Moltres and Zapdos ‘Pokémon Go’ Release Dates: Here’s when the other legendary birds will arrive

By Alex Borkowski

Amid all the scuffle at Chicago’s Pokémon Go fest, Niantic did find time to announce that Gen 2’s Lugia would be released in-game. Since Team Mystic also caught the bulk of Pokémon during the event, their flagship Pokémon, Articuno, would be the first Gen 1 legendary bird released as well.

If you’re a long-suffering Team Instinct member or a die-hard Moltres fan, however, you’re in luck. Niantic has officially announced the capture windows for each Gen 1 legendary bird. Here’s what we know.

Moltres and Zapdos ‘Pokémon Go’ Release Dates: You have a week to catch each one

Pokémon Go gave us the first look at the Gen 1 legendary catch windows in a tweet from the app’s official account on Tuesday night:

Technically, this means Articuno has had the longest catch window, since it started spawning on Sunday, the day after the live event. Moltres coming second might seem a little out of order. But Team Valor caught the second most Pokémon during the Pokémon Go fest, so that’s why the fiery rubber chicken analogue is next up to be released.

The good news for Team Instinct players is that they’ll have the most time to prep counters and build up their stock of revives for Zapdos. If you haven’t caught an Articuno yet, you might want to pick up the pace — it’s not going to be around for much longer.

More Pokémon Go news, updates, tips and tricks

Raids are here — and not just for ordinary Pokémon. Check out our coverage of the legendaries now in-game, Lugia and Articuno. If that’s not enough, check out our tips for making the most of raids and what counters you should focus on finding, as well as what to do with the Golden Razz Berries and TMs you find after completing them. Find out what went wrong at the Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago while you wait for the debut of the European Safari Zones in August and September. Finally, check out some reporting on the issues plaguing rural players a year after launch, how the game created a space for black female gamers and how Pokémon Go can continue to build its community.