Pokémon Go Update: Looking for news on upcoming features and fixes in Pokémon Go for Android and iOS? We've got you covered. What's all this about promo codes on Android? When will Legendary Pokémon like Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos be added to the game? And what does the launch of theNintendo Switch mean for Pokémon Go? All the answers are right here.
80 new creatures arrived on Pokémon Go this year as part of the first major update to the popular mobile game. Now, players are eagerly awaiting the next major update, which could be arriving this week. In the mean time, it seems Android players can currently benefit from a special new promo code feature. More on that below.
Our guide also explains Pokémon Go Apple Watch 2 support and takes a look at rumours of player battling and trading. We also give full details of recent changes to spawning and sightings, new Catch Bonus, Gym Training tweaks, Pokémon Go Plus availability, the jailbreaking and rooted devices crackdown, bug fixes, and much more.
Related: MWC 2017
POKÉMON GO UPDATE – PROMO CODES ON ANDROID
Those Pokémon Go players carrying out their Poké-exploits on Android may be unaware they can currently benefit from a feature reserved only for the version of the game that runs Google's mobile OS. Specifically, the Android version of the game now allows players to enter promo codes in the Shop in order to redeem special items. That's right, Android players can now get items without paying for them.
There's been no official announcement from Niantic, but if you head over to the Pokémon Go support pages, you'll find a page dedicated to the new feature. According to Niantic: "Pokémon GO occasionally offers promotional codes through our partnerships and special events. Promo codes can be used to redeem items such as Poké Balls, Lure Modules, Lucky Eggs, and more."
How does it all work? Well it's fairly straightforward. Just head into the Map View and tap the Main Menu button. Then, tap the Shop button and scroll to the bottom of the screen where you'll be able to enter the promo code in a text field. Then hit Redeem, and you should be good to go.
A note on the support page makes clear this feature is currently limited to Android, but we're sure it'll find its way onto iOS soon. At this point, there doesn't actually appear to be any known working promo codes, but stay tuned for more in the near future.
POKÉMON GO UPDATE – IS NIANTIC PLANNING A BIG EVENT THIS YEAR?
Niantic has been trying to keep players on its popular game with several special events that offer upgrades, special items, and the chance to catch different creatures. And as the current Easter 'Eggstravaganza' event comes to a close (it runs until April 20), there's news of bigger events coming in the future.
Niantic’s Asian General Manager Yoshiji Kawashima has spoken to K-Tai Watch, suggesting there will be a big event in the near future. He said (translated): "I hope that you will be looking forward to the huge event in the future, and I think that we can prepare a mechanism that can enjoy the event... Please expect. Recently there was a festival of water Pokemon, but there are still small events like this, and in addition there will be big events as well. Please look forward to it. Engineers are working hard now so that new functions can be implemented."
Originally, it was reported that Kawashima said a big event would be coming this Summer, but K-Tai Watch has amended its report to say the General Manager simply referred to the event happening in the "future".
Many are expecting the Legendary Pokémon to appear later this year, alongside long-rumoured features such as raids, PvP modes, and player trading. At this point, there's no official word on when these features will arrive, but it certainly looks as though Niantic has big plans, so stay tuned.
POKÉMON GO UPDATE – LEGENDARY CREATURES INCOMING?
Niantic CEO John Hanke spoke with Wired Germany at last week's MWC event, and answered a question about when the legendary creatures would be added to Pokémon Go. Although he didn't say specifically that the rare Pokémon would be added, he did say: "I can safely say we'll see more of it this year," and Wired's report claims the developer is working on bringing the animals to the game.
The generation one and two legendary creatures include Mew, Mewtwo, Ho-Oh, Lugia, and, of course the legendary birds Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno. There's no guarantee when or if we'll see those animals arrive, but it certainly seems Niantic has big plans for 2017.
What's more, many are expecting further news on a new update for the game as Hanke will be part of a SXSW panel later this week. The panel itself will discuss "Augmented Reality and Urban Revitalization," but we could see some Pokémon Go-related news emerge from the event. Stay tuned!
POKÉMON GO UPDATE – NIANTIC ADDS 80 NEW CREATURES IN MAJOR UPDATE
Well, it's taken seven months to arrive, but Niantic has finally gifted Pokémon Go players with a major update that introduces 80 new animals from the Gold and Silver video games. The new critters will begin popping up by the end of this week, and are taken from the fictional "Johto" region of the Pokémon Silver and Gold universe.
We haven't been given a full list of the new Pokémon at this point, but Niantic has announced the three starters Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile. Luckily, there's also a new video, in which you can catch a glimpse of some of the other new additions.
And there's more. Niantic will add a bunch of new features to the game alongside the new creatures. First up there's new encounter gameplay that will see Pokémon react in new ways when you discover them and try to catch them. There's also new item carousels that allow you to select Berries and Poke Balls directly from the encounter screen.
Next, Niantic has added a few new evolution items which means some animals originally discovered in the Kanto region will soon be able to evolve into Pokemon that inhabit the Johto region. These new evolution items will be available at PokeStops.
New Berries have also been introduced in the form of the Nanab Berry, which slows a Pokemon's movements, and the Pinap Berry, which doubles the amount of Candy received if the next catch attempt succeeds.
And finally, the game has been upgraded with new customisation options, allowing players to further customise their avatar's appearance with new shirts and hats and stuff. You'll also be able to buy new other items from the in-game Pokémon Go shop.
POKÉMON GO – LATEST NEWS
The Pokémon Go updates keep landing on a regular basis, but fans of the games have still been patiently waiting for one major piece of news to drop – the arrival of more Legendary Pokémon in the game.
At first, we thought this might be happening in December 2016, when an update introduced a handful of Gen 2 Pokémon into the game, or later in the holiday season when the Pokémon Go Christmas event kicked off.
Alas, it wasn't to be, but the latest gossip points to the first Legendary Pokémon dropping in spring 2017, as developer Niantic is believed to be holding back the iconic critters for better weather, when more people are likely to want to head outside and catch 'em all.
The latest release saw Pokémon Go updated to version 0.55.0 for Android and 1.25.0 for iOS, but there were only a handful of iterative changes – Niantic says it has reduced load time on Android devices, as well as resolved connectivity issues with the Pokémon Go Plus accessory, as well as integrating wheelchair support on iOS for Apple Watch users.
POKÉMON GO UPDATES – WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
There has been some good news for fans of the game recently – the long-awaited launch of Apple Watch 2 support – and plenty of boring incremental updates, unless the idea of 'text fixes' excite you.
But back to the good stuff. The Pokémon Go Apple Watch companion app is now available and means that keen Pokétrainers will now be able to leave their iPhone in their pocket and still get notifications about nearby critters, hatched eggs, and medals, plus being able to collect goodies from Pokéstop – all from your wrist.
There's also the promised health and fitness integration, so all your gaming will now be logged on the Apple Watch's Activity app. All you'll actually need your phone for is catching Pokémon, at least until the Pokémon Go Plus accessories becomes properly available.
And that's not the only big news.
Fans of the AR game hoping for a massive Gen 2 Christmas update that would introduce all 100 Gen 2 critters to the game were left disappointed recently, as in the end, all we got was a measly three new confirmed Pokémon back in 2016 – Pichu, Togepi and Magby.
And Pikachu in a Santa hat. Huzzah. It was all a bit meh.
But additional Gen 2 Pokémon should keep trickling out throughout the year. Pokéblog The Silph Road spotted the Gen 2-teasing code in the Pokémon Go v0.45.0 APK.
According to the site, the code noted 100 Gen 2 critters from number 152 in the Pokédex (Chikorita) to number 251 (Celebi).
Gamers were particularly excited because such an update would have brought several of the elusive 'legendary' Pokémon into play, including Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, although as we've said, it seems the Gen 2 monsters are going to be trickled out in the end and those legendary creatures won't see start hitting smartphones until later in the year.
A smaller update, which Niantic dropped on December 6, allowed you to transfer multiple Pokémon to Professor Willow, while the developer also recently dropped Ditto into play. The most
Read on for more details of the most recent Pokémon Go updates, starting with a list of all 100 Gen 2 Pokémon – we've bolded the ones that have been officially confirmed, but let us know if you spot any others in the comments down below.
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POKÉMON GO GEN 2 UPDATE – ALL THE NEW POKÉMON COMING
Here's a full list of all 100 Pokémon set to be added when Gen 2 joins the game shortly:
- Chikorita
- Bayleef
- Meganium
- Cyndaquil
- Quilava
- Typhlosion
- Totodile
- Croconaw
- Feraligatr
- Sentret
- Furret
- Hoothoot
- Noctowl
- Ledyba
- Ledian
- Spinarak
- Ariados
- Crobat
- Chinchou
- Lanturn
- Pichu
- Cleffa
- Igglybuff
- Togepi
- Togetic
- Natu
- Xatu
- Mareep
- Flaaffy
- Ampharos
- Bellossom
- Marill
- Azumarill
- Sudowoodo
- Politoed
- Hoppip
- Skiploom
- Jumpluff
- Aipom
- Sunkern
- Sunflora
- Yanma
- Wooper
- Quagsire
- Espeon
- Umbreon
- Murkrow
- Slowking
- Misdreavus
- Unown
- Wobbuffet
- Girafarig
- Pineco
- Forretress
- Dunsparce
- Gligar
- Steelix
- Snubbull
- Granbull
- Qwilfish
- Scizor
- Shuckle
- Heracross
- Sneasel
- Teddiursa
- Ursaring
- Slugma
- Magcargo
- Swinub
- Piloswine
- Corsola
- Remoraid
- Octillery
- Delibird
- Mantine
- Skarmory
- Houndour
- Houndoom
- Kingdra
- Phanpy
- Donphan
- Porygon
- Stantler
- Smeargle
- Tyrogue
- Hitmontop
- Smoochum
- Elekid
- Magby
- Miltank
- Blissey
- Raikou
- Entei
- Suicune
- Larvitar
- Pupitar
- Tyranitar
- Lugia
- Ho-Oh
- Celebi
Stay tuned, as we'll double-check this list when the big update officially lands!
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POKÉMON GO LATEST NEWS AND RUMOURS
A big tweak landed with version 1.11.4 (on iOS) of Pokémon Go and centred on the apparent disappearance of spawns and Sightings if you're found to be moving faster than 30 miles per hour.
If the game notices that you're above this "speed limit", your Sightings radar will shut down and you won't see any Pokémon spawn. This move is obviously motivated by safety concerns over people playing the game while driving.
As promised by developer Niantic, one big new feature was recently added in Catch Bonus. Pokétrainers will now receive a capture bonus for snaring multiple Pokémon, with the medals earned helping to improve your odds of finding rare Pokémon.
The other main change of late saw Gym Training in Pokémon Go receive a bit of an overhaul. You can now bring up to six Pokémon to battle at friendly Gyms, and the CP of the creature you're fighting may be temporarily reduced for your training session to provide a better opportunity to develop your critters.
And that's not all.
Previous updates to the game have introduced a raft of new features. First up is Capture Location, a simple addition to the game that means the spot where you snared a particular Pokémon will now be displayed on its statistics screen.
Perhaps more significantly, the Pokémon Go Plus accessory is finally out in the wild for a lucky few, with new shipments expected to resume later in October.
With that in mind, Niantic has added the ability to use Incense to lure Pokémon right from the in-demand wristband.
When we last checked, though, it was still out of stock with Nintendo.
Other new features to have been announced recently include the Buddy Pokémon system, incoming Apple Watch 2 support, and the Pokémon Appraisal system, which lets keen Pokétrainers learn more about their monsters' attack and defence stats from their Team Leader (that's Candela, Blanche, and Spark).
On the way out has been the ability to (officially) play the game on jailbroken or rooted devices – Niantic has confirmed that the game will not support modified operating systems, as it looks to continue to crackdown on bots, scrapers, and other forms of – what it deems to be – cheating in the game.
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Scroll down to learn more about the latest Poképatches.
POKÉMON GO UPDATE – BUDDY POKÉMON EXPLAINED
The new Buddy Pokémon system has been rumoured for a while and it's pretty easy to understand.
Basically, you can now nominate a "Buddy Pokémon" to accompany your trainer in their exploits. As well as making the game's interface a little less bland, you'll also earn Candy for your Buddy Pokémon based on how far you walk, so it's a useful way to evolve specific critters.
Previously, the simplest way to earn Candy was to catch a Pokémon and then "transfer" them to the Professor, but many players found that to be a pain, especially for rarer creatures.
POKÉMON GO UPDATE – LATEST "CHEATING" CRACKDOWN
The latest iteration of Pokémon Go also takes something away – the ability to play the game on jailbroken and rooted devices.
As part of its ongoing efforts to rid the game of "cheating" – namely, bots and scrapers – Niantic has confirmed that hacked phones aren't supported by Pokémon Go.
What's important to note, though, is that the developer isn't banning or deleting accounts from rooted devices – if you've jailbroken/rooted your phone but play the game legitimately, you could be fine.
However, it's another flag Niantic will be looking at when rooting (chortle...) out cheats – although there's some optimism over on Reddit that you may be able to "hide" your rooted status with a workaround, a situation we'll keep monitoring closely.
POKÉMON GO UPDATE – NEARBY TRACKING
The biggest change in version 1.3/0.33 of Pokémon Go isn't actually an addition to the game – it's a refinement of the Nearby tracking system. Previously, users of the app were able to identify how close nearby monsters were by the number of paw prints next to their icon. Niantic changed things around with version 1.1.1 by removing the footprints aspect.
With version 1.3/0.33 we've been gifted with a new, and potentially much more effective, Nearby tracker – at least some of us have, since Niantic is apparently testing the feature "with a subset of users", according to the release notes.
Previously, tracking nearby creatures involved bringing up the Nearby list and walking around to see whether your desired Poké creature moved up or down the order, providing an idea of where the beast was hiding. Now, the tracker allows you to tap on a particular Pokémon, after which you'll be shown which PokéStop to walk to in order to have the best chance of catching that creature.
Here's a video of the new tracker in action:
As you can see, the PokéStop is highlighted in a top-down map view, but remains highlighted once the view returns to normal. This allows you to navigate to the supply store with ease.
While the new system is being trialled for some users, most will probably have a new "Sightings" menu in place of the Nearby tracker. This menu simply lists Pokémon that have appeared in your immediate area; it features none of the functionality listed above. We're waiting to see just how it works in practice.
We expect Niantic to roll out the new tracking system to all users in the near future, but there's been no official word on when, or if, this will happen.
POKÉMON GO UPDATE – BATTERY-SAVER MODE
One change that had iOS users baffled and angry after the release of version 1.1.1 was the removal of the battery-saving feature. TrustedReviews Games Editor Brett was among those venting on Twitter:
Related: Best battery packs for Pokémon Go
Fortunately, Niantic has seemingly recovered from its momentary bout of insanity and reinstated the feature in the new update. Players can now simply turn their iPhone upside-down to dim the screen, allowing them to walk around with the game still running. This is a handy tool for making sure you're able to hatch eggs – which require you to rack up mileage – without losing all their battery life.
Hopefully battery-saving mode is back for good this time.
POKÉMON GO UPDATE – WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
Niantic has also fixed a few niggling issues. You should now be able to gain experience points for getting a "Nice", "Great", or "Excellent" throw when trying to catch Pokémon. This always used to be the case, but for some reason the feature stopped working. Thankfully, it's back now.
Other developments include the ability to change your character's name through the in-game menu. Beware, though, you only get one change. After that, you're stuck with your choice.
And it seems the devs are keen to alleviate safety concerns surrounding the game. Now, when you first load the game, it will warn you that you shouldn't be driving and playing at the same time. Yes – it's come to this, ladies and gentlemen. What's more, when Pokémon Go detects you're travelling at speed it will hit you with another pop up that asks you to confirm you're a passenger and not sitting behind the wheel. That should solve the problem...
It also looks like Niantic has made a few tweaks to the curve-ball throws. Now, you should be able to curve-throw Pokéballs at Pokémon with greater accuracy.
And finally, the team leaders Blanche, Candela and Spark have all been given shiny new images, which replace the previous silhouettes.
POKÉMON GO – WHAT WE WANT TO SEE
Perhaps chief among the things we want to see added is Pokémon trading, a central feature of the Game Boy games of yore.
It looks like Niantic has plans in that respect – most of which we now know about thanks to a revelatory panel at this year's San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC).
Here's all you need to know about trading and other new features coming to the Pokémon Go.
TRADING
Trading is perhaps the biggest omission from Niantic's game. One of the central mechanics of the classic Game Boy games, and a big part of the fictional Pokéverse itself, trading could surely be the only thing that could make Pokémon Go even more addictive.
And although the game launched without what seems like a crucial feature, a future update will soon have us swapping our collected monsters with mates, and possibly people around the world.
According to Niantic CEO and founder John Hanke, who took to the stage at Comic-Con, trading is coming.
Related: Pokémon Go beginner's guide
While Hanke remained tight-lipped when it came to details, the Pokémon Go beta did include a trading feature, which allowed players to send in-app trading requests to nearby trainers. The other trainer then had the option to accept or decline.
Whether the final version that comes to Pokémon Go will allow you to trade with players around the globe via the internet remains to be seen. Starting with Pokémon Red and Blue, the original games featured different types of creatures, which could be swapped with beasts from other players via a physical cable. Of course, Go won't be limited in this way, but it's previously been reported that users will need an NFC-equipped smartphone in order to take advantage of the upcoming trading feature.
Seeing as Hanke was reluctant to divulge any further information, we expect there's more to the story. We'll update this article as soon as we know the details.
And, if you want to ensure your phone lasts long enough to find and catch a Pokèmon worth trading, you might consider one of these great battery packs, especially as the game is a major battery drain:
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NEW POKÉMON
While most of us are a long way off catching 'em all, we're sure some determined players have already managed to capture all the available creatures in Pokémon Go. In fact, we know that to be true in the case of one Brooklyn-based Pokétrainer, who's managed to fill his entire Pokédex already. Yes, one Nick Johnson made the news recently for bagging all 142 creatures that are currently available in the US.
Seeing as the original lineup of monsters totalled 151, you may be wondering where the remaining nine are. Well, there are three more creatures exclusive to other international regions, but that still only makes 145 Pokémon in Pokémon Go overall. That's because the legendary creatures – Mew, Mewtwo, Ditto and the three birds Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos – are unavailable at this point.
Luckily, it seems we can expect to see more coming in the future. And that isn't just the remaining five from the original roster of beasts. According to Hanke, we'll be getting some new creatures from later generations: "Beyond first generation, there are some others that may make their way into our universe. We're looking forward to finding interesting ways to make that happen in the coming months and years."
IMPROVED POKÉSTOPS
Alongside new creatures and trading, Hanke also made a big deal of upcoming changes to how PokéStops work. These supply stores are littered around the local environment at locations of interest, and as of right now, provide players with supplies such as Pokèballs and extra items.
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But Niantic could be planning to develop the Stops beyond their current function. While you can currently drop what's known as a "lure" at any one of the supply stores to attract Pokémon to its location, in the future you could be able to modify the Stops even more. As Hanke said at the SDCC event: "That's a pretty cool idea that you can acquire an object that changes the function of a PokéStop and gives it a new ability."
So what other possible functions could a PokéStop fulfil? Well, it seems Niantic is intent upon adding healing PokéCenters, where damaged creatures could be treated, and which could be introduced in the form of modified PokéStops.
Further details are, again, elusive at this time. But expect to hear more about upgraded PokéStops in the near future.
TEAM LEADERS
Hanke also used the SDCC event to unveil the design for each of the game's Team Leaders. Candela, Blanche and Spark were revealed as heads of the Red (Valor), Blue (Mystic), and Yellow (Instinct) factions respectively.
So what does this mean in terms of gameplay changes? Well, it doesn't look like it makes much of a difference at this point. The new leaders will apparently offer advice to players and interact in other ways, although just what that will entail remains unclear.
AND THE REST
Other new features mentioned but not detailed include Pokémon breeding and new gym functionality. Specifics are currently unavailable, but Hanke made clear during the SDCC panel that Niantic definitely has ambitions to add these elements in the future.
And, you can expect the remaining five legendary Pokémon from the original lineup to crop up in some way. Unfortunately, it's all a little mysterious at the moment.
SO WHEN WILL WE GET ALL THESE AMAZING FEATURES?
For now, the focus for Niantic will be on fixing the server issues that have plagued the game since launch. Pokémon Go is yet to roll out fully worldwide, so until the company has managed to launch globally and stabilise the server to ensure a smooth experience for all players, the new functionality will likely be put on the back burner.
Speaking during the SDCC panel, Hanke said: "I don't have a date for you. We're working really hard to keep the servers up and running. We're working on it, but it will take a little longer."
So there you go, no solid release dates just yet. But stay tuned for updates – we expect to hear a lot more about the game's upcoming features in the weeks and months ahead.
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