Following the third annual Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago, Niantic has announced they will bring back the Legendary Pokémon Raikou for an upcoming Raid event, in addition to other bonuses. The recent event lasted four days, making it the first official Pokémon Go Fest event to do so. Niantic reported more than 60,000 attendees at the event and 287,000 nearby players in the surrounding Chicago area.
To reward players for participating, Raikou will be available in Raids on Saturday, June 29 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM local time. Players will also be able to receive up to five free Raid Passes—which players need to participate in Raids—during the event. Shiny Raikou may also make an appearance to some lucky players.
During Pokémon Go Fest, there was a Global Challenge that all players around the world could participate in. Those who did were able to unlock special Candy rewards, and can continue to do so until 1:00 PM local time on June 25, as players will receive twice as much Candy as usual for catching Pokémon and hatching Eggs. Additionally, Niantic guarantees players will receive one Rare Candy per raid they participate in. Eggs will hatch at half the distance normally required.
Though Raikou won’t be in Raid battles quite yet, Kyogre is currently available in Raids until June 27, the second Legendary Pokémon brought back for Raids in the month of June. Players even have a chance at encountering Shiny Kyogre. The final Legendary Pokémon of the three that returned to the game this month, Groudon, will appear starting at 1:00 PM on June 27.
Two more Pokémon Go Fests are slated to take place this summer. From July 4-7, a Pokémon Go Fest will occur in Dortmund, Germany. Following this event, the next one will take place on August 6-12, in Yokohama, Japan. Niantic will continue to hold Global Challenges during these Pokémon Go Fests to enable other players around the world to participate from a distance.