News Articles
Jan 13 2018
Pokémon GO Community Day
Niantic has announced Pokémon GO Community Day's. It is designed to be a day where players around the world meet up in a real-world location to play the game and meet new friends.
What is Pokémon GO Community Day? Pokémon GO Community Day is an opportunity for Trainers around the world to meet up at their local parks to make new friends and experience what it means to be a part of this special community.
Once a month, we’ll host a Pokémon GO Community Day event starring a special Pokémon, which will appear frequently around the world for just a few hours. When caught during the event, this special Pokémon will know an exclusive move. Other bonuses will be in effect during the event, such as increased XP or Stardust, and Lure Modules activated during the event will last for three hours.
We’re constantly blown away by the passion of Pokémon GO players around the world, and we hope that each Pokémon GO Community Day will help add to the excitement of local events and meetups. Remember always to be alert and stay safe while playing and to be respectful of public spaces when exploring your community. Stay tuned to our social media channels and check out the Pokémon GO Community Day event page each month to learn about that month’s featured Pokémon, special bonuses, and event times.
Celebrate the first Pokémon GO Community Day on January 20, 2018 Mark your calendars, Trainers. The first Pokémon GO Community Day will take place on January 20, 2018, and it features Pikachu! Explore your local parks with family and friends to catch Pikachu that know the exclusive event move Surf. While you’re out exploring your local parks and making new friends, you’ll also earn double XP during event hours.
See below for event hours in your region:
The Asia-Pacific region: January 20, 2018, from 12:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. JST (GMT +9)
Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India: January 20, 2018, from 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. UTC (GMT +0)
The Americas and Greenland: January 20, 2018, from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. PST (GMT -8)
While you’re out celebrating Pokémon GO Community Day with fellow Trainers, be sure to share your experiences on your favorite social media channels with the hashtag #PokemonGOCommunityDay. We can’t wait to hear about all the new memories you’ll be making while playing Pokémon GO at Community Day events!
Source: https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/communityday
Introducing Pokémon GO Community Day!
Trainers, We’re incredibly excited to announce Pokémon GO Community Day–a monthly worldwide event dedicated to celebrate you, the Trainers in the Pokémon GO community.What is Pokémon GO Community Day? Pokémon GO Community Day is an opportunity for Trainers around the world to meet up at their local parks to make new friends and experience what it means to be a part of this special community.
Once a month, we’ll host a Pokémon GO Community Day event starring a special Pokémon, which will appear frequently around the world for just a few hours. When caught during the event, this special Pokémon will know an exclusive move. Other bonuses will be in effect during the event, such as increased XP or Stardust, and Lure Modules activated during the event will last for three hours.
We’re constantly blown away by the passion of Pokémon GO players around the world, and we hope that each Pokémon GO Community Day will help add to the excitement of local events and meetups. Remember always to be alert and stay safe while playing and to be respectful of public spaces when exploring your community. Stay tuned to our social media channels and check out the Pokémon GO Community Day event page each month to learn about that month’s featured Pokémon, special bonuses, and event times.
Celebrate the first Pokémon GO Community Day on January 20, 2018 Mark your calendars, Trainers. The first Pokémon GO Community Day will take place on January 20, 2018, and it features Pikachu! Explore your local parks with family and friends to catch Pikachu that know the exclusive event move Surf. While you’re out exploring your local parks and making new friends, you’ll also earn double XP during event hours.
See below for event hours in your region:
The Asia-Pacific region: January 20, 2018, from 12:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. JST (GMT +9)
Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India: January 20, 2018, from 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. UTC (GMT +0)
The Americas and Greenland: January 20, 2018, from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. PST (GMT -8)
While you’re out celebrating Pokémon GO Community Day with fellow Trainers, be sure to share your experiences on your favorite social media channels with the hashtag #PokemonGOCommunityDay. We can’t wait to hear about all the new memories you’ll be making while playing Pokémon GO at Community Day events!
Source: https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/communityday
Jan 10 2018
Pokémon GO to discontinue support on Apple devices that are not capable of upgrading to iOS 11
In what can only be described as yet another stupid move for Niantic, they have announced that Pokémon GO will no longer support Apple devices that can not run iOS 11. Players that have an Apple device than cannot run iOS 11 but can still currently play Pokémon GO will become obsolete on February 28th, 2018.
Source: https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/iphone5discontinuedsupport
Pokémon GO to discontinue support on Apple devices that are not capable of upgrading to iOS 11
Trainers, In an upcoming update to Pokémon GO, we will end support for Apple devices not capable of upgrading to iOS 11, such as iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c models. This change is a result of improvements to Pokémon GO that push the application beyond the capabilities of the operating systems on such devices. This change will take effect on 02/28/2018. After that date, Trainers using affected devices may no longer be able to access their Pokémon GO accounts from that device, or use their PokéCoins or other items in their Bags. They will need to switch to a supported device to continue playing Pokémon GO. You can see the full list of impacted devices and learn more by visiting our Help Center.Source: https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/iphone5discontinuedsupport
Jan 02 2018
Pokémon GO to Launch in China
Niantic has partnered with the Chinese company NetEase to help launch Pokémon GO in China.
“We absolutely intend to bring our existing games into China,” Mr Hanke said. “Beyond that, there are opportunities to build games in China, both for China and for the world.”
“Even before November’s fundraising, which valued the company at more than $1bn, Niantic was still “operating profitably” and had built a “very large nest egg” from Pokémon Go, Mr Hanke said.
“We continue to grow our cash reserves daily as we run the business,” he added, but the extra financing gives Niantic the ability to invest in its technology platform and make acquisitions.
Since Pokémon Go’s sometimes chaotic debut — in which servers were overloaded by demand, causing recurring service outages — Niantic is “so much better positioned” now, Mr Hanke said. The lessons from Pokémon Go were not just technical, though.
“In terms of dealing with public locations, government policy, regulations and public reaction to people being out in the real world [playing its games], we have built up our expertise there,” he said, so that in-game hotspots that cause real-world problems can be removed or changed.
Full Article Source: https://www.ft.com/content/8bf1964e-e5b0-11e7-8b99-0191e45377ec
Pokémon Go set finally to land in China
US group Niantic’s tie-up with games company NetEase opens door to launch“We absolutely intend to bring our existing games into China,” Mr Hanke said. “Beyond that, there are opportunities to build games in China, both for China and for the world.”
“Even before November’s fundraising, which valued the company at more than $1bn, Niantic was still “operating profitably” and had built a “very large nest egg” from Pokémon Go, Mr Hanke said.
“We continue to grow our cash reserves daily as we run the business,” he added, but the extra financing gives Niantic the ability to invest in its technology platform and make acquisitions.
Since Pokémon Go’s sometimes chaotic debut — in which servers were overloaded by demand, causing recurring service outages — Niantic is “so much better positioned” now, Mr Hanke said. The lessons from Pokémon Go were not just technical, though.
“In terms of dealing with public locations, government policy, regulations and public reaction to people being out in the real world [playing its games], we have built up our expertise there,” he said, so that in-game hotspots that cause real-world problems can be removed or changed.
Full Article Source: https://www.ft.com/content/8bf1964e-e5b0-11e7-8b99-0191e45377ec
Niantic announced that from December 15th, 2017 until January 15th, 2018, Groudon will be appearing in Raid Battles around the world in Pokémon GO.
Source: https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/legendary-groudon
Groudon Appearing in Raid Battles around the World!
Trainers, Groudon, the Ground-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region, is now appearing in Raid Battles around the world! Keep an eye out for Groudon at Gyms near you, and you may be one of the first to catch this Legendary Pokémon. But don’t delay—Groudon will only be available until 1:00 p.m. PST on January 15, 2018. Good luck, Trainers!Source: https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/legendary-groudon
The Pokémon Company International and Niantic have announced a new update for Pokémon GO that will add 50 Pokémon from the Hoenn Region as well as adding weather effects to the game.
Get ready to do a lot more exploring when Pokémon GO introduces a huge update that will expand your Pokédex and change the way you play! Dozens of new Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region will soon start appearing for the first time. You'll be able to catch Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, and many others, with even more Pokémon waiting to be discovered in the next several weeks.
Pokémon from the Hoenn region aren't the only new addition to Pokémon GO. The game is also introducing a dynamic weather system that will affect how Trainers discover, catch, and interact with Pokémon! The in-game map will be updated with cool new weather visuals based on your local weather patterns. The real-world weather will also influence which Pokémon you're likely to discover. For example, Water-type Pokémon will be more plentiful during rainy weather.
Likewise, attack types will be affected by certain weather conditions. A Charizard with Fire Spin, for example, will attack with greater heat when battling on a sunny day. Now, rain or shine, you're bound to have new—and even more exciting—Pokémon GO adventures!
Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/big-changes-are-coming-to-pokemon-go/
You’ll want to start paying even closer attention to your local weather patterns, Trainers. In addition to the in-game map being updated with cool new weather visuals, weather near you will impact Pokémon in a variety of ways. For example, you’ll find your odds of discovering Mudkip splashing around will greatly improve on rainy days, as certain Pokémon types will be more commonly found during various weather conditions. Additionally, attacks of certain types will be more effective during some weather conditions, so a Charizard’s Fire Spin will perform better on sunny days, for example. Rain or shine, winter or spring, your gameplay experience will remain fresh, making your time outdoors even more exciting.
Cloudy / Foggy / Rainy
Snowy / Sunny / Windy
There’s never been a better time to grab your umbrella or snow boots and safely venture outside with family and friends this season. As you explore your local neighborhoods, remember to share a photo of your encounters on social media with the hashtag #PokemonGO. We'd love to see all of your new adventures as they unfold.
Source: https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/hoenn-pokemon
Big Changes Are Coming to Pokémon GO!
Pokémon from the Hoenn region and new weather effects will expand your Pokémon GO adventure.Get ready to do a lot more exploring when Pokémon GO introduces a huge update that will expand your Pokédex and change the way you play! Dozens of new Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region will soon start appearing for the first time. You'll be able to catch Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, and many others, with even more Pokémon waiting to be discovered in the next several weeks.
Pokémon from the Hoenn region aren't the only new addition to Pokémon GO. The game is also introducing a dynamic weather system that will affect how Trainers discover, catch, and interact with Pokémon! The in-game map will be updated with cool new weather visuals based on your local weather patterns. The real-world weather will also influence which Pokémon you're likely to discover. For example, Water-type Pokémon will be more plentiful during rainy weather.
Likewise, attack types will be affected by certain weather conditions. A Charizard with Fire Spin, for example, will attack with greater heat when battling on a sunny day. Now, rain or shine, you're bound to have new—and even more exciting—Pokémon GO adventures!
Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/big-changes-are-coming-to-pokemon-go/
Introducing Weather and 50 Pokémon from the Hoenn Region in Pokémon GO!
Trainers, Starting later this week, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, and several more Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region in the Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire video games will start appearing in Pokémon GO for the first time ever—with even more to be discovered over the next several weeks! We’ll also be introducing a new dynamic weather system in Pokémon GO that will change the way you and the millions of Trainers around the world discover, catch, and interact with Pokémon.You’ll want to start paying even closer attention to your local weather patterns, Trainers. In addition to the in-game map being updated with cool new weather visuals, weather near you will impact Pokémon in a variety of ways. For example, you’ll find your odds of discovering Mudkip splashing around will greatly improve on rainy days, as certain Pokémon types will be more commonly found during various weather conditions. Additionally, attacks of certain types will be more effective during some weather conditions, so a Charizard’s Fire Spin will perform better on sunny days, for example. Rain or shine, winter or spring, your gameplay experience will remain fresh, making your time outdoors even more exciting.
Cloudy / Foggy / Rainy
Snowy / Sunny / Windy
There’s never been a better time to grab your umbrella or snow boots and safely venture outside with family and friends this season. As you explore your local neighborhoods, remember to share a photo of your encounters on social media with the hashtag #PokemonGO. We'd love to see all of your new adventures as they unfold.
Source: https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/hoenn-pokemon
YouTube Video - More Pokémon, More Adventure. Now with Dynamic Weather Gameplay!
Nov 28 2017
Pokémon GO Global Catch Challenge Results - Ho-Oh Appearing in Raid Battles around the World!
The Pokémon GO Global Catch Challenge successfully reached its goal of catching 3 billion Pokémon in a week resulting in a total of 3,364,580,633 Pokémon being caught during the 7 day period. As part of the reward for achieving that goal, the Rainbow Pokémon Ho-oh will appear in Raid Battles at Gyms around the world until December 12th, 2017.
Good luck!
Source: https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/legendary-hooh
Ho-Oh Appearing in Raid Battles around the World!
Trainers, Congratulations! We issued a challenge—and you answered the call. Collectively, you caught over 3 billion Pokémon during the Global Catch Challenge, unlocking some amazing rewards along the way. But that’s not all… As a result of all your hard work, Ho-Oh is now appearing in Raid Battles at Gyms around the world until December 12, 2017. So, gather your friends and find a Legendary Raid near you!Good luck!
Source: https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/legendary-hooh
Thanks to all your hard work last week, Ho-Oh will appear in Raid Battles until 12/12! #PokemonGOtravel #GlobalCatchChallenge https://t.co/YfyBGwfTux pic.twitter.com/mdGoFByyQl
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) November 27, 2017
7 days. 4 amazing destinations. 3.36 billion Pokémon caught. 1 epic adventure shared by millions of Trainers around the world. #PokemonGOtravel #GlobalCatchChallenge pic.twitter.com/umeyUmBIDG
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) November 27, 2017
Niantic has posted a detailed blog post on the Official Pokémon GO website detailing the upcoming changes to the Raid Battle feature.
We also wanted to address some feedback we received about the timing and locations of EX Raid Battles. First, we’re taking popular Raid Battle times at the Gyms where the EX Raid Battle is taking place into account to help ensure many of the people who are invited will be able to participate. The reason we decided to have EX Raid Battles primarily take place at Gyms located in parks and at sponsored locations is to ensure the locations are easily accessible to Trainers in the area. Over time, we’ll explore hosting EX Raid Battles at more locations, but we want to first make sure those locations are also easily accessible.
We think each of these changes will have a positive impact on Trainers around the world. With the implementation of these features, we’ll be removing the field-test label and considering this the official launch of the EX Raid Battle feature. While the EX Raid Battle field test is coming to a close, we’ll continue to monitor your feedback and look to make more improvements, as we do with all Pokémon GO features.
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/novdevupdate-raids
Developer Insights: An Update on Raid Battles
Trainers, We greatly appreciate all the feedback you’ve shared with us about the Raid Battle feature over the past few months. We’ve been carefully reviewing your feedback and will be making a few changes to the feature in response. These improvements will not require you to update your app, but they will impact your gameplay. Below are a few notes detailing the changes as well as a few comments from our development team:- EX Raid Battle changes
- EX Raid Battles will take place most commonly at Gyms found in parks and sponsored locations.
- Trainers with a high-level Gym Badge are more likely to be invited to EX Raid Battles taking place at that Gym.
- Trainers who have completed a larger number of Raid Battles are more likely to be invited to EX Raid Battles.
- EX Raid Battle start times now take into account popular Raid Battle times at that Gym.
- Trainers invited to EX Raid Battles will receive an in-game notification if the EX Raid Battle is canceled.
- Trainers will receive Stardust and Premium Raid Passes when an EX Raid Battle is canceled.
We also wanted to address some feedback we received about the timing and locations of EX Raid Battles. First, we’re taking popular Raid Battle times at the Gyms where the EX Raid Battle is taking place into account to help ensure many of the people who are invited will be able to participate. The reason we decided to have EX Raid Battles primarily take place at Gyms located in parks and at sponsored locations is to ensure the locations are easily accessible to Trainers in the area. Over time, we’ll explore hosting EX Raid Battles at more locations, but we want to first make sure those locations are also easily accessible.
We think each of these changes will have a positive impact on Trainers around the world. With the implementation of these features, we’ll be removing the field-test label and considering this the official launch of the EX Raid Battle feature. While the EX Raid Battle field test is coming to a close, we’ll continue to monitor your feedback and look to make more improvements, as we do with all Pokémon GO features.
- Raid Battle changes
- Trainers will now receive Golden Razz Berries for completing Raid Battles.
- The numbers of Potions and Revives awarded to Trainers for completing a Raid Battle will decrease slightly, but the quality of Potions will increase.
- The likelihood of receiving Fast and Charged Technical Machines for completing a Tier 3 or higher Raid Battle has increased.
- Trainers will now receive Stardust for participating in a Raid Battle, whether they win or lose.
- Magikarp will make a triumphant return to Tier 1 Raid Battles.
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/novdevupdate-raids
Nov 21 2017
Pokémon GO Travel and the Global Catch Challenge - 298,159,864 Pokémon Caught on First Day!
Niantic has announced the Pokémon GO Travel and the Global Catch Challenge which aims to get players to catch 3 billion Pokémon in a week from November 20th, 2017 until November 26th, 2017.
Join us as we discover new places, meet new people, and work together in an attempt to catch 3 billion Pokémon in just 7 days. Play along with IHasCupquake, Coisa de Nerd, and Rachel Quirico as they learn more about Japanese culture, inspire the world to play together, and update you on the amazing rewards the community unlocks along the way.
Potential rewards and bonuses include:
Stock up on Poké Balls, Trainers. The Global Catch Challenge starts now and concludes with a special celebration at the Pokémon GO Safari Zone event in Tottori, Japan, on November 26.
We can’t wait to take you along on this amazing adventure and hear what you think about the Pokémon GO Travel tour. We’ll be posting daily updates on Rachel, Tiffany, Gabi, and Leon’s adventures and are curious to see your updates, too! On a trip? Venturing to a new part of town? Share your #PokemonGOtravel story with us this week on your favorite social media channels.
Source: https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/pokemongotravel
Pokémon GO Travel and the Global Catch Challenge
Trainers, Ever since Pokémon GO launched, we've loved hearing stories of Trainers venturing abroad and playing together with new friends from different countries. That's what inspired us to create Pokémon GO Travel, a new video series to see the world through the eyes of a Pokémon Trainer. To kick things off, Pokémon GO Travel is taking a diverse group of Trainers from around the world to Japan to host our first-ever Global Catch Challenge.Join us as we discover new places, meet new people, and work together in an attempt to catch 3 billion Pokémon in just 7 days. Play along with IHasCupquake, Coisa de Nerd, and Rachel Quirico as they learn more about Japanese culture, inspire the world to play together, and update you on the amazing rewards the community unlocks along the way.
Potential rewards and bonuses include:
Stock up on Poké Balls, Trainers. The Global Catch Challenge starts now and concludes with a special celebration at the Pokémon GO Safari Zone event in Tottori, Japan, on November 26.
We can’t wait to take you along on this amazing adventure and hear what you think about the Pokémon GO Travel tour. We’ll be posting daily updates on Rachel, Tiffany, Gabi, and Leon’s adventures and are curious to see your updates, too! On a trip? Venturing to a new part of town? Share your #PokemonGOtravel story with us this week on your favorite social media channels.
YouTube Video - Announcing Pokémon GO Travel and the Global Catch Challenge
Twitter Post - @PokemonGoApp - Nov 20, 2017
Awesome work, Trainers! You’ve made amazing progress after just one day of the Global Catch Challenge! #PokemonGOtravel pic.twitter.com/KMfjU7yiJ3
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) November 20, 2017
Twitter Post - @PokemonGoApp - Nov 21, 2017
It’s day two of our quest to catch three billion Pokémon, and the global community of Trainers has already achieved an amazing score! #PokemonGOtravel pic.twitter.com/QbPvRLW65a
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) November 21, 2017
Twitter Post - @PokemonGoApp - Nov 22, 2017
Trainers, check out how many Pokémon we've caught. The latest results from the Global Catch Challenge are in! #PokemonGOtravel pic.twitter.com/0e9WRobVbY
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) November 22, 2017
Source: https://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/pokemongotravel
Niantic has announced that players of Pokémon GO will be able to get tropical Alola region inspired outfits in the game to celebrate the launch of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
Source: http://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/ultrasunmoon
New Avatar Items Inspired by the Alola Region Available in Pokémon GO
Trainers, We’re excited to announce that new avatar items are now available. To celebrate the upcoming launch of the Pokémon™ Ultra Sun and Pokémon™ Ultra Moon games for the Nintendo 3DS™ family of systems, you’ll be able to dress your Pokémon GO avatar in brand-new outfits inspired by the tropical Alola region and worn by the main male and female characters in the games, which launch on November 17.Source: http://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/ultrasunmoon
It has been a disappointing year for Pokémon GO fans with event issues and event cancellations. Very few new features have been added to Pokémon GO in 2017 after a hugely successful 2016 and now Niantic has announced they are working on a new game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite despite many core Pokémon franchise gameplay features such as PvP Battling and Trading still not in the game.
In July, CEO John Hanke of Niantic was interviewed by Andrew Webster of The Verge to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of Pokémon Go and it was revealed that development of Pokémon GO was already 6 months behind schedule. In September, Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara in an interview with Bloomberg Technology stated that Pokémon GO is only 10 percent complete. This has many fans of the game extremely concerned that with Niantic shifting development to a new game, it will affect the the development of Pokémon GO. Niantic has attempted to quell these concerns with a blog post stating that there are "amazing features in 2018".
Our Ingress, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and Pokémon GO development teams are all hiring. You can take a look at our postings and apply online here.
Thanks, The Pokémon GO development team
Source: https://nianticlabs.com/blog/devupdate111017/
In July, CEO John Hanke of Niantic was interviewed by Andrew Webster of The Verge to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of Pokémon Go and it was revealed that development of Pokémon GO was already 6 months behind schedule. In September, Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara in an interview with Bloomberg Technology stated that Pokémon GO is only 10 percent complete. This has many fans of the game extremely concerned that with Niantic shifting development to a new game, it will affect the the development of Pokémon GO. Niantic has attempted to quell these concerns with a blog post stating that there are "amazing features in 2018".
Looking ahead
Trainers, Just like many of you, we're super excited about Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and are working hard with our partners at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and WB Games San Francisco’s development team to bring that to life. However, we–the Pokémon GO development team–want to say that we are 100% committed to creating an ever-changing and growing game that gets our players exploring, meeting each other, and deepening their connection to the Pokémon universe. We're actively expanding the Pokémon GO development team to build many more amazing features in 2018. Stay tuned for an update next week on upcoming improvements to certain features.Our Ingress, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and Pokémon GO development teams are all hiring. You can take a look at our postings and apply online here.
Thanks, The Pokémon GO development team
Source: https://nianticlabs.com/blog/devupdate111017/
