What is an Ultra Wormhole in Pokémon Go?

Ultra Wormholes are the primary way you encounter Ultra Beasts in Pokémon Go.

Ultra Beasts are unique extradimensional Pokémon first introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon, and with how they work in Pokémon Go, are essentially Legendary Pokémon in all but name.

For those wanting to fill their Pokédex in Pokémon Go, you’ll want to know when an Ultra Beast is spawning — and this is where understanding how Ultra Wormholes work comes in handy. We explain how Ultra Wormholes work in Pokémon Go below.

What is an Ultra Wormhole in Pokémon Go?

Ultra Wormholes can appear in Gyms to countdown to the appearance of an Ultra Beast in a raid.

Beyond the visual appearance of an Ultra Wormhole to signify a Ultra Beast encounter will appear there — and the replacement of Premier Balls with Beast Balls and their higher catch rate as part of certain events — fighting and catching Ultra Beasts is mechanically indistinct from Legendary Pokémon or other creatures in Raid Eggs.

As such, the only purpose of Ultra Wormholes is to highlight that an Ultra Beast, and not another Pokémon, will be spawning at a Gym.

As with Raid Eggs, you won’t know exactly what Pokémon will be in the Raid until the countdown ends — though following the current raid schedule to know the possibilities can help narrow it down.

Which Ultra Beasts can appear in an Ultra Wormhole?

To date, the following Ultra Beasts have spawned at Ultra Wormholes in Pokémon Go:

• Nihilego
• Buzzwole
• Pheromosa
• Xurkitree
• Celesteela (regional exclusive to the Southern Hemisphere)
• Kartana (regional exclusive to the Northern Hemisphere)
• Guzzlord
• Stakataka (regional exclusive to the Eastern Hemisphere)
• Blacephalon (regional exclusive to the Western Hemisphere)

As well as the above, there are two Ultra Beasts which do not spawn in Ultra Wormholes — Poipole and evolution Naganadel — which were made available by completing the (now unattainable) “World of Wonders” Special Research. There’s also Necrozma, which, while not technically an Ultra Beast, is closely related lore-wise in some Pokémon games and tie-ins, and often appears during Ultra Beast-focused events.

In terms of tracking down specific Ultra Beasts, which can appear in an Ultra Wormhole is entirely dependant on the current raid schedule.

Finally, know that though they are primarily sourced from raid, Ultra Beasts have also appeared as Special Research and Timed Research reward encounters in the past — though don’t count on them to appear there regularly.

How to get an Ultra Wormhole background

There was a chance that any Ultra Beast — as well as pseudo-Ultra Beast Necrozma — caught during Go Fest 2024 would come with a unique Ultra Wormhole background.

Like other backgrounds in Pokémon Go, this is purely a cosmetic feature to make the catch a little more unique, and to give collectors something extra to chase.

At the time of writing, this Ultra Wormhole background has yet to reappear in Pokémon Go, and as with many event-specific backgrounds, is likely to remain a Go Fest 2024 exclusive. If you’re particularly keen, Pokémon with backgrounds can be traded, if you know a friend who is willing to part ways with one.