Pokémon Go waited until yesterday's eclipse to announce Necrozma's arrival

Pokémon Go teased a big new addition to the game as the moment of totality hit during yesterday's solar eclipse.

The game used the moment to tease the arrival of Necrozma, the mascot of 3DS games Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, a colossal dragon which – fittingly – can absorb huge amounts of light to transform its body.

A brief teaser video posted to Pokémon Go's social media showed Necrozma's shadow looming over passers by as the eclipse ended, before this year's Pokémon Go Fest logo popped up.

Pokémon Go Fest, the game's big annual summer celebration, has already been largely detailed. We know this year's event will focus on the Mythical Pokémon Marshadow, and have a Sun and Moon theme. But now we know Necrozma will be a focus too – presumably in raids, while Marshadow becomes available via Special Research.

It'll be interesting to see how many of Necrozma's various forms also become available. The powerful creature can essentially absorb the Legendary creatures Solgaeo and Lunala to become Dusk Mane Necrozma and Dawn Wings Necrozma respectively. And then via a process not dissimilar from Mega Evolution, it can also transform to become Ultra Necrozma.

As ever, this year will see a trio of in-person Go Fest events take place around the world, before a subsequent global event for all players.

2024's festivities kick off in Sendai, Japan on 30th May to 2nd June, before heading to the Spanish capital of Madrid on 14th to 16th June. After that, Go Fest returns to New York between July 5th and 7th, before its global finale runs on July 13th and 14th.

Tickets to Pokémon Go Fest in Madrid currently cost £24 with early bird pricing. Perhaps not coincidentally, early bird pricing ends today, after which tickets cost £28. Blame Necrozma, I guess.