Earlier this year, Pokemon Go developers promised several "major updates" to the game, which would add new features and possibly even new Pokemon. Although we knew that we were getting a new "major update" for each quarter of 2017, a new interview has given hints that something even bigger is coming later this year.
In an interview with the Japanese website K-Tai Watch, several Niantic officials confirmed that they were working on a "major event" for summer 2017. While the officials didn't give much details about the event, they hinted that it would feature one of the mechanics seen in Pokemon Go's release trailer last year that haven't yet been added to the game. Those mechanics include PvP battles, massive "raids" in which hundreds of battles work together to fight a powerful Pokemon, and trading. While they didn't give specifics about the event, the Niantic employees confirmed that the event would feature a new mechanic currently under development.
Pokemon Go also has more small events on the way, in the vein of the ongoing Eggstravaganza or last month's Water Festival. This probably isn't a surprise, as reseach has indicated that the game gets a big boost in revenue whenever an event takes place.
The final bit of news was that Niantic was continuing to find ways to partner with local governments in Japan for special promotions and events. Niantic has held two regional events in Japan that used rare Pokemon like Lapras or Snorlax to bring tourists to areas recently affected by natural disasters.
As for the recently rumored "Pokemon GO Plus" replacement that Niantic was allegedly developing, the interviewees confirmed that a new AR-style device was discussed, but that it couldn't be supported by current technology.
Although we'll have to wait a few months to see what Pokemon Go's "big event" is, we should still have plenty to keep us occupied. After all, there's an Eggstravaganza going on through next week, and a second "major update" expected sometime in the spring.
Stay tuned to WWG for more Pokemon Go coverage!
(h/t to PokemonGoHub.net for first pointing out the interview)
Comments
Post a Comment