Pokémon GO Ultra Beasts Return, as players are about to see the Ultra Beasts take over raids once again, with Buzzwole, Pheromosa, and Xurkitree all returning to 5-star raids for a limited time. The event begins on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, and runs until Tuesday, May 19, 2026, giving trainers around the world another shot at catching some of the strangest Pokémon ever introduced to the game.
But there is one catch.
Not every Pokémon GO Ultra Beasts will be available everywhere.
Much like previous Ultra Beast raid rotations, each Pokémon is tied to specific global regions, meaning plenty of trainers are already scrambling to line up Remote Raids before the event even starts.
And honestly, this is probably going to become one of the busiest Pokémon GO raid weeks we have had in a while.
Which Pokémon GO Ultra Beasts Are Returning?
This latest Ultra Beast event features:
- Buzzwole
- Pheromosa
- Xurkitree
All three originally debuted in Pokémon Sun and Moon, where they arrived through mysterious Ultra Wormholes from Ultra Space. Ever since then, Ultra Beasts have felt completely different from normal Legendary Pokémon, both visually and in the way Pokémon GO handles their releases.
They are weird, alien-looking, slightly unsettling, and players absolutely love them because of it.
Pokémon GO Ultra Beasts Return – Buzzwole Will Appear in the Americas
Buzzwole is returning to raids for players located in:
- North America
- South America
- Central America
- Greenland
If there is one Ultra Beast that immediately stands out visually, it is Buzzwole. The thing basically looks like a giant bodybuilding mosquito that escaped from another dimension.
In Pokémon GO though, Buzzwole is more than just a meme design.
It is actually a strong Fighting-type attacker with impressive stats and one of the easiest Ultra Beast weaknesses to exploit during raids.
Buzzwole is:
- Fighting-type
- Bug-type
Which means Flying-type Pokémon absolutely tear through it.
If you are planning to battle Buzzwole this week, strong counters include:
- Rayquaza
- Mega Rayquaza
- Moltres
- Yveltal
- Staraptor
If you want a full breakdown of weaknesses, counters, and whether it is worth powering up, you can also check out our complete Buzzwole Pokémon GO guide.
Pokémon GO Ultra Beasts – Pheromosa Returns to Europe, Africa and India
Pheromosa will appear in:
- Europe
- The Middle East
- Africa
- India
Out of all the Ultra Beasts, Pheromosa is probably the one that looks least like a Pokémon. It has always felt more like some sort of futuristic sci-fi alien than an actual creature from the Pokémon world.
But despite its elegant appearance, Pheromosa hits ridiculously hard in Pokémon GO.
It is:
- Bug-type
- Fighting-type
Like Buzzwole, it has a brutal weakness to Flying-type attacks, meaning trainers with strong Flying teams should have very little trouble defeating it.
The difference is that Pheromosa is incredibly fragile.
Raid groups often defeat it surprisingly fast because its defenses are so poor compared to other 5-star raid bosses.
Some of the best Pheromosa counters include:
- Rayquaza
- Moltres
- Mega Pidgeot
- Yveltal
- Ho-Oh
If you are trying to decide whether Pheromosa is actually useful or just a collector Pokémon, we also have a full Pheromosa Pokémon GO guide covering its moveset, weaknesses, and raid value.
Xurkitree Returns to the Asia-Pacific Region
Meanwhile, as more Pokémon GO Ultra Beasts Return, Xurkitree will be exclusive to:
- Asia
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Pacific regions
And honestly, this may end up being the Ultra Beast most players want the most.
Unlike Buzzwole and Pheromosa, Xurkitree is genuinely one of the strongest Electric-type attackers in Pokémon GO. Trainers still chase high IV versions whenever it returns because its raw damage output remains incredibly strong.
Xurkitree is pure Electric-type, which means it only has one weakness:
- Ground-type attacks
That makes Pokémon like:
- Primal Groudon
- Garchomp
- Excadrill
- Landorus
extremely valuable during raids.
Xurkitree also has one of the strangest designs in the entire franchise. It basically looks like a bundle of living electrical cables with glowing eyes, which somehow makes it even more memorable.
If you are planning to raid it this week, you can also read our full Xurkitree Pokémon GO guide for counters, weaknesses, best movesets, and whether it is worth investing in.
Remote Raids Are Going to Be Huge During This Event
Because the Pokémon GO Ultra Beasts Return Event is split across different regions, Remote Raids are about to become extremely important again.
Most trainers will only naturally encounter one Ultra Beast locally, meaning players who want all three will likely need:
- International raid invitations
- Online communities
- Friends in other regions
- Remote Raid passes
Every time Pokémon GO runs regional Ultra Beast events, global raid groups explode with activity, and this week probably will not be any different.
Are the Ultra Beasts Worth Raiding?
Honestly, yes.
Even outside of Pokédex completion, all three Ultra Beasts bring something useful:
- Buzzwole has strong Fighting-type potential
- Pheromosa has massive offensive stats
- Xurkitree remains one of the best Electric attackers in the game
On top of that, Ultra Beast events simply do not happen that often.
That rarity alone makes these raid weeks feel much bigger than standard Legendary rotations.
And with Pokémon GO moving deeper into its 2026 event schedule, there is a good chance trainers are going to be very busy chasing these Ultra Beasts before they disappear again.
Our Pokémon Go Hub contains up-to-date event details, as well as useful guides and up to date Pokemon GO news, as well as Countdowns for Pokémon Go Fest.
