The Ultra Unlock: Battle Weekend event was held by Niantic this past weekend in Pokémon GO. The Ultra Unlock: Pokémon GO 6th Anniversary Event included this smaller and more focused event. This weekend’s battle-themed gameplay has been documented for your viewing pleasure.

What worked in this Pokémon GO event

Team GO Rocket’s starters now have access to Shiny-capable Shadows as part of their new rotation. Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle are all part of this new rotation, which at first seemed almost too good to be true. This was by far the best part of the event, and since we are still seeing the Shadow Starters three months after the event ended, we should have plenty of time to catch up with them now. With this new event feature, Team Rocket leader counters will be significantly improved for the rest of this year as well, making it an excellent addition.

Bonuses from Team GO Rocket were the most powerful, affecting both GO Battle League and raids in a positive way. In addition to being able to TM our way out of a frustrating Shadow Pokémon encounter, we received a balloon every two hours and double Components from Grunt encounters.

Giovanni-focused Special Research: This new Shadow Legendary debuted in the game with a Giovanni-focused Special Research. On top of that, we had to do a lot of Timed Research. It’s a refreshing change of scenery.

What didn’t work in this Pokémon GO event

In order to make the 6th Anniversary Event even more powerful, it was combined with this event, which already had a strong following. It’s still aggravating, though, to see how slowly Niantic moves through its events. The TCG Event last month had barely enough content to fill a single day but lasted two weeks, while this Battle Weekend had more than enough content to support an entire week or more.

Overall

Ultra Unlock: Battle Weekend was an exceptional Pokémon GO event, despite the fact that it could have and should have been longer.

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