Pokémon GO Ultra Beast Five-Star Raids

Pokémon GO’s five-star raids changed on Wednesday, May 13, and the new headliners are three Ultra Beasts: Buzzwole, Pheromosa, and Xurkitree. That matters because this is not a normal global rotation where everyone gets the same boss. Niantic has split them by region again, so what you can raid depends on where you live — and who you know in other time zones. (leekduck.com) The window runs from May 13 to May 19, with a one-hour raid spike on May 13 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. ### Which Ultra Beast shows up where? Buzzwole is the Americas-and-Greenland boss. Pheromosa is assigned to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India. Xurkitree is the Asia-Pacific pick. (leekduck.com) So if you are in the United States, your local gyms should be spawning Buzzwole, not the other two. ### Why is that a bigger deal than it sounds? Because a regional five-star split turns one raid week into a coordination event. You can still get the other two through remote invitations from friends in the right regions, but you cannot just walk outside and expect the full set. Basically, the game is nudging players back toward global friend lists, Discord groups, and raid apps whenever Ultra Beasts rotate this way. (leekduck.com) ### What happens today specifically? Today’s extra wrinkle is Raid Hour. On Wednesday, May 13, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, gyms that can host five-star raids will show an increased number of these Ultra Beast raids. But the regional lock stays in place during that hour. (leekduck.com) In the U.S., that means a lot more Buzzwole — not a surprise swap to Pheromosa or Xurkitree. ### Can they be shiny? Yes. All three can be shiny during this rotation if you get lucky. That raises the value of the week quite a bit, especially for players who missed earlier Ultra Beast runs or never finished the shiny set. ### Is this tied to a bigger May schedule? (leekduck.com) Yes — this raid change is part of Pokémon GO’s broader May 2026 event calendar. The same weekly schedule also rolls into Spring Marathon and Deino Community Day Classic later in the week, and the Ultra Beast trio leaves on May 19 when the next five-star boss rotation starts. So this is a short, defined window, not an open-ended return. (leekduck.com) ### Why these three together? They fit neatly as a themed Ultra Beast set, but they also cover different player interests. Buzzwole is the local anchor for U.S. players this week. Pheromosa is the glass-cannon collector prize many players still chase. Xurkitree tends to draw attention because it is one of the more desirable Electric-type attackers. (leekduck.com) That mix makes the regional split feel more consequential than a cosmetic shuffle. This last point is an inference from how these bosses are being featured and discussed in current raid guides. ### So what should players actually do? If you are in the U.S., treat Buzzwole as the easy pickup and use today’s Raid Hour to farm candy, XL candy, or shiny checks. Then spend the rest of the week lining up remote invites for Pheromosa and Xurkitree. (pokemongohub.net) The catch is simple — this is only a complete Ultra Beast week if your friend list is international. ### Bottom line? This week’s five-star raids are really two events at once: a local Buzzwole grind for American players, and a global networking exercise for everyone trying to catch all three Ultra Beasts before May 19. (leekduck.com) (pokemongohub.net)