When is Shadow Zapdos returning to Pokemon GO?

Pokemon GO's Adventures Abound season is underway, and trainers are gearing up for another four months of new content and features for the mobile title. Among them is a rotation to the Shadow Raid system, with Shadow Mewtwo departing into the dark for now to give way to a new 5-star Shadow Raid boss. Specifically, fans can expect to see a lot more of Shadow Zapdos throughout the season.

In addition to 1-star and 3-star Shadow Raids in Pokemon GO, Shadow Zapdos will be taking the top spot as the raid variant's new 5-star boss. This gives trainers plenty of opportunities to battle and capture the corrupted Legendary Pokemon. They can also capture its shiny form for the first time in the mobile title.

But when will Shadow Zapdos make its grand return to Pokemon GO in the Adventures Abound season? The good news is that you won't have to wait long.

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When will Shadow Zapdos return in Pokemon GO's Adventures Abound season?

Pokemon GO players ready to spot Shadow Zapdos during Adventures Abound will want to get used to spending time in the game on weekends. According to Niantic's scheduling, 1-star and 3-star Shadow Raids will take place during the week, and Shadow Zapdos will come out to challenge trainers on Saturdays and Sundays.

This would mean that the first opportunity you will have to battle and capture Shadow Zapdos will be on August 2-3, 2023. During this time, you should keep an eye out for any gyms that Team GO Rocket's boss Giovanni is inhabiting, as his presence indicates that the sinister group has instigated a Shadow Raid.

Once you spot Giovanni, it's just a matter of checking the top of the gym to see if Shadow Zapdos awaits you. As long as you have standard raid passes and a team of Ice and Rock-type Pokemon with quality IV stats and CP, you should be primed to take on Shadow Zapdos in these weekend raids.

You will want to still battle Team GO Rocket and undertake lower-tier Shadow Raids though, as these can provide you with Shadow Shards that can be combined into Purified Shards. These nifty items are capable of keeping Shadow Raid bosses from getting enraged and boosting their stats, which is huge for battling Shadow Zapdos.

If you can't battle and catch Shadow Zapdos on August 2-3, there's no reason to worry. During the Adventures Abound season, corrupted Legendary Pokémon are slated to re-appear on Saturdays and Sundays. This will provide ample chances to snag a Shadow Zapdos and maybe even a shiny one.

With that having been said, there's no time like the present, and you will only benefit from preparing ahead of time. Even if you're out of luck the first weekend that Shadow Zapdos appears, there will be more chances in subsequent weeks to turn that bad luck around. You simply have to keep trying, and you're bound to be rewarded.