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Niantic Announces the Season of Legends

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Article by Brian Tein

It's almost time for the end of our first official season in Pokemon Go: the Season of Celebration. Love the new Seasonal system or hate it, it's definitely been an interesting change of pace. However, many have wondered how exactly this system will cement its place in Pokemon Go moving forward, as we've literally only had the one season to draw conclusions from. Well, it's time to put those questions to rest, as Niantic has announced the second season in Pokemon Go: The Season of Legends.

The Season of Legends

Season Start Season End
March 1, 2021 June 1, 2021

As the name of the event eludes to, this season will likely have a heavy emphasis on Legendaries. To start with, the Therian formes of the Forces of nature are coming!

Therian forme is a collective title given to the alternate formes of the Forces of Nature. While their normal (Incarnate) forms are designed to look like genies/djinns, their Therian formes are designed to look more animalistic, as can be seen in their images above. The only real difference is in their stats, as each forme has a unique stat spread currently. However, please keep in mind that the move data that we have now is based on what's programmed into the game, and could change pre-release. Keep in mind that Giratina - Origin Forme had the same moveset as Giratina - Alternate Forme up until right before it was released, so these Pokemon could see the same treatment!

Tornadus has never been an outstanding Pokemon in any regard, as moveset and stats aren't super-favorable to it. But how about its Therian forme? Can this bird soar above its former lackluster powers?

Sadly, no. Tornadus - Therian Forme actually loses a fair chunk of power by comparison, making it even weaker than its base form in raids, and its slight buff in bulk is unlikely to make a large difference in PvP. Tornadus - Therian is definitely the loser of this trio.

Thundurus has never been a great Pokemon either. It's held back primarily by a poor Electric Type moveset that makes it a poor man's Zapdos in raids, and its frailty has left its PvP performance lackluster as well. 

Therian forme... almost overcomes the PvE shortcomings? With a tremendous Attack stat, it has absolutely phenomenal potential in the Raid scene, but its moveset holds it back hard. It's better than normal Zapdos for the most part, but it's still behind even basic Raikou by most metrics.

Landorus - Incarnate is the best of the basic genies. It has always had solid overall performance, especially as a Ground Type attacker, and can even operate as a decent Rock Type attacker. 

And now, say hello to Landorus - Therian: the new best Ground Type attacker in the game! This monster leaves everything in the dust, including the newly released Shadow Mamoswine, and is ready to take its long-awaited, lofty throne... at least until Mega Garchomp and Primal Groudon appear. But even then, it will stay the strongest non-Mega Ground Type for the foreseeable future!

Beyond this trio, we also have confirmation that more Legendary Pokemon will make their debut during this season. Here's a list of the Legendary Pokemon up to our current generation that we still don't have, and keep in mind that this list does not include Mythical Pokemon or Megas/Primals, and new Shadow Legendaries might fit the bill as well:

Yeah, the list really is that short. To date, we've seen all but these Legendary Pokemon (plus Zygarde's alternate formes). By dex number, we only have 3 currently unseen Legendary Pokemon. The Aura Trio from Kalos seems to be the most likely for this, as they were semi-recently teased in the Kalos trailer.

We also have more new Mega Evolutions on the way. we'll update once we know what they are!

To top this off, a large-scale Legendary event is scheduled for the end of the event. Based on the very scarce information given, this may be an event to scale with the Kanto Tour that we've just finished. Could Niantic be planning a large, ticketed event near the end of every season? 

Seasonal Pokemon Change

We can look forward to a new change to Pokemon spawns/eggs. Apparently, we will have general spawns for the Season of Legends, and actual seasonal spawns to represent Spring in the northern hemisphere and Autumn in the southern hemisphere.

Seasonal Bonuses

  • Bonus XP from Five Star raids
  • Free remote raid pass bundles available at specific points in the event

Overall, this season and the events connected to it look promising! We'll be updating our seasons page in the coming hours, and will look forward to what Niantic has in store for our second season in Pokemon Go. 

Full Announcement

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Full Text

Trainers,

During the Season of Celebration, we got to explore and celebrate regions of the Pokémon world, all leading up to Pokémon GO Tour: Kanto! Now, we’re excited to announce the next Season: the Season of Legends!

From Legendary Pokémon to legendary Trainers, this Season will celebrate legends in Pokémon GO. The Season of Legends will run from Monday, March 1, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. to Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time!

Read on for an overview of what you can expect during this Season, and look out for a detailed blog once the Season starts.

More Pokémon will make their Pokémon GO debut in Legendary Raids and Mega Raids!

This Season will start with some Legendary Pokémon making their Pokémon GO debut—Therian Forme Tornadus, Therian Forme Thundurus, and Therian Forme Landorus! Stay tuned for more details. There might be some other Legendary faces making their Pokémon GO debut appearing later in the Season, too!

Starting March 1, different Mega-Evolved Pokémon will be appearing in Mega Raids, and other Mega-Evolved Pokémon will be making their Pokémon GO debut over the course of the Season. Keep an ear out for more details soon, Trainers!

Different Pokémon will be appearing in the wild!

As the seasons change, different kinds of Pokémon will be appearing in different habitats in the wild! For example, you might find Mantine or Frillish appearing near water, or maybe you’ll happen upon a Voltorb or Glameow while in the city! If you happen to be traversing near grassy and forested areas, you might find Hoppip floating peacefully in the air. These and many more Pokémon will be appearing more often in the wild, so keep a lookout and stay tuned for more details!

Hemisphere-exclusive Pokémon

During this Season, the kinds of Pokémon that appear more often in the wild exclusively in either the northern or southern hemisphere will be greatly expanded from last Season!

In the northern hemisphere, you’ll be able to encounter Pokémon like Tangela, Combee, Croagunk, Ducklett, and many more in the wild! First partner Pokémon originally discovered in the Sinnoh region—Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup—will also be appearing in the wild, alongside Spring Form Deerling. If you’re extremely lucky, you might even encounter Pokémon such as Scyther, Dratini, or Cottonee in the wild!

In the southern hemisphere, Pokémon like Mankey, Yanma, Buizel, Woobat, and many more will be appearing in the wild, alongside first partner Pokémon originally discovered in the Unova region—Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott! If you’re extremely lucky, you might encounter a Pineco, Bagon, or Ferroseed. Keep your eyes out for Autumn Form Deerling, too!

Different Pokémon will be hatching from Eggs!

Pokémon like Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Budew, and more will be hatching from 2 km Eggs. Drowzee, Azurill, and Munna will be hatching from 5 km Eggs, and intrepid Trainers might find Nincada, Alomomola, and more hatching from 10 km Eggs! Stay tuned for more details.

Season-exclusive Special Research

Toward the start of the season, all Trainers will be able to access the Season of Legends Special Research. Follow Professor Willow as he makes exciting discoveries about Therian Forme Tornadus, Therian Forme Thundurus, and Therian Forme Landorus, the first three Legendary Pokémon featured during this Season. Complete this Special Research to earn Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus Candy as well as other rewards.

Be on the lookout for bonuses and items throughout the Season!

You can look forward to even more goodies this Season, such as the following bonuses and items.

  • Players can receive increased XP from five-star raids throughout this Season only.
  • Free Remote Raid Passes will be available at certain times during the Season. Stay tuned for more details on when these Remote Raid Passes will be available in the shop!

Throughout the Season, you’ll have even more opportunities to be legendary! March Community Day, GO Battle League Season 7, all-new events, and more will be coming. You can also look forward to a series of events toward the end of the Season that will certainly be legendary.

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change. Be sure to follow us on social media, opt in to receiving push notifications, and subscribe to our emails to stay updated. For the latest on in-game events and feature updates, be sure to check this help center article.

—The Pokémon GO team

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About the Author(s)

Gamepress Pokemon Go site lead with a focus on theorycrafting and gameplay optimization and a background in business management and freelance writing.  A bit of a hermit, but also an outdoors enthusiast who loves cycling and hiking. Long-time Gamepress fan who is very proud to be a part of the team.

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