Summary
- Blacephalon and Stakataka are region-locked Ultra Beasts coming to Pokemon GO in May, expanding the Pokedex for players globally.
- Pokemon GO players can only catch Blacephalon in the Western Hemisphere and Stakataka in the Eastern Hemisphere during specific Raid events.
- Niantic's region exclusivity for certain Pokemon in Pokemon GO continues to spark controversy among trainers, impacting gameplay strategies.
Niantic has announced that Blacephalon and Stakataka are finally coming to Pokemon GO, but their debuts will be region-locked. Pokemon GO continues to expand its Pokedex, and this time, it will add two Ultra Beasts. With this, Pokemon GO trainers will finally be able to expand their collections by adding more Pokemon from this remarkable group that debuted in Gen 6.
Ultra Beasts are a group of extradimensional Pokemon with unusual designs that make several appearances in Pokemon GO events. One of the most notable was the Ultra Beast Arrival event, where seven of the 11 Ultra Beasts appeared as a reward for Pokemon GO players who won one to seven Raids. After the debut of Poipole in Pokemon GO this year via new Special Research, two of the Ultra Beasts left to be added to the game were Blacephalon and Stakataka. But Niantic recently brought good news for Pokemon GO players and revealed that the duo's debut is close to happening.
Pokemon GO’s New Biome is Showing Up in Some Unexpected Places
Pokemon GO players are puzzled to discover one of the game's new biomes in places it doesn't match up to at all on the real world map.
Pokemon GO announced that Blacephalon and Stakataka are finally debuting in the game, but there's a catch: the Pokemon will be region-locked. Through its official Twitter account, Pokemon GO has revealed the calendar of events for May, confirming that the last two Ultra Beasts will be available from May 23 to June 1 in 5-star Raids. The detail is that Blacephalon will only be available to players in the Western Hemisphere, and the powerful Rock/Steel-type Stakataka will only appear in Raids for trainers in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Region Exclusivity Is Not a New Mechanic in Pokemon GO
While Pokemon GO players can find a wide range of Pokemon in the wild, several critters are only available in specific regions. Some examples include the blue, red, and yellow variants of Flabebe, the red-striped and blue-striped Basculin, and even two of the Ultra Beasts. Kartana and Celesteela returned to Pokemon GO last month, and while the first Pokemon was exclusive to the Northern Hemisphere, the second was only available in battles in the Southern Hemisphere.
Region exclusivity is a controversial aspect of Pokemon GO, with some trainers accusing Niantic of using this limitation as a way of promoting in-person Raids after the nerf on remote Raids. Niantic, for its part, shows no signs of giving up this mechanic. For players dissatisfied with Pokemon GO's region-exclusive critters, they can continue to take part in events and try remote Raids to increase their Pokemon collections in the augmented reality game at the best of their efforts.
Pokémon GO
- Released
- July 6, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
Pokémon GO is an immersive open-world multiplayer RPG that enables you to live your own RPG adventure in augmented reality. Find and evolve all Pokémon and battle with other players in AR online in this multiplayer adventure RPG.
COMPLETE YOUR POKÉDEX AND INCREASE YOUR TRAINER LEVEL!
Catch your favourite Pokémon as you explore the open world in augmented reality, trade them with other Trainers, or get the chance to catch a Pokémon after winning a Raid. You can also collect Pokémon by hatching eggs through walking! Evolve your Pokémon in your Pokédex, gain levels to catch more powerful Pokémon and earn adventure rewards during a Raid in multiplayer or online PvP battle.
EXPERIENCE THE ADVENTURE IN MULTIPLAYER AND PvP!
Start your own adventure and challenge other Trainers online in PvP during epic Gym battles or in the GO Battle League. You can also enjoy multiplayer by facing off with other players in PvP battles to win rewards, or team up with other Trainers for a chance to catch Pokémon after a Raid Battle.
CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE!
Customise your avatar, join one of the three teams and pick your Buddy Pokémon from your Pokédex to journey by your side in this AR adventure RPG.
SWITCH BETWEEN THE REAL WORLD AND THE VIRTUAL WORLD WITH THE AR+ MODE!
Bring the RPG to the real world and search for Pokémon in locations around you. With the AR+ mode, Pokémon appear right in front of you — Catch it with your PokéBall and add it to your Pokédex.
Catch your favourite Pokémon in AR as you explore the world and battle online with other Trainers in PvP and Raid battles.
