As a follow up to the Response To Our Pokémon GO Community, Steve Wang, the Executive Producer of Pokémon GO has outlined the changes to the game going forward as a result of COVID-19 related issues affecting the safety of game play.

What we heard -- an update from our task force

First, I want to thank you for being patient. Your passion and concerns have not been lost on us these past few weeks, and our internal task force has spent a lot of time discussing the changes we made to the PokéStop and Gym interaction distances. Now we want to give you an update as promised.

What We Heard from the Community

PokéStops and Gyms are one way we try to nudge Trainers to get outside and discover new places, walk an extra kilometer or two, and meet others. It’s been inspiring to see so many players around the world come together as a result of this design. To me, it means Pokémon GO is important to many people, and it means Trainers expressed their concerns because they care about the game.

We’ve been listening to player feedback and also set up four roundtable conversations where I spoke with over 30 community leaders from around the world (thank you all for your participation!). The two main themes we heard were:

• The 80 meter interaction radius for PokéStops and Gyms has been an incredibly positive quality of life improvement over the past year and a half.
• Niantic has a lot of room to grow when it comes to communication with our players.

PokéStop and Gym Interaction Distance

We understand that the increased 80 meter interaction distance became a welcome benefit for many players -- that is clear from the feedback we saw from the community. So we want to keep it: as announced last week, 80 meters (not 40 meters) will be the base interaction radius for PokéStops and Gyms globally from now on.

We still believe in the importance of discovering interesting places and things in the real world, and we don’t want to lose sight of that. The team and I are eager to develop new ways that motivate and reward Trainers for exploring and exercising in the real world. As a result of the taskforce, we have new ideas to explore and we look forward to sharing more in the coming months.

Seasonal Global Bonuses

We went through a rough learning experience recently when we had to adjust the game settings for New Zealand quickly in response to their lockdown. This experience taught us that we are not going to be able to effectively adjust the experience on a country-by-country basis in real-time. Starting with the Season of Mischief all bonuses will be set at a global level and be tied directly to the seasons in Pokémon GO. You can find more details on those bonuses in our announcement yesterday here.

Communication

We should be communicating and engaging more with Trainers. I hope that, with your patience and understanding, we can do better here. There are many ways we can improve, but to start, we’re making the following commitments to you:

• Starting in October, we will begin publishing a developer diary every other month to share the latest priorities, events, and features for the game.
• We are going to set up regular conversations with community leaders to continue the dialogue we began this month.
• We will continue our work on updating the Known Issues page and in those efforts, will prioritize bringing greater visibility into the status of existing bugs for Trainers.

We love how passionate Pokémon GO Trainers are about this game, and we want you to know how passionate we are about the game and community as well. The lack of communication regarding the PokéStop and Gym interaction radius was not handled well on our part, and it was a great learning experience on how to better engage with our players moving forward. Our top priority is and always has been to get people outside into the real world and creating human connections with each other. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us -- you’ll hear from us again soon.

Steve Wang (Executive Producer) and the Pokémon GO team

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/sep-taskforce-update

Niantic has announced new changes to the Season of Mischief which will starts on Wednesday, September 1st, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Global Bonus Changes:

Trainers, As a result of our recent task force discussions, we will be replacing the two current sets of region-based bonuses with one set of global bonuses at the start of the Season of Mischief.

Because these changes will begin at the start of the Season, we wanted to make sure we shared this information prior to our full task force update on Wednesday, September 1, 2021.

During the Season of Mischief, Trainers in the United States and New Zealand will see the following bonus updates.

New bonuses:

• 3× bonus XP for spinning PokéStops for the first time
• 2× Lure duration
• Increased Incense effectiveness
• Additional Incense effectiveness while walking
• Boosted damage for Trainers battling remotely in raids
• Guaranteed Gifts from PokéStop spins
• Buddy Pokémon will bring you Gifts more often

Bonuses no longer in effect:

• 10× XP for spinning PokéStops for the first time
• Up to two free Raid passes per day by spinning Gym Photo Discs

During the Season of Mischief, Trainers outside the United States and New Zealand will see the following bonus updates:

New:

• Increased Incense effectiveness while walking
• 3× bonus XP for spinning PokéStops for the first time
• 2× Lure duration
• Increased Incense effectiveness
• Boosted damage for Trainers battling remotely in raids
• Guaranteed Gifts from PokéStop spins
• Buddy Pokémon will bring you Gifts more often

Source: https://twitter.com/PokemonGoApp/status/1432797410376380420

Niantic has announced the details of the Season of Mischief which will run from Wednesday, September 1st, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. to Wednesday, December 1st, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Welcome to the Season of Mischief!

Trainers, The strange events of Pokémon GO Fest 2021 continue in the Season of Mischief! This Season will focus on an adventure featuring Hoopa, the Mischief Pokémon, which you’ll be able to encounter early on in this Season’s Special Research story: Misunderstood Mischief!

When Hoopa summoned Legendary Pokémon to Pokémon GO during Pokémon GO Fest 2021, time and space were distorted. Hoopa has also brought Pokémon originally discovered in the Galar region to Pokémon GO for the first time! Be sure to follow along during the Season to see what else might happen!

The Season of Mischief will run from Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. to Wednesday, December 1, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Hoopa is arriving

Beginning September 1, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time, you’ll be able to access a season-long Special Research story. Throughout the Season of Mischief, you’ll gain access to different sets of tasks in this Special Research story. For instance, you’ll be able to encounter Confined Hoopa by completing a set of tasks that’ll unlock beginning September 5. Read on to learn more!

Learn Hoopa’s secrets during the Season!

You’ll be able to access parts of this Season’s Special Research story when certain events begin. The Special Research story will focus on discovering more about Hoopa and the strange occurrences happening throughout the Season, so stay tuned to follow along with the story.

If you complete this Season’s Special Research story, you’ll gain access to a special event at the end of the Season that might have something to do with Hoopa!

Hoopa can’t be transferred to Pokémon HOME for now. For Trainers unable to play during this Season, Confined Hoopa may be available again in the future.

9/1 Welcome to the Season of Mischief

Available beginning Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time

The Season of Mischief begins! Hoopa has been playing pranks on the team leaders and Professor Willow—it’s taken his glasses?!— and it's up to us to learn more about the Mischief Pokémon. Why is it so mischievous? What else does it have in store for us this Season?

9/5 Hoopa’s Arrival

Available beginning Sunday, September 5, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. local time

Complete the seasonal Special Research tasks for an opportunity to catch Hoopa! On Sunday, September 5, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time, various strange phenomena will be happening all around the world —maybe this has something to do with Hoopa?!


Other event bonuses

• There will be a Collection Challenge available featuring Pokémon attracted to Incense during the event hours. The Collection Challenge will reward Hoopa Candy and the Poké Ball Lift avatar pose!
• You’ll earn twice the Candy for transferring Pokémon.
• A free bundle containing an Incense will be available in the shop.
• Complete event-exclusive Field Research tasks to earn Rare Candies and a variety of Poké Ball types!

What else is happening during the Season of Mischief?

Mischief abound! Throughout the Season, you can look forward to mischief! What strange occurrences will be happening in Pokémon GO? You’ll have to wait and see!

Different Pokémon will be appearing in the wild!

As the seasons change, different Pokémon will be appearing in different areas across the world!

Different Pokémon will be hatching from Eggs!

The following Pokémon will be hatching from Eggs this Season.

Mega Evolution bonuses!

During each month of the Season of Mischief, a different Pokémon will receive a CP boost when Mega Evolved.

Ditto transformations

There seems to be a change in the species of Pokemon that Ditto is transforming into in the wild. There is now a chance that the following Pokémon will instead be a Ditto when caught!


There’s much to look forward to this Season as we journey with Hoopa and learn all about what makes the Mischief Pokémon tick. Let’s GO!

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/season-of-mischief-2021/?hl=en

Niantic has announced the details of the events that will take place in Pokémon GO throughout September 2021.

Coming in September: Get ready for the Season of Mischief and more!

Trainers, The Season of Mischief begins in just a few days! There’ll also be plenty more to look forward to coming in the month of September.

September Research Breakthrough encounters
From Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, October 1, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7), you’ll encounter Ditto in Research Breakthrough encounters. For the first time ever outside of Special Research, you might encounter a Shiny Ditto, if you’re lucky! You might also find a Shiny Ditto in the wild during and after this period.

Weekly 1 PokéCoin bundles
Every Monday in September, a one-time-purchase bundle containing a Remote Raid Pass and other items will be available in the shop for 1 PokéCoin.

Featured Pokémon in raids
The following Pokémon will be appearing in five-star raids throughout September.

• Lugia with the attack Aeroblast will be appearing in five-star raids from Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday, September 14, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time.
• Depending on your region, Uxie (Asia-Pacific), Mesprit (Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India), or Azelf (the Americas and Greenland) will be appearing in five-star raids from Tuesday, September 14, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. to Friday, October 1, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time. For the first time ever in Pokémon GO, you might find a Shiny one, if you’re lucky!

In addition, the following Mega-Evolved Pokémon will be appearing in Mega Raids.

• Mega Slowbro will be appearing in Mega Raids from Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday, September 14, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time.
• Mega Houndoom will be appearing in Mega Raids from Tuesday, September 14, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. to Friday, October 1, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Every Wednesday in September, a Raid Hour event will occur from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. The following Pokémon will be featured.

• Wednesday, September 1, 2021: Lugia with the attack Aeroblast
• Wednesday, September 8, 2021: Lugia with the attack Aeroblast
• Wednesday, September 15, 2021: Uxie (Asia-Pacific), Mesprit (Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India), or Azelf (the Americas and Greenland)
• Wednesday, September 22, 2021: Uxie (Asia-Pacific), Mesprit (Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India), or Azelf (the Americas and Greenland)
• Wednesday, September 29, 2021: Uxie (Asia-Pacific), Mesprit (Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India), or Azelf (the Americas and Greenland)

Pokémon Spotlight Hours
In the month of September, Pokémon Spotlight Hour will take place every Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, and each will spotlight a different Pokémon and a special bonus!

• Tuesday, September 7, 2021: Spoink will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Stardust for catching Pokémon.
• Tuesday, September 14, 2021: Baltoy will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the XP for catching Pokémon.
• Tuesday, September 21, 2021: Skitty will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Candy for catching Pokémon.
• Tuesday, September 28, 2021: Alolan Meowth will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Candy for transferring Pokémon.

September Community Day
Join us on Sunday, September 19, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time for a Community Day event featuring Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokémon! Oshawott will be appearing more frequently in the wild and near PokéStops with Rainy Lure Modules. Evolve Dewott (Oshawott’s Evolution) during the event or up to two hours afterward to get a Samurott that knows the Charged Attack Hydro Cannon. Samurott will also be able to learn its signature attack, Razor Shell, via Charged TM during and after this event. For more details, check out the September Community Day blog.

Upcoming events
Stay tuned for details about these upcoming events.

• Season of Mischief: As the Season of Discovery ends, the story of Pokémon GO continues with mischief! Hoopa, the Mischief Pokémon, will be able to be caught for the first time ever in Pokémon GO! To celebrate Hoopa’s arrival, a one-day event will take place on Sunday, September 5, 2021, featuring various strange phenomena happening all around the world—maybe these events have something to do with Hoopa? There will also be a season-long Special Research story available, with parts of the story only being unlocked during certain events throughout the season. To learn more about what’s in store for this upcoming Season, check out the Season of Mischief blog!
• Psychic Spectacular: This event featuring Psychic-type Pokémon returns from Wednesday, September 8, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. to Monday, September 13, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. local time! Some familiar faces will be returning, and another Pokémon will be making its Pokémon GO debut. Which will it be? Here’s a hint: be careful of revolving too much of your life around one thing—you might find that it could overturn at a moment’s notice!
• Fashion Week: Stylishly dressed Pokémon will be making their debuts, along with a fluffy and fashionable friend! Strut your stuff with these fashionable Pokémon, new avatar items, and more during Fashion Week, taking place from Tuesday, September 21, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. local time.
• Team GO Rocket’s Boss seems to be missing...: Where has Giovanni gone? We hope he’s not planning something in the shadows! Be sure to keep an eye out for updates throughout the season. Super Rocket Radars won’t be able to track down Giovanni during this time, so no need to keep them equipped.

New Evolution preview feature coming soon!
Battlers, rejoice—soon, you’ll be able to preview your Pokémon’s post-Evolution CP before you evolve it! This new Evolution preview screen will display the following.

• The current Pokémon and its CP
• The Pokémon’s Evolution and its new CP
• The leagues the Evolved Pokémon would qualify for

This feature will go live sometime in September. We hope this will help you better determine which Pokémon to power up and evolve.

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/sept-2021-events/?hl=en

Niantic has announced the details for the GO Battle League Season 9 update. Below are all the details.

GO Battle League: Season 9 Update

Trainers, GO Battle League Season 9 is set to kick off! Your ranking at the end of this season will be more important than it ever has, so make sure to start your climb early! As the season progresses, we’ll have more to share on how this season’s results will impact things going forward—so stay tuned!

Now, let’s get into what you can expect during GO Battle League Season 9!

Season 9 Start Date, Rank Resets, and End-of-Season Rewards

GO Battle League Season 9 will start on Monday, August 30, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).

The following will occur at the beginning of the season.

• End of season rewards will be available on the battle screen.
• Your GO Battle League rank will be reset.
• Rank-up requirements will remain the same as in Season 8.

Season 9 Schedule

The following leagues will begin and end at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) on the dates listed below.

What’s new in Season 9?

GO Battle Days
To allow more Trainers to participate, GO Battle Nights will become GO Battle Days from GO Battle League Season 9 onward!

Bonuses

• The maximum number of sets you can play per day will be increased from five to 20, for a total of 100 battles.
• 4× Stardust from win rewards (this does not include end of set rewards and will not stack with the 3× Stardust bonus on November 20).

Dates and Times
Saturday, September 18, 2021, from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time: The Ultra League and Ultra League Remix will be active.
Monday, November 1, 2021, from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time: The Ultra League, the UL Premier Classic, and the Halloween Cup will be active.
Saturday, November 20, 2021, from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time: The Master League, ML Premier Classic, and a cup chosen by Trainers will be active.

Season 9 rewards

Guaranteed rank-up encounters
You can encounter the following Pokémon once per season at the designated ranks. At rank 1, you’ll be guaranteed to encounter one of the Pokémon that Galar Champion Leon is known to use!


: If you're lucky, you may find a shiny one!
: Veteran Rank
: Expert Rank
: Legend Rank

Standard encounters
You can encounter the following Pokémon as win rewards throughout the season at the ranks shown in the image below.


: If you're lucky, you may find a shiny one!
: The Pokémon currently appearing in five-star raids has a chance of appearing as a reward encounter after you reach Rank 20.
: Veteran Rank
: Expert Rank

Avatar items and other rewards

Pikachu Libre avatar items will be rewarded to Trainers who reach Rank 3.


Trainers will be able to earn avatar items and a pose inspired by the champion of the Galar region, Leon, who first made his debut in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield!

• At Ace rank, you’ll receive the Reigning Champion Sport Glove.
• At Veteran rank, you’ll receive the Leon’s Look Sport Cap.
• At Expert rank, you’ll receive the Reigning Champion Sport Shorts.
• At Legend rank, you’ll receive the Reigning Champion Sport Top.
• Midway through season 9, Leon’s iconic pose will be added as a reward for Trainers who reach Legend rank.

At Rank 19, you’ll receive an Elite Charged TM, and you’ll also receive an Elite Fast TM as an end-of-season reward.

Cups

You can look forward to the following cups this season.

Great League Remix

The 20 Pokémon most used by Trainers Ace rank and up in the Great League will not be allowed in the Great League Remix.

The following Pokémon will not be allowed.

Ultra League Remix

The 10 Ultra League Pokémon most used by Trainers Ace rank and up in the Ultra League will not be allowed in the Ultra League Remix.

The following Pokémon will not be allowed.


Little Jungle Cup

• Pokémon must be at or below 500 CP to enter.
• Pokémon do not need to be able to evolve to enter.
• Only Normal-, Grass-, Electric-, Poison-, Ground-, Flying-, Bug-, and Dark-type Pokémon are permitted.
• Shuckle and Smeargle are not permitted.

Halloween Cup

• Pokémon must be at or below 1,500 CP to enter.
• Only Poison-, Bug-, Ghost-, Dark-, and Fairy-type Pokémon are permitted.

Special Cup: Players' choice
We’re interested to hear which prior special cup you’d like to see return this season! Stay tuned for a poll on Twitter later in the season to determine which cup will be held.

New attacks

Weather Ball: A new, low energy cost Normal-type Charged Attack.

• Trainer Battles: 55 Damage
• Gyms and raids: 55 Damage

Attack changes

Weather Ball: Weather Ball is currently a little too efficient as a low-energy Charged Attack. As a result, we’re toning down its damage just a tad.

• Trainer Battles: 60 → 55 damage
• Gyms and raids: 60 → 55 damage

Crunch: We’re adding an effect to this move when it’s used in Trainer battles to tie in with its effect in the core Pokémon RPGs.

• Trainer Battles: Now has a chance of lowering the opposing Pokémon’s Defense.

Zap Cannon: We’re adding an effect to this move when it’s used in Trainer Battles to tie in with its effect in the Pokémon RPGs. We hope this will provide Pokémon like Zapdos, Regirock, Magnezone, and Porygon-Z a chance to shine.

• Trainer Battles: Guaranteed to lower the opposing Pokémon’s Attack.

Scald: We’re lowering the energy cost of this Charged Attack and adding an effect to this move when it’s used in Trainer battles to tie in with its effect in the core Pokémon RPGs.

• Trainer Battles: Energy cost decreased and now provides a chance of lowering the opposing Pokémon’s Attack.

Feather Dance: We’re increasing the energy cost of this Charged Attack slightly to make it harder to use as often.

• Trainer Battles: Energy cost increased.

Megahorn: We’re giving Megahorn a slight increase in damage to boost Nidoking’s, Heracross’s, and Escavalier’s high-cost Charged Attack options.

• Trainer Battles: 100 → 110 damage

Attack availability updates

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/gobattleleague-season9

Niantic has announced that the Gym Challenger Uniform and the Dragon and Dark-type Sport Outfits are now available in the Pokémon GO shop. The Gym Challenger Uniform avatar outfit are free for all players.

Pokémon GO - Gym Challenger Uniform / Dragon and Dark-type Sport Outfits

Uniforms that appear in the Galar region are now available as avatar items in Pokémon GO! Pick up the Gym Challenger Uniform avatar item for free, which is worn by Pokémon Trainers challenging Gyms in the Galar region.

Shop Items

Dragon-type Sport Top - 150 coins
Dark-type Sport Top - 150 coins
Challenger Kit Sport Top - Free
Dark-type Sport Legwear - 100 coins
Challenger Kit Sport Shorts - Free
Dragon-type Sport Shorts - 100 coins

Source: https://twitter.com/PokemonGoApp/status/1429986822898298880

Niantic has announced that the September 2021 Community Day will take place on Sunday, September 19th, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time and that the eatured Pokémon will be Oshawott.

September Community Day: Osha-watch out—the Sea Otter Pokémon, Oshawott, will be featured!

Trainers, We’re excited to announce that Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokémon, will be featured during September’s Community Day event!

Date + Time
Sunday, September 19, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time

Features

• Oshawott will be appearing more frequently in the wild! It will also be attracted to Rainy Lure Modules. If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Oshawott!
• Evolve Dewott (Oshawott’s Evolution) during the event or up to two hours afterward to get a Samurott that knows the Charged Attack Hydro Cannon.
• Samurott will now be able to learn the Charged Attack Razor Shell. This attack will be available for Samurott to learn even after the event has concluded.
• Take a few snapshots during Community Day for a surprise!
• There’ll be a special one-time-purchase Community Day Box available for 1,280 PokéCoins, featuring 50 Ultra Balls, five Lucky Eggs, five Rainy Lure Modules, and an Elite Fast TM.
• You’ll be able to get Oshawott-inspired stickers by spinning PokéStops, opening Gifts, and purchasing them from the in-game shop.
• For US$1.00 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency), you’ll be able to access the Oshawott Community Day–exclusive Special Research story, From Scalchops to Seamitars. This Special Research will include a Rainy Lure Module as one of its rewards.
• Stay tuned for when tickets for the From Scalchops to Seamitars Special Research story go live! Tickets are nonrefundable (subject to applicable law and the exceptions set forth in the Terms of Service). Please note that this Special Research will not include an in-game medal.

Bonuses

• 3× Catch XP
• Incense activated during the event will last for three hours
• Lure Modules activated during the event will last for three hours

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/communityday-sept21/

Niantic has announced they have commissioned a Lyrical Version for Pokémon GO’s Night Theme which was produced by English dub musician Ed Goldfarb with vocals featuring Haven Paschall and Ben Dixon.

Celebrate adventuring by starlight with the lyrical version of Pokémon GO’s Night Theme!

Trainers, Have you had a chance to listen to the lyrical version of Pokémon GO’s Night Theme? This song has been playing in the game every night since Pokémon GO Fest 2021 ended!

The original song was created by Junichi Masuda, composer of many of Pokémon’s iconic video game songs, and the lyrical version was produced by Ed Goldfarb, composer of some music recently featured in the Pokémon anime series. The lyrical version features the vocals of Haven Paschall and Ben Dixon, who’ve previously lent their voices to the Pokémon anime series.

The song will play in the game during the night until Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time, so make sure to turn up the game’s volume to experience it firsthand. After the song leaves the game, you can listen to it via the YouTube video here.

Lyrics

We can share the beauty of the world tonight
Stars up in the sky will light the way
Every place we wander
Wonders will amaze us
See the mountains shimmer in the moonlit sky
Maybe they will show us where to GO

Rhythms of the ocean waves tell me my dream is real
You and I tonight will see our worlds align
The stars alight and with their light to guide me I know I will find you
So we can GO and make a brighter world
We can GO and make a brighter world

Credits

Composed by Junichi Masuda English lyrics by Ed Goldfarb
Vocals by Haven Paschall and Ben Dixon Produced by Ed Goldfarb
Production assistance by Alvin Maningding and Andrew Crilly
Mixed by Jeff Stuart Saltzman

We hope that this song’s lyrics will inspire you to keep GOing just as much as the past five years have inspired us. Be sure to turn up the volume in Pokémon GO when playing after the sun has set so you don’t miss out on hearing this tune before Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/night-theme-lyrical-music-video/?hl=en

YouTube Clip - Pokémon GO Night Theme (Lyrical Version)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTNfyr0IL_0

In response to the Pokémon GO community's feedback in the mainstream news, on social media and e-mails regarding the interact distance in the game, Niantic has announced that they are assembling an internal cross-functional team to address the interaction distance and will announce the findings by September 1st, 2021.

A Response To Our Pokémon GO Community

To our Pokémon GO community:
We appreciate your letter and all of your feedback. We hear you. We are humbled by your response. Not every game has such a passionate, global player base that we’re fortunate enough to have.

Like everyone else around the world, our team has been working very hard to adapt to the global health environment. The recent Exploration Bonus changes we’ve made in the U.S. and New Zealand are designed to restore some of the foundational elements players enjoyed prior to 2020, and reward players once again for moving and exploring. Encouraging people to explore, exercise and safely play together in person remains Niantic’s mission.

The health and wellbeing of players is our top priority, which is why we have implemented the new Exploration Bonuses in select geographies where it is deemed safe to be outdoors. Research has shown that taking walks outside is safe and confers several health benefits. Furthermore, encouraging outdoor exploration is in keeping with Niantic’s mission. That said, we will continue to monitor health and safety guidance related to outdoor activities, and will make future changes if necessary.

We have heard your feedback about one change in particular - that of the PokéStop and Gym interaction distance. We reverted the interaction distance from 80 meters back to the original 40 meters starting in the U.S. and New Zealand because we want people to connect to real places in the real world, and to visit places that are worth exploring.

However, we have heard your input loud and clear and so to address the concerns you have raised, we are taking the following actions: We are assembling an internal cross-functional team to develop proposals designed to preserve our mission of inspiring people to explore the world together, while also addressing specific concerns that have been raised regarding interaction distance. We will share the findings of this task force by the next in game season change (September 1). As part of this process, we will also be reaching out to community leaders in the coming days to join us in this dialogue.

Our goal is to build fun and engaging experiences that remain true to our mission, and we thank you for challenging us with thoughtful and constructive feedback.

-The Niantic Team

Source: https://nianticlabs.com/blog/pgo-exploration-bonus-response/?hl=en

Niantic has announced a new feature for Pokémon GO that allows players to add friends directly from their device’s contacts list. Players must enable permissions to allow this feature to work.

Trainers can now add friends directly from their device’s contacts list!

Trainers, You can now add friends in Pokémon GO directly from your device’s contacts list! Whether you’re looking to find friends who are already active Trainers, or perhaps invite others to start their Pokémon GO journeys, connecting with people you know is now easier than ever before.

How to add friends in Pokémon GO from your device’s contacts list

1. Go to the Add Friends screen and tap Add Friends from Contacts.
2. Decide if you’d like to opt in to be discoverable by Trainers who also import their contacts lists.
3. Tap on the button to find and add friends from your contacts list.
4. Once your contacts have been synced, you can browse them within Pokémon GO and either add individuals to your Friend List by tapping Send Friend Request or refer them to play Pokémon GO by tapping Invite to Play.

Note: Your discoverability and contacts list sync permissions can always be changed later in the game’s settings.

If you invite someone to play who’s new to Pokémon GO or hasn’t played in a while, by entering your referral code they’ll receive rewards like Pokémon encounters, Rare Candy, Incubators, and more as they hit milestones on their adventure—and so will you!

Discovering the world and playing Pokémon GO is always better with friends. Let’s GO on this journey—together! Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/import-contacts-live/?hl=en