form to your Pokedex.
For those in the western hemisphere, if you managed to get an East Sea Shellos during the Ultra Unlock but don’t have enough candies to evolve it, you should participate in this Spotlight Hour as well. The same Shellos candies work for the evolution of both forms!
The Spotlight Hour bonus will be double catch candy, making this even more appealing.
Palkia Raid Hour
On Wednesday, August 18 from 6pm to 7pm local time, Palkia will be the focus of the weekly Raid Hour event.
There will be a huge increase of Tier-5 raids, most of which will hatch at or around the 6:00 mark. Palkia is also available during its shiny form now, so you may be super lucky and catch a shiny Palkia.
Raid Boss Changeover
Coinciding with the end of one event and the start of another, there’s going to be a new list of raid bosses available to battle starting on Friday with the beginning of the Sword & Shield event (10 am local time on August 20).
Here’s who to expect:
| Tier 1 | Tier 3 | Tier 5 | Mega |
|---|---|---|---|
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While the Ultra Unlock event runs for two weeks, there will be two sets of raid bosses. Those listed above will be in raids from the start of the event until 10am local time on Thursday August 26.
After that, Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles form) will headline Tier 5 raids alongside Mega Pidgeot in Mega Raids. We'll also see Galarian Meowth, Galarian Ponyta, Unown U, and Galarian Darumaka in Tier 1 raids and Snorlax, Galarian Stunfisk, and Falinks in Tier 3 raids. Those raid bosses will stick around until September 1 at 10 a.m. local time.
#HearUsNiantic Continues
The controversy surrounding the reversion of pandemic-related featuresin Pokemon GO is continuing this week, despite a statement from Niantic last week.
Niantic announced that it would be removing some of the bonuses introduced to encourage people to play from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The feature drawing the most ire from the community is the reduction of the PokeStop and Gym radius, meaning you'll need to be closer to each to interact with them. These reductions rolled out in the US and New Zealand at the beginning of the month despite rising cases of the Delta variant.
RELATED: Pokemon GO Petition To Keep Current Distances Reaches Almost 168,000 Signatures
Critics have also pointed out that the increased radius allowed for interaction with PokeStops and Gyms from distances that were safer for other reasons, too, including being able to reach Stops and Gyms in dangerous areas or on private property, as well as making the game more accessible for players with accessibility needs.
Leaders in the Pokemon GO community and even the wider Pokemon fandom signed onto an open letter addressed to Niantic, before the developer released a statement basically saying they'd look into it. They've stated that they are creating a task force to find a balance between safety and their mission of encouraging outdoor exploration.
On that topic, stay safe when venturing outside to play Pokemon GO. Whether you’re going to battle against the new raid bosses, catch new Pokemon, or whatever else, be sure to follow all local health authority guidelines, wear a mask, and keep your distance from other players and the public whenever possible. Bring hand sanitizer and whatever else you might need to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
NEXT: Pokemon GO Community Day Guide
