Pokemon GO’s Might and Mastery Season Culminates in Urshifu Debut and Evolving Challenges
Get ready, Trainers! Pokemon GO's Might and Mastery season is reaching its climax, and it's bringing some exciting new challenges and debuts. The highlight? The arrival of Urshifu, the Legendary Pokemon, alongside a host of events and bonuses. But not all is celebratory, as some players are expressing frustration over the game's evolving requirements.
Urshifu's Grand Entrance in GO Battle Week
Urshifu is finally making its Pokemon GO debut during GO Battle Week: Final Strike, running from May 21st to May 27th, 2025. This event unlocks the final stage of the Might & Mastery Season-Long Special Research. You'll also find featured Raid Bosses to test your mettle against.
Evolving Kubfu: A Matter of Preference and Persistence
Players can evolve their Kubfu into either the Single Strike Style or Rapid Strike Style Urshifu, each with unique dual-typing (Fighting/Dark or Fighting/Water, respectively). However, the evolution process in Pokemon GO isn't as straightforward as in the mainline games. To evolve, players will need 200 Kubfu Candy and must defeat 30 Dark-type (for Single Strike) or Water-type (for Rapid Strike) Pokémon with Kubfu as their buddy.
A Week Packed with Raids, Events, and More
Beyond Urshifu, May 21st promises a major content update, including event bonuses, increased encounter rates for Pokemon like Mankey and Galarian Zigzagoon, and new Timed Research tasks. Look out for Machop Community Day Classic with Gigantamax Machamp Max Battle Day, Mega Gyarados in raids, Spotlight and Raid Hours.
Community Outcry over Evolution Grind
Alongside the excitement, there's been a notable wave of frustration among players regarding the steep evolution requirements for Kubfu into Urshifu. Some have voiced discontent over the demanding Raid participation needed, particularly due to the close proximity of similar tasks. As one player mentioned, Players basically have to participate in 45 very specific Raid types to get just two Pokemon, which is going to take a lot of time to complete.
This concern is amplified by the cost implications of purchasing Remote Raid tickets, potentially making the event more of a grind than an enjoyable experience.
Spotlight Hour and Weekend Raids
Don't miss the Poochyena Spotlight Hour on May 20th, offering 2x XP for evolving Pokemon. Raid Hour on May 21st spotlights the Lake Trio (Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie) in their respective regions, and also from May 12 to May 25th. Five-star Shadow Raids will be available on Saturdays and Sundays, along with the chance to encounter a Shiny Shadow Regirock. Max Mondays feature Dynamax Sableye in Max Battles, adding even more to the busy schedule.
Will Niantic Respond to Player Feedback?
The Might and Mastery season is bringing a lot to the table, but the controversy surrounding the evolution requirements raises questions. Will Niantic reconsider the demands and strike a better balance between engagement and accessibility? Players are eager to share their viewpoints. Let us know what you think about the requirements for evolving Kubfu and other aspects of the new season in the comments below. Are the evolving requirements too steep or a fair challenge?
