Pokemon Go: Lugia Raid Event Canceled, Cobalion Will Stick Around A Bit Longer

[UPDATE] Developer Niantic has announced that the scheduled Pokemon Go Lugia Raid event has been canceled. The event was originally set to run from March 24-31. Niantic has not yet announced if the Lugia Raid event will be rescheduled; however, the developer is keeping Cobalion in the game as a Go Battle League reward encounter until March 31.

This is only the latest event to be suspended due to ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. March's Community Day, which was originally slated for March 15, was similarly canceled, while the Safari Zone events scheduled to take place this month in St. Louis, Liverpool, and Philadelphia were postponed indefinitely.

Out of safety concerns, Niantic has made it easier to play Pokemon Go from home. The developer has increased daily bonuses and made other changes to the game, including increasing the number of gifts you can open each day and introducing 1 PokeCoin bundles to the in-game store. You can read more about these changes on the Pokemon Go website.

The original story follows.

Cobalion has once again left Pokemon Go, but another Legendary Pokemon is set to return to the game very soon. Lugia, the cover monster from Pokemon Silver, will reappear in Raid Battles for a limited time starting tomorrow, March 24, and this time around, it'll know a special move.

You'll be able to encounter Lugia in five-star Raids until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on March 31--the same time that Landorus is set to make its debut in Pokemon Go. Like Cobalion before it, Lugia knows a special event-exclusive move this time around: Aeroblast. Not only that, but you have a chance of encountering a Shiny Lugia as well.

If you can't make it out to Raids, Niantic is offering another way to catch Lugia. The Legendary Pokemon will also be available as a Go Battle League reward encounter until March 31. You can read more details on the official Pokemon Go website.

As previously mentioned, immediately following Lugia's departure, Landorus--the third and final member of the Forces of Nature trio--will make its debut in Pokemon Go. Landorus will be available until April 24. As with Lugia and Cobalion, you'll be able to encounter the Legendary in Raids or as a Go Battle League reward.

In the meantime, the Mythical Pokemon Genesect is also still available in the game. You can catch the powerful Bug/Steel Pokemon through a Special Research story called A Drive to Investigate, which is underway until March 26. However, you need to purchase a virtual ticket to participate in the event. Genesect will also appear in EX Raids starting in April.