"We're going to skip Articuno entirely": Pokemon GO fans not thrilled with Shadow Articuno's raid return

Although Pokemon GO seemed to be offering Shadow Moltres as a Shadow Raid boss in November 2023, early indications by data miners and content creators suggested that Shadow Articuno would appear the first weekend of November instead. This ended up being true, but some trainers weren't happy, with fans like Tpabayrays2 on Reddit remarking:

"We're going to skip Articuno entirely."

Despite representing a change from Shadow Moltres for the first week of November, Pokemon GO players chafed at Shadow Articuno's return so soon after its three-month-long debut. With Shadow Raids remaining a relatively new feature, plenty of trainers remarked they would have preferred a Legendary Pokemon that hadn't already appeared before.

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Pokemon GO fans lament the "surprise" return of Shadow Articuno in Shadow Raids

Current Shadow Raid Bosses - From Saturday, November 4, 2023, at 6:00 a.m. local time.(Shadow Articuno / and more) byu/GO_FRIEND_APP inTheSilphRoad

There's nothing wrong with Shadow Articuno reappearing in raids, as it does present the opportunity for trainers who missed the chance to battle/catch it in the Season of Hidden Gems. Be that as it may, if Niantic was going to sneak a limited-time Shadow Raid boss into November's rotation, many Pokemon GO players would have preferred a critter that hadn't appeared before.

To this point, Pokemon GO's Shadow raids have hosted each of the Kanto region's Legendary Birds, but trainers opined that there was much more potential to be had. Taking to social media, some fans remarked that the Legendary Beasts Entei, Raikou, and Suicune would be great additions, for example.

Pokemon GO fans decry Shadow Articuno returning to raids so soon (Image via Reddit)

Since Shadow Articuno was a huge part of the 5-star Shadow Raid rotation during Summer 2023, it's only natural for players to grow tired of it grabbing the top spot. Considering how many great Shadow Legendary Pokemon are available in the game, bringing back Articuno so soon left many trainers disgruntled.

Since Niantic didn't exactly announce Shadow Articuno's return, many even assumed the news released via players in New Zealand and by the GO Friend app was a mistake. However, this wasn't the case, leaving trainers befuddled as to why Niantic wouldn't think outside the box with its unspoken Shadow Raid inclusion for November.

Considering Shadow Articuno was available for months beforehand, why is it back so soon? (Image via Reddit)

The frustrations of Pokemon GO trainers were exacerbated by the fact that Shadow Raids can't be joined remotely, prompting many to state that getting a team of friends together to battle Shadow Articuno once again simply wasn't worth the effort. Sure, some players may have missed out on the Legendary Ice/Flying-type, but they're likely in the minority.

Though Shadow Raids will likely re-introduce Shadow Moltres in the coming weeks of November, it's quite clear that trainers are frustrated with the three Kanto Legendary Birds swapping in and out. There are many more Shadow Legendaries that would generate interest in the rotation, but fans have been left wondering when they'll get their time in the spotlight.