The Team Rocket Pokémon Go balloons have arrived. You can find them floating above the sky and inside them are Team Rocket members that you can fight in the game. The balloons were hinted at by Niantic for several weeks, and then late in the evening on July 6, Team Rocket accidentally released an email announcing their big plans. Now fully tested and ready to catch more Pokémon, these Team Rocket balloons have arrived and you can find them floating in the sky above the PokéStops.
Team Rocket's balloons are in the sky inside Pokémon Go floating above you. To help you find them, pull back the screen to see them better in the air. There is no indication that they are nearby, except for the giant balloon in the sky. It should be pure black with a distinct red R on the side of them. When you click on it, a grunt from Team Rocket or one of the threat leaders, Sierra, Arlo or Cliff, will appear and you can fight them. When they first pitched only level 40 players could see them, but that's no longer the case and all coaches can meet them.
Mysterious balloons are starting to appear in Pokémon GO! Level 40 Trainers can now meet Team GO Rocket in hot air balloons. We will continue to update how they appear to more trainers.
- Niantic Support (@NianticHelp) July 7, 2020
None of the balloons have particular spawns. You should see them floating above the sky if you take the perspective away from your grounded character. You can do this by using two fingers to reduce. When you see a Team Rocket balloon nearby, click on it and see who is inside. You could potentially meet Giovanni, the leader of the evil team.
It has been confirmed by multiple players in Pokémon Go that you can encounter more balloons per day. After defeating the Team Rocket member you meet on the balloon, the object disappears. It will appear again later in the sky around you. It doesn't have a daily spawn timer. All players can experience multiple encounters with Team Rocket balloons during the Team Rocket invasions. If you don't want to fight Team Rocket leaders, unequip your Radar or Super Radar and you'll fight with a grunt instead.
