Mewtwo is Finally Coming to POKÉMON GO! (But Not for Everyone)

Chicago’s Pokémon GO Fest in July was a bit of a swing and a miss for Niantic. The idea behind it was great and players eventually got access to battle legendary birds Articuno and Lugia, but problems with the app during the day of the event turned it into a big mess. Still, introducing the legendary birds led to Pokémon GO making a ton of money, more than it had in months. And now, players are in for yet another treat: Mewtwo is finally coming to Pokémon GO (via Polygon).

Earlier today in Yokohama, Japan, a Pokémon GO Fest-like event, the Pokémon GO Stadium event, was held, during which players were able to catch a Mewtwo of their own. Some English-speaking players were there, and they gave us our first look at what the legendary Pokémon looks like in game:

Soon, players from all over will be able to take a crack at Mewtwo, via the new Exclusive Raid Battle feature, Niantic says. They won’t be quite the same as your traditional raid battles, though, and not everybody will be able to participate, because there are some prerequisites:

“Exclusive raids will periodically appear at Gyms around the world; however, unlike existing raids, Trainers will be invited to join an Exclusive Raid Battle. To receive an invitation to participate in an Exclusive Raid Battle, Trainers must have successfully completed a raid recently, by defeating the Raid Boss, at the Gym where the Exclusive Raid Battle will be taking place. The invitations will include advance warning of when the Exclusive Raid will take place, giving them ample time to coordinate with other Trainers before taking on the powerful Raid Boss.”

As for the legendary birds, Niantic says they’ll still be out in the world until August 31st, so now sounds like a great time to be a Pokémon GO fan. Are you going to try and get some legendaries for yourself? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Featured image: The Pokémon Company