'Pokémon Go' Legendary Birds: Rumored release event date for Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos

Pokémon Go Gen 2 has officially begun, but we're still waiting for the Legendary Birds from Gen 1 — Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos — to appear in the game. Hopefully, Niantic won't take too much longer to introduce the birds now that it's 2017.

When Pokémon Go launched, it drew the Pokémon in its Pokédex from Pokémon Red and Blue, the original "main games" in the series. Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos — numbers 144 through 146 in the Gen 1 Pokédex — haven't shown up yet in Pokémon Go. But now that Gen 2 Pokémon are officially in the mix, it's difficult to believe we won't see the remaining Gen 1 Pokémon appear pretty soon.

Pokémon Go Legendary Birds: Where do Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos come from?

The thing about Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos is that they are tied to the story in Pokémon Red and Blue. They're a trio of final bosses that the player has to track down in order to fight and (hopefully) catch.

Pokémon Go has no story, however, and so there's no dramatic moment by which Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos could be introduced. Some sort of holiday or special event would be the obvious venue for players to meet Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos in Pokémon Go. Niantic hasn't revealed any plans for future events in 2017, but we would be pretty surprised if the birds don't show up sometime in the near future.

More Pokémon Go news, tips, tricks and updates

If you're ready to hunt Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos you may also want to check out Mic's other Pokémon Go tips and tricks. Here are guides on the 98 Gen 2 Pokémon that have yet to be added to the game, how to catch Gen 2 baby Pokémon, how to catch Pikachu and his adorable new Christmas hat, our analysis of post-update Chansey and Rhydon, everything you need to know about finding the long-awaited Pokémon Ditto, how to create new PokéStops, how to maximize your chances of catching Pokémon and how PokéStops distribute Pokémon eggs.