A new Pokemon Go update brings back Team Rocket through hot air balloons. Players will be able to battle Cliff, Sierra, Arlo, and the big boss Giovanni.
In the most recent Pokemon Go update, Niantic added a new feature that flies higher than Pidgeots – the Team Rocket hot air balloons. Although this is Team Rocket’s craziest scheme yet, it’s an excellent way for the developers to keep their players entertained even during the lockdown.
Return of Team Rocket
Following days of teasers that the villainous group is making a comeback, black hot air balloons with the infamous “R” logo started appearing in Pokemon Go last Tuesday night.
Balloons will show up at regular intervals but only for Level 40 players and above. Tapping a balloon will trigger a Pokemon battle against a Team Rocket grunt.
The trailers revealed that the balloons would appear wherever the player is and defeating a Team Rocket grunt will release their Shadow Pokemon.
Equipping a Rocket Radar will let players battle Team Rocket leaders Cliff, Sierra, and Arlo. Meanwhile, wearing the Super Rocket Radar will trigger an epic Pokemon battle with the big dog himself, Giovanni.
When do the balloons spawn?
The information posted on Reddit by members of the Pokeminers Discord group shows that players can confront four balloons each day. Here is the schedule of the balloons appearing in their local time zone:
- 12:00 AM to 5:59 AM – First balloon
- 6:00 AM to11:59 AM – Second balloon
- 12:00 PM to 5:59 PM – Third balloon
- 6:00 PM to 11:59 PM – Fourth balloon
Players will need to check their apps throughout the rest of the day to maximize the benefits of this time-limited event.
How to get Rocket Radars?
Pokemon Go’s official website provided a useful detailed guide about Rocket Radars for any player who wants to take advantage of the event.
Players must defeat six Team Rocket grunts to be able to get a “Mysterious Component” item. Once a player has six, they can create their first Rocket Radar. They can create another Rocket Radar by doing the same method or buy one at the shop using Pokecoins.
To obtain a Super Rocket Radar, players must first complete the “Looming in the Shadows” and “A Troubling Situation” Special Research challenges. These challenges particularly require players to defeat the Team Rocket leaders Cliff, Sierra, and Arlo.
Even after equipping the Super Rocket Radar, players will still encounter decoy Team Rocket balloons. However, as long as they have the item, Giovanni will spawn in one of those balloons.
Featured image courtesy of Dexerto/YouTube Screenshot