News Articles
Niantic has announced that Pokémon GO live events are coming to Taiwan, the US, and the UK in 2020. Initial details of the events are listed below.
Pokémon light up a special event during the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung City
Get ready to be dazzled by lanterns, music, and Pokémon alike! This special non-ticketed, city-wide event will take place during the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung City, Taiwan, from Thursday, February 6, to Sunday, February 9, 2020.
Pokémon that will be appearing include the Electric-type Pokémon Mareep and Electrike. Volbeat, a Bug-type Pokémon known for illuminating the skies, will be appearing throughout the city alongside Illumise, a Bug-type Pokémon that guides Volbeat to draw light patterns. Illumise is typically available only in North America, South America, and Africa, so locals might want to catch one while they have the chance! Catch an Unown L to celebrate the light-themed event, and enjoy the lovely sounds of Chimecho, the Wind Chime Pokémon.
Celebrating the culture of Missouri with Safari Zone St. Louis
We’re excited to have the very first Safari Zone event of the year take place in St. Louis, Missouri! This cultural hub of music, sports, and beautiful parks will be home to Safari Zone St. Louis from Friday, March 27, to Sunday, March 29, 2020. Taking place in Tower Grove Park, this will be a ticketed event, so be sure to keep a lookout on our Twitter @PokemonGOApp for when tickets go live this Friday, January 24, 2020. Tickets will be sold through the Pokémon GO app and will be first come, first served. General admission tickets will be $12, and early access tickets will be $18. Early access ticket holders will be able to access event gameplay two hours early.
Trainers can look forward to encountering Mankey, Unown S, Teddiursa, Snivy, and Ferroseed throughout the park. Trainers from the northern hemisphere can sing for joy: Chatot, which usually appears only in the southern hemisphere, will also be appearing in Tower Grove Park!
Saluting the sea with Water-type Pokémon at Safari Zone Liverpool
Ready your sails—the UK’s first-ever Safari Zone will be taking place in beautiful waterfront Liverpool! Enjoy this ticketed event in the magnificent 235-acre Sefton Park from Friday, April 17, to Sunday, April 19, 2020.
During this maritime-themed event, Trainers will have the opportunity to encounter Krabby, Dratini, Chinchou, Unown V, and Oshawott in the wild. Relicanth—typically available only in New Zealand, Samoa, and some other islands in the southwest Pacific—will also be appearing in the wild, so be sure to catch one if you haven’t already.
Interested in spending this spring weekend by the water with some splashy Water-type Pokémon? Be sure to grab a ticket once they go live on Friday, January 31, 2020! Tickets will be first come, first served. General admission tickets will be £12, and early access tickets will be £18. Early access ticket holders will be able to access event gameplay early and receive two additional hours of gameplay. Be sure to keep a lookout on our Twitter @PokemonGOApp for more details.
Get ready for Safari Zone Philadelphia
Finally, we will be hosting a Safari Zone event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from Friday, May 8, to Sunday, May 10, 2020. Tickets will be first come, first served. General admission tickets will be $12, and early access tickets will be $18. Early access ticket holders will be able to access event gameplay early and receive two additional hours of gameplay. Stay tuned—we’ll share more details as soon as we can.
Be sure to make plans early to ensure you obtain transportation and accommodations for the events. We’re super excited for even more events coming up in 2020 and look forward to sharing more details soon. We can’t wait to see you, Trainers!
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/liveevents-2020/
Pokémon GO live events are coming to Taiwan, the US, and the UK!
Trainers, The year of 2019 featured an incredible lineup of live events for Pokémon GO. From welcoming Trainers to three Pokémon GO Fests across three different continents to hosting our first-ever Safari Zones in Brazil, Singapore, and Canada—every year, we aim to go bigger and better than the last. In 2020, you can look forward to even more events in more locations! We’re pleased to announce the first live events of the year.- Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung City
- Safari Zone St. Louis, Missouri, US
- Safari Zone Liverpool, UK
- Safari Zone Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Pokémon light up a special event during the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung City
Get ready to be dazzled by lanterns, music, and Pokémon alike! This special non-ticketed, city-wide event will take place during the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung City, Taiwan, from Thursday, February 6, to Sunday, February 9, 2020.
Pokémon that will be appearing include the Electric-type Pokémon Mareep and Electrike. Volbeat, a Bug-type Pokémon known for illuminating the skies, will be appearing throughout the city alongside Illumise, a Bug-type Pokémon that guides Volbeat to draw light patterns. Illumise is typically available only in North America, South America, and Africa, so locals might want to catch one while they have the chance! Catch an Unown L to celebrate the light-themed event, and enjoy the lovely sounds of Chimecho, the Wind Chime Pokémon.
Celebrating the culture of Missouri with Safari Zone St. Louis
We’re excited to have the very first Safari Zone event of the year take place in St. Louis, Missouri! This cultural hub of music, sports, and beautiful parks will be home to Safari Zone St. Louis from Friday, March 27, to Sunday, March 29, 2020. Taking place in Tower Grove Park, this will be a ticketed event, so be sure to keep a lookout on our Twitter @PokemonGOApp for when tickets go live this Friday, January 24, 2020. Tickets will be sold through the Pokémon GO app and will be first come, first served. General admission tickets will be $12, and early access tickets will be $18. Early access ticket holders will be able to access event gameplay two hours early.
Trainers can look forward to encountering Mankey, Unown S, Teddiursa, Snivy, and Ferroseed throughout the park. Trainers from the northern hemisphere can sing for joy: Chatot, which usually appears only in the southern hemisphere, will also be appearing in Tower Grove Park!
Saluting the sea with Water-type Pokémon at Safari Zone Liverpool
Ready your sails—the UK’s first-ever Safari Zone will be taking place in beautiful waterfront Liverpool! Enjoy this ticketed event in the magnificent 235-acre Sefton Park from Friday, April 17, to Sunday, April 19, 2020.
During this maritime-themed event, Trainers will have the opportunity to encounter Krabby, Dratini, Chinchou, Unown V, and Oshawott in the wild. Relicanth—typically available only in New Zealand, Samoa, and some other islands in the southwest Pacific—will also be appearing in the wild, so be sure to catch one if you haven’t already.
Interested in spending this spring weekend by the water with some splashy Water-type Pokémon? Be sure to grab a ticket once they go live on Friday, January 31, 2020! Tickets will be first come, first served. General admission tickets will be £12, and early access tickets will be £18. Early access ticket holders will be able to access event gameplay early and receive two additional hours of gameplay. Be sure to keep a lookout on our Twitter @PokemonGOApp for more details.
Get ready for Safari Zone Philadelphia
Finally, we will be hosting a Safari Zone event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from Friday, May 8, to Sunday, May 10, 2020. Tickets will be first come, first served. General admission tickets will be $12, and early access tickets will be $18. Early access ticket holders will be able to access event gameplay early and receive two additional hours of gameplay. Stay tuned—we’ll share more details as soon as we can.
Be sure to make plans early to ensure you obtain transportation and accommodations for the events. We’re super excited for even more events coming up in 2020 and look forward to sharing more details soon. We can’t wait to see you, Trainers!
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/liveevents-2020/
Niantic has announced that for the February 2020 Community Day, players of Pokémon GO will have the chance to vote for the featured Pokémon for the day.
We hope to take the lessons from this experiment and use them to make Community Day the best it can be, and we thank you for your patience. More info below.
Voting Timeline
Here is what you can expect in the coming weeks.
February 2020 Community Day Pokémon Candidates
Your candidates for the next Community Day are Vulpix, Machop, Rhyhorn, and Dratini. Learn about their Community Day attacks and more below.
Voting-Day Field Research Tasks
In order to ensure fairness, all candidates’ Field Research tasks will have the same objective you’ll need to complete in order to cast a vote for the February 2020 Community Day Pokémon. The Field Research objective you’ll need to complete will be...catching 20 Pokémon to earn 200 Stardust.
These are the four Field Research tasks you will see on voting day:
One research task completed equates to one vote for the Pokémon listed on the completed task. You may complete more than one voting research task, and they will each count as a vote for whichever Pokémon is listed on each task. Be sure to complete as much research as you can for the Pokémon you want featured for Community Day!
We hope you’re just as excited as we are to have the first-ever community-chosen Community Day Pokémon! You have one week to help campaign for the Pokémon you most want to be chosen—be sure to use #PokemonGOCommunityDay when doing so!
Make your voices heard, Trainers. It’s time for you to choose which Pokémon you want as the next Community Day Pokémon. Let’s GO!
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/feb2020-cd-voting
Pokémon GO - Vote for February Community Day’s featured Pokémon
Trainers, Community Day is a key piece of what makes Pokémon GO a unique gaming experience. It’s an event that encourages all Trainers to go out and play together one day a month, and we’ve been endlessly inspired by the impact it’s had on building local communities. To allow Community Day to live up to its name even more, we’re letting Trainers everywhere vote for what the next featured Community Day Pokémon will be.We hope to take the lessons from this experiment and use them to make Community Day the best it can be, and we thank you for your patience. More info below.
- Voting Timeline
- February 2020 Community Day Pokémon Candidates
- Voting-Day Field Research Tasks
Voting Timeline
Here is what you can expect in the coming weeks.
- Announcement of the Community Day candidates: On Wednesday, January 22, 2020 (today), we announce the Pokémon in the running to be the featured Community Day Pokémon, what their event-exclusive attacks will be, and the Field Research tasks you will need to complete to vote for your Pokémon of choice.
- Voting day: Voting day will be on Saturday, February 1, 2020, from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. in your local time zone. Votes will be counted via the total number of Field Research tasks completed globally within the allotted time.
- Announcement of the winner: On Monday, February 3, 2020, two days after voting day closes, we will announce which Pokémon will be featured for February Community Day.
- February Community Day: The Community Day featuring the winning Pokémon will take place on Saturday, February 22, 2020. The featured bonus will be 3× Catch Stardust. Per the last update, Community Day for Trainers in the northern hemisphere will run from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time, while in the southern hemisphere, it will run from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time.
February 2020 Community Day Pokémon Candidates
Your candidates for the next Community Day are Vulpix, Machop, Rhyhorn, and Dratini. Learn about their Community Day attacks and more below.
- Vulpix: Vulpix as originally discovered in the Kanto region will be appearing in the wild and in Eggs. Alolan Vulpix will be appearing in Field Research and Raid Battles. Evolve Vulpix or Alolan Vulpix into Ninetales or Alolan Ninetales for the Charged Attack Weather Ball. Ninetales will learn Fire-type Weather Ball, and Alolan Ninetales will learn Ice-type Weather Ball—attacks previously exclusive to Castform. Shiny Vulpix as originally discovered in the Kanto region will become available for the first time in Pokémon GO.
- Machop: Evolve Machop into Machamp for the exclusive attack Payback. This Dark-type Charged Attack will give Machamp good coverage to deal with Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokémon that might otherwise give it trouble.
- Rhyhorn: Evolve Rhyhorn into Rhyperior for the exclusive attack Rock Wrecker. Known to be Rhyperior’s signature move, this Rock-type Charged Attack will be a powerful addition to Rhyperior’s repertoire. Shiny Rhyhorn will also become available to encounter for the first time in Pokémon GO.
- Dratini: Evolve Dratini into Dragonite for the Charged Attack Superpower. This powerful Fighting-type attack is a recent addition to Pokémon GO and could be a strategic option for Dragonite. For example, it could help Dragonite against Ice- and Rock-type Pokémon that would normally have an advantage over it. Superpower could also help Dragonite deal with Steel-type Pokémon that are weak to Fighting-type attacks.
Voting-Day Field Research Tasks
In order to ensure fairness, all candidates’ Field Research tasks will have the same objective you’ll need to complete in order to cast a vote for the February 2020 Community Day Pokémon. The Field Research objective you’ll need to complete will be...catching 20 Pokémon to earn 200 Stardust.
These are the four Field Research tasks you will see on voting day:
- Vote for Machop Community Day! Catch 20 Pokémon
- Vote for Rhyhorn Community Day! Catch 20 Pokémon
- Vote for Vulpix Community Day! Catch 20 Pokémon
- Vote for Dratini Community Day! Catch 20 Pokémon
One research task completed equates to one vote for the Pokémon listed on the completed task. You may complete more than one voting research task, and they will each count as a vote for whichever Pokémon is listed on each task. Be sure to complete as much research as you can for the Pokémon you want featured for Community Day!
We hope you’re just as excited as we are to have the first-ever community-chosen Community Day Pokémon! You have one week to help campaign for the Pokémon you most want to be chosen—be sure to use #PokemonGOCommunityDay when doing so!
Make your voices heard, Trainers. It’s time for you to choose which Pokémon you want as the next Community Day Pokémon. Let’s GO!
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/feb2020-cd-voting
Niantic has announced that to celebrate the Lunar New Year, Pokémon GO will be holding a Limited Research event featuring Minccino from Friday, January 24th, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, February 3rd, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST.
Pokémon GO Lunar New Year Event
It’s time to welcome in the new lunar cycle with red Pokémon appearing more frequently in the wild, lucky bonuses, and the appearance of a Pokémon not previously found in Pokémon GO: Darumaka!
Date + Time
Friday, January 24, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, February 3, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8)
Features
Bonuses
Minccino Limited Research
In celebration of the Year of the Rat, Minccino, the Chinchilla Pokémon, will be appearing in Pokémon GO for a special Limited Research event. Professor Willow has also uncovered that Minccino can evolve into Cinccino through use of a Unova Stone!
Date + Time
Sunday, February 2, 2020, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time
Features
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/lunar-2020/
Pokémon GO - Year of the Rat: Celebrate Lunar New Year
Trainers, Happy Lunar New Year! The Pokémon GO Lunar New Year event is happening once again, spotlighting various red Pokémon and, in celebration of the Year of the Rat, a Limited Research event featuring Minccino, the Chinchilla Pokémon. Take a look at the details below.Pokémon GO Lunar New Year Event
It’s time to welcome in the new lunar cycle with red Pokémon appearing more frequently in the wild, lucky bonuses, and the appearance of a Pokémon not previously found in Pokémon GO: Darumaka!
Date + Time
Friday, January 24, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, February 3, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8)
Features
- Certain red Pokémon will be featured. Charmeleon, Vulpix, Parasect, Voltorb, Jynx, Magmar, Magikarp, Flareon, Slugma, Wurmple, Corphish, Kricketot, and Foongus will appear more frequently in the wild!
- Gyashaa! If you’re lucky, you might spot a Gyarados in the wild. Will you be lucky enough to encounter the coveted red Shiny Gyarados?
- Darumaka will hatch from 7 km Eggs. Some red Pokémon will be hatching from 7 km Eggs, such as Shuckle and Foongus. Making its Pokémon GO debut will be Darumaka, the Zen Charm Pokémon!
Bonuses
- Gifts will have a chance of rewarding you with Rare Candies, so be sure to send and open lots of Gifts with your friends.
- Be sure to trade more often with your friends—the likelihood of becoming Lucky Friends will be increased.
- When you trade a Pokémon, there will be an increased chance it will become a Lucky Pokémon.
Minccino Limited Research
In celebration of the Year of the Rat, Minccino, the Chinchilla Pokémon, will be appearing in Pokémon GO for a special Limited Research event. Professor Willow has also uncovered that Minccino can evolve into Cinccino through use of a Unova Stone!
Date + Time
Sunday, February 2, 2020, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time
Features
- Field Research: Minccino Limited Research tasks will allow you to encounter Minccino.
- Pokémon that fit the theme of the Year of the Rat will be appearing more frequently in the wild. Look out for Rattata, Raticate, Pikachu, Sandshrew, Nidoran♀, Nidoran♂, Sentret, Marill, Zigzagoon, Plusle, Minun, Bidoof, and Patrat.
- Minccino in 5 km Eggs: Minccino will be hatching more frequently from 5 km Eggs. After the event ends, Minccino will continue to be available in 5 km Eggs.
- Shiny Minccino will be available! If you’re lucky, you might encounter one!
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/lunar-2020/
Niantic has announced that a Special Raid Weekend event will take place from Friday, January 24th, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, January 27th, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST. The Legendary Pokémon Latias and Latios will both be available in Raid Battles.
Date + Time
Friday, January 24, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, January 27, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8)
Features
You’ve got this, Trainers—let’s GO!
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/weekendraid2020-latias-latios/
Latias and Latios zip into a Special Raid Weekend event!
Trainers, A Special Raid Weekend event is on its way! The Legendary Pokémon Latias and Latios will both be available in Raid Battles soon.Date + Time
Friday, January 24, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, January 27, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8)
Features
- The Legendary Pokémon Latias and Latios will be in five-star raids.
You’ve got this, Trainers—let’s GO!
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/weekendraid2020-latias-latios/
Niantic has announced that Trade Evolution and more Pokémon originally discovered in Unova will be added to Pokémon GO!
Trade Evolution
Even more Pokémon coming to the world of Pokémon GO! In addition to Boldore, Gurdurr, Karrablast, and Shelmet, we have an exciting cast of more Pokémon that will be appearing in the wild, in raids, and in Eggs soon.
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/trade-evolution
Trade Evolution and more Pokémon originally discovered in Unova are here!
Trainers, Trade Evolution has long been an iconic mechanic in the main Pokémon series. We are excited to adapt this feature to Pokémon GO! Trading certain Pokémon will result in no Candy cost to evolve them. More Pokémon originally discovered in the Unova region are also coming to Pokémon GO—and some of them will benefit from the addition of trade Evolution, too.Trade Evolution
- How it works: Trade an eligible Pokémon to lower the Candy cost to evolve them.
- Which Pokémon can gain Evolution benefits from trading? Kadabra, Machoke, Graveler, and Haunter are some Pokémon that can now benefit from trade Evolution. If you received one of these Pokémon in a trade in the past—congratulations! That Pokémon will retroactively qualify for no Candy cost when you evolve it.
- Pokémon originally discovered in the Unova region that benefit from trade Evolution: Boldore, Gurdurr, Karrablast, and Shelmet are now appearing in Pokémon GO and will be eligible for trade Evolution benefits. And remember, Trainers: Boldore’s and Gurdurr’s Evolutions, Gigalith and Conkeldurr, might be powerful Pokémon to have in your battle parties!
Even more Pokémon coming to the world of Pokémon GO! In addition to Boldore, Gurdurr, Karrablast, and Shelmet, we have an exciting cast of more Pokémon that will be appearing in the wild, in raids, and in Eggs soon.
- Pokémon appearing in the wild: Roggenrola, Tympole, Dwebble, Trubbish, Karrablast, Joltik, Shelmet, and more.
- Pokémon hatching from Eggs:
- 2 km Eggs: Venipede and Dwebble
- 5 km Eggs: Roggenrola, Tympole, Trubbish, Karrablast, Joltik, and Shelmet
- 10 km Eggs: Timburr, Tirtouga, Archen, and Axew
- Pokémon appearing in raids: Timburr will also be available in one-star raids.
- Pokémon appearing in the wild in certain parts of the world:
- North America, South America, and Africa: Throh (also available in 10 km Eggs)
- Europe, Asia, and Australia: Sawk (also available in 10 km Eggs)
- Southern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America: Maractus
- Egypt and Greece: Sigilyph
- Eastern hemisphere: Red-Striped Form Basculin
- Western hemisphere: Blue-Striped Form Basculin
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/trade-evolution
Niantic have announced the details for the January 2020 Pokémon GO Community Day which takes place on January 19th, 2020 at 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM EST in the Northern Hemisphere and 3:00 PM until 6:00 PM in the Southern Hemisphere. The featured Pokémon for this day is Piplup. Piplup will appear in the wild more frequently for three hours that day. If you evolve Prinplup into Empoleon, it will know the move, Hydro Cannon. The 1/4 Egg Hatch Distance and 3-hour Lures bonuses will also be available that day.
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/events/community-day/
To celebrate New Years 2020, from Thursday, January 2nd, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Thursday, January 16th, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST in Pokémon GO, Niantic has announced that the Adventure Sync Hatchathon is back and you can be rewarded with extra Stardust, Rare Candies, and a Unova Stone if you walk a certain distance. You can find Pokémon like Wurmple wearing party hats by hatching Eggs and encountering Pokémon in the wild.
Date + Time
From Thursday, January 2, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Thursday, January 16, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8)
Features
Bonuses
Avatar Items
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/adventuresync-hatchathon-2020/
Party with Wurmple during the Adventure Sync Hatchathon!
Trainers, Ready those Incubators! The Adventure Sync Hatchathon is back, and it’s the perfect time to get a leg up on your New Year’s resolutions. During the Adventure Sync Hatchathon, you can be rewarded with extra Stardust, Rare Candies, and a Unova Stone if you walk a certain distance. You can find Pokémon wearing party hats by hatching Eggs and encountering Pokémon in the wild, too.Date + Time
From Thursday, January 2, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Thursday, January 16, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8)
Features
- You might be able to hatch a Pichu or Wurmple wearing a party hat from a 2 km Egg.
- You’ll have the chance to hatch Pichu wearing party hats from 7 km Eggs.
- In two-star raids, you’ll have the chance to challenge Raticate and Wobbuffet wearing party hats.
- In the wild, Pikachu wearing party hats will be available to catch.
- If you’re lucky, you might encounter Shiny Raticate, Pikachu, Pichu, Wobbuffet, and Wurmple—all of them wearing party hats!
Bonuses
- 2× Hatch Candy
- 2× Hatch Stardust
- Adventure Sync reward for walking 50 km: 50,000 Stardust, 15 Rare Candies, and a guaranteed Unova Stone
Avatar Items
- Celebrate 2020 with the 2020 Specs! Now available in the Style Shop.
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/adventuresync-hatchathon-2020/
Niantic has announced events that will take place during January 2020 so you can look forward and plan your days accordingly.
January Team GO Rocket Special Research
The fight against Team GO Rocket continues! Activate the new Special Research during the month of January to help Professor Willow and the team leaders take down this villainous group. This is your chance to fight Giovanni and save another Legendary Pokémon: Shadow Moltres. Team GO Rocket never rests, Trainers, and neither can we! Be on the lookout for new Team GO Rocket Special Research from Professor Willow every month. For more information, please see our help center article.
January Research Breakthrough encounters: Lapras that know Ice Shard or Ice Beam
From Wednesday, January 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Saturday, February 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8), Lapras that know Ice Shard or Ice Beam will be available as Research Breakthrough encounters! Some of you might notice that the last time Lapras with this particular attack were available to catch was in 2018.
These Water- and Ice-type Pokémon are sure to be contenders for your battle party, so don’t miss this chance to encounter Lapras that know Ice Shard or Ice Beam!
The egg-citing Adventure Sync Hatchathon is back
Ready those Incubators! From Thursday, January 2, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Thursday, January 16, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8), the Adventure Sync Hatchathon event will return. It’s time to get a leg up on your New Year’s resolutions, Trainers! During the Adventure Sync Hatchathon, you can be rewarded with extra Stardust, Rare Candies, and a Unova Stone if you walk a certain distance. You’ll be able to find Pokémon wearing party hats by hatching Eggs and encountering Pokémon in the wild, too. More details coming soon.
Heatran blazes back into raids
From Tuesday, January 7, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Tuesday, February 4, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8), Heatran will be in five-star raids! If you’re lucky, you might encounter Shiny Heatran! With a body made of rugged steel and blood that boils like magma, the Lava Dome Pokémon might find a niche in your battle party as a bulky Fire- and Steel-type attacker.
Unova nouveau in the new year
Remember when Pokémon originally discovered in the Unova region first came to Pokémon GO? Well, we’ve received reports that some more might be coming soon! Keep your eyes peeled, Trainers, and stay tuned. We’ll share more details soon!
Which events are you looking forward to the most, Trainers? Be sure to share them with us on social media with #PokemonGO! Here’s to an amazing month of events and an amazing 2020 in general. Let’s GO!
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/jan2020-events/
Pokémon GO - Ringing in the new year with January events!
Trainers, As December’s last event, Pokémon GO Holidays 2019, wraps up, we set our eyes toward the new year on the horizon! As we ring in 2020, you can look forward to the following events and features.- More Team GO Rocket Special Research
- January Research Breakthrough encounter: Lapras that know Ice Shard or Ice Beam
- The egg-citing Adventure Sync Hatchathon is back
- Heatran blazes back into raids
- Unova nouveau in the new year
January Team GO Rocket Special Research
The fight against Team GO Rocket continues! Activate the new Special Research during the month of January to help Professor Willow and the team leaders take down this villainous group. This is your chance to fight Giovanni and save another Legendary Pokémon: Shadow Moltres. Team GO Rocket never rests, Trainers, and neither can we! Be on the lookout for new Team GO Rocket Special Research from Professor Willow every month. For more information, please see our help center article.
January Research Breakthrough encounters: Lapras that know Ice Shard or Ice Beam
From Wednesday, January 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Saturday, February 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8), Lapras that know Ice Shard or Ice Beam will be available as Research Breakthrough encounters! Some of you might notice that the last time Lapras with this particular attack were available to catch was in 2018.
These Water- and Ice-type Pokémon are sure to be contenders for your battle party, so don’t miss this chance to encounter Lapras that know Ice Shard or Ice Beam!
The egg-citing Adventure Sync Hatchathon is back
Ready those Incubators! From Thursday, January 2, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Thursday, January 16, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8), the Adventure Sync Hatchathon event will return. It’s time to get a leg up on your New Year’s resolutions, Trainers! During the Adventure Sync Hatchathon, you can be rewarded with extra Stardust, Rare Candies, and a Unova Stone if you walk a certain distance. You’ll be able to find Pokémon wearing party hats by hatching Eggs and encountering Pokémon in the wild, too. More details coming soon.
Heatran blazes back into raids
From Tuesday, January 7, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Tuesday, February 4, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8), Heatran will be in five-star raids! If you’re lucky, you might encounter Shiny Heatran! With a body made of rugged steel and blood that boils like magma, the Lava Dome Pokémon might find a niche in your battle party as a bulky Fire- and Steel-type attacker.
Unova nouveau in the new year
Remember when Pokémon originally discovered in the Unova region first came to Pokémon GO? Well, we’ve received reports that some more might be coming soon! Keep your eyes peeled, Trainers, and stay tuned. We’ll share more details soon!
Which events are you looking forward to the most, Trainers? Be sure to share them with us on social media with #PokemonGO! Here’s to an amazing month of events and an amazing 2020 in general. Let’s GO!
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/jan2020-events/
Pokémon GO’s shared AR experience feature allows you and up to 2 friends to interact with your buddies and take AR snapshots.
To access the shared AR experience feature, AR+ must be turned on in your Settings menu. To use AR+, your device needs to meet the following requirements:
- iOS: AR+ mode is only available for iPhone 6s and newer models running on iOS 11+.
- Android: AR+ mode is only available to devices running Android 7.0+ and can support ARCore. Supported devices must install ARCore from the Google Play Store. A list of supported devices can be found here.
To enter a shared AR experience:
- Tap your buddy’s portrait in the bottom left of the Map View, next to your Trainer’s portrait.
- Tap the shared experience
icon. - Host a group by tapping Create a Group Code.
- Have other players scan your QR code to join.
icon.To start a shared AR session, everyone in the group should hold their devices upright and point towards the same 3D object in a flat, open area nearby. Move left and right together until you see a Pokémon shadow with yellow footprints, then tap the shadow to place your buddy.
While in a shared AR experience, you can feed your buddy snacks or play with them just as you would on your own, but you won’t be able to interact with your friends’ buddies. Interacting with your buddy in a shared AR experience will award you Affection hearts.
Taking a Group Snapshot
To take a snapshot of the buddy Pokémon in the shared AR experience, tap the Camera button at the bottom of the screen. When you try to take a group snapshot, your Trainer nickname will be visible to the other players participating.
Note: This feature is currently not available for child accounts with Pokémon Trainer Club (PTC) login. For Niantic Kids accounts, parents or guardians may opt into enabling this feature by granting appropriate permissions through the Niantic Kids Parent Portal. Read this article to learn more about child accounts and how to grant permissions.
Source: https://niantic.helpshift.com/a/pokemon-go/?p=web&s=top-articles&f=shared-ar-experience-with-your-buddy
YouTube Clip - Shared AR Experience Tutorial
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PGAqkLoflY
Dec 17 2019
Pokémon GO - Buddy Adventure coming soon
Niantic has announced details of a new featured called Buddy Adventure which will be coming soon to Pokémon GO. The new feature which will launch in 2020, allows players to have their buddy by their side in your Pokémon GO explorations.
Buddy Adventure is an elevated bonding experience for Trainers and their buddies. You’ll get to know your Buddy Pokémon’s mood as you increase your Buddy Level by playing with your buddy, feeding your buddy treats, and battling and exploring with your buddy. In addition, swapping Buddy Pokémon no longer resets progress toward earning Candy. Like any great Pokémon Trainer, you’ll find that the world around you will become richer with Pokémon by your side as they grow with you and help you along your journey.
The Buddy Adventure feature set will roll out to Trainers around the world by 2020.
The Berry that blossomed into friendship
Kick off your buddy adventure by feeding your buddy Berries. This will increase your Buddy Level to Good Buddy, and you’ll see your buddy on the map, following right behind you! To feed your buddy, just head to the new buddy profile page, tap on Play!, and interact with your buddy. You can also give your buddy a quick treat directly from the buddy profile page. Each Pokémon has different quirks and ways to express itself. Watch closely to see a diverse range of movements and expressions, whether you and your buddy are playing together or exploring the world around you!
Along with feeding your buddy, you can also play with it! Watch what your buddy does when you interact with it in AR+ mode. Different Pokémon react in different ways! Make sure you have AR+ turned on in your Settings.
Unlock exciting new Perks with Buddy Adventure
As you and your buddy get closer and your Buddy Level increases, you’ll get to unlock exciting new Perks together! The Buddy Levels are Good Buddy, Great Buddy, Ultra Buddy, and Best Buddy.
How to become better friends with your buddy
Become better friends with your buddy by earning affection. Affection is measured by hearts, and you can earn hearts with your buddy by exploring with your buddy on the map, battling with your buddy, playing with and feeding your buddy, and taking snapshots of your buddy. The more affection you earn, the better your buddy’s mood will be!
When you reach the highest mood (excited), you can unlock the following Perks:
With the upgraded buddy profile page, you’ll see your buddy’s progress toward finding Candy, your buddy’s current mood, a chart of daily activities you can do to earn affection with your buddy, and your Buddy Level! You’ll also be able to see the history of other Pokémon who have been your buddy and the adventures you’ve shared together. Remember: friendship is something you build together! So be sure to complete the daily activities with your buddy each day to earn more affection and become fast friends!
Coming soon: Meet your (real-world) buddy’s buddies, too! After Buddy Adventure is available to Trainers around the world, there’ll be even more to look forward to. Soon, your buddy will be able to meet your fellow Trainers’ buddies in Shared AR Experience mode!
In the new Shared AR Experience mode, you can sync up with up to two other Trainers with AR+ to take a group photo with your buddies together! It’ll be the perfect chance to create your own epic Pokémon moments and capture new Pokémon memories with your friends!
We hope you have a blast discovering all the new ways you can bond with your Buddy Pokémon, Trainers! Be sure to share your favorite buddy moments and photos with #PokemonGOBuddy once the feature is released.
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/buddyadventurelaunch/
Trainers, The bond between Trainers and their Pokémon has been at the core of every part of the Pokémon franchise, from the main-series games to the anime and beyond. The partnership between a Pokémon and its Trainer is built on trust, and as with any great partnership, those involved grow together, play together, and explore together. In the new Buddy Adventure feature, Trainers worldwide will be able to experience what it’s really like to have a Pokémon exploring the world with them.
Collaborating with our partners like Best Buddies!
“Since launching Pokémon GO, this might be the most collaborative feature we have had with The Pokémon Company,” shared Ryuta Hiroi, the lead Niantic product manager on the project. “Even with your phone in your pocket, you’ll feel like your buddy is right beside you!”
Niantic tech artist Lena Verstappen added to the point about collaborating with our partners, mentioning that there was a deeply respectful way in which each and every Pokémon was treated throughout the process of developing the features.
Each Pokémon species has been designed to express itself in distinct ways, and the team here at Niantic found itself time and again charmed by Pokémon. From tackling the fact that Exeggcute has six heads to taking on the challenge of feeding an Alolan Exeggutor (“How do you feed something so tall?” said Lena), everyone came away with a deeper appreciation for not only the partnerships we had but for the Pokémon themselves.
“It’s almost as if each Pokémon were a family member!” Lena shared. “How they eat, how they walk, and even where the Best Buddy Ribbon should be placed on each Pokémon’s body—all of this and more was taken into account when crafting an as-immersive-as-possible experience.”
“I’m surprised by the number of Pokémon I’m falling in love with from interacting with them,” said Laura Warner, the lead game designer on the project. “Like watching a Spheal roll behind me on the map... I just care about Pokémon unlike ever before. We’re excited for Trainers to try out different buddies and see how each one becomes their friend!”
Challenges along the road to exploration
Buddy Adventure touches on almost every aspect of Pokémon GO. You see your buddy on the map, you use your buddy in battle, and your buddy helps you when you catch Pokémon. Developing something as ambitious as this feature set was an interesting challenge for the team to tackle head on.
“When a feature is so all encompassing, it’s important to break it up from a development standpoint,” says Trey Williamson, the lead technical program manager on the feature. “What was Buddy Adventure’s ideal experience? What defines that ‘successful’ experience for a Trainer? It was very much a learn-as-you-go kind of process.” Determining what Trainers would want out of Buddy Adventure really helped the team focus their development on the most important parts of the feature.
Designing relationships with both Niantic and Pokémon values
Niantic products and features strive to bring people together in real life, get people moving, and encourage people to explore the areas around them and discover new places.
When the Buddy Pokémon feature was first released, we introduced the ability for Trainers to walk with their buddy to get Candy, which encourages exercise. Buddy Adventure will feature more discovery and exploration mechanics than ever before. Upon reaching a certain Buddy Level, buddies will be able to alert their Trainers whenever an interesting PokéStop is nearby. The upcoming shared AR mode creates a meaningful real-world social experience by letting up to three Trainers place their Pokémon in the same space and take a photo together. We hope that features like this will enrich Trainers’ lives as they discover even more places alongside their buddies.
Our core design philosophy was not the only guiding compass when developing Buddy Adventure. We also wanted to make sure it still fit within the Pokémon universe. In this case, we wanted Trainers to be able to feel as if their buddy is a true partner and friend—just like in the sorts of partnerships they’ve seen in various Pokémon series in the past!
The experience of Buddy Adventure goes beyond the AR experience. You see your buddy on the map. Your Pokémon is growing alongside you. Your Pokémon can help you in Pokémon encounters once you reach a certain Buddy Level, which really makes you feel like your Pokémon is there to help you. It creates a special feeling. You and your buddy have a real partnership.
—Ethan Chan, technical lead for Buddy Adventure and Pokémon GO client engineer
Introducing: Your Buddy Adventure!
We feel incredibly lucky and grateful to have been able to work on a feature that will let Trainers get closer to their Pokémon while exploring the world around them. We cannot wait for you all to experience Buddy Adventure and create memories and relationships with your Buddy Pokémon that will last!
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/buddyadventure-devinsights/
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C461fBV-J7c
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs22v0XUKyU
Buddy Adventure coming soon—even more ways to explore, grow, and bond with your buddy!
Trainers, world with your Buddy Pokémon! In the all-new Buddy Adventure feature, your buddy will be by your side in your Pokémon GO explorations like never before.Buddy Adventure is an elevated bonding experience for Trainers and their buddies. You’ll get to know your Buddy Pokémon’s mood as you increase your Buddy Level by playing with your buddy, feeding your buddy treats, and battling and exploring with your buddy. In addition, swapping Buddy Pokémon no longer resets progress toward earning Candy. Like any great Pokémon Trainer, you’ll find that the world around you will become richer with Pokémon by your side as they grow with you and help you along your journey.
The Buddy Adventure feature set will roll out to Trainers around the world by 2020.
The Berry that blossomed into friendship
Kick off your buddy adventure by feeding your buddy Berries. This will increase your Buddy Level to Good Buddy, and you’ll see your buddy on the map, following right behind you! To feed your buddy, just head to the new buddy profile page, tap on Play!, and interact with your buddy. You can also give your buddy a quick treat directly from the buddy profile page. Each Pokémon has different quirks and ways to express itself. Watch closely to see a diverse range of movements and expressions, whether you and your buddy are playing together or exploring the world around you!
Along with feeding your buddy, you can also play with it! Watch what your buddy does when you interact with it in AR+ mode. Different Pokémon react in different ways! Make sure you have AR+ turned on in your Settings.
Unlock exciting new Perks with Buddy Adventure
As you and your buddy get closer and your Buddy Level increases, you’ll get to unlock exciting new Perks together! The Buddy Levels are Good Buddy, Great Buddy, Ultra Buddy, and Best Buddy.
- Good Buddy: Your buddy can join you on your map view! You’ll also see how your buddy feels on the buddy profile page.
- Great Buddy: Having a hard time catching a Pokémon? Your buddy may help you out in Pokémon encounters! It can also bring you items that can help you in your Pokémon GO journey.
- Ultra Buddy: Your buddy will help you explore the world around you by letting you know about interesting places nearby! Your buddy will also bring you Souvenirs, which you can keep track of on the buddy profile page.
- Best Buddy: Become Best Buddies, and your buddy will sport a Best Buddy Ribbon to show off to everyone just how close you two are! Pokémon that you’re Best Buddies with can get a CP boost in combat as long as they’re still assigned as your Buddy Pokémon.
How to become better friends with your buddy
Become better friends with your buddy by earning affection. Affection is measured by hearts, and you can earn hearts with your buddy by exploring with your buddy on the map, battling with your buddy, playing with and feeding your buddy, and taking snapshots of your buddy. The more affection you earn, the better your buddy’s mood will be!
When you reach the highest mood (excited), you can unlock the following Perks:
- The distance it takes for your buddy to find Candy will be cut in half.
- The number of hearts earned per action will double.
- Trainers can earn bonus hearts!
With the upgraded buddy profile page, you’ll see your buddy’s progress toward finding Candy, your buddy’s current mood, a chart of daily activities you can do to earn affection with your buddy, and your Buddy Level! You’ll also be able to see the history of other Pokémon who have been your buddy and the adventures you’ve shared together. Remember: friendship is something you build together! So be sure to complete the daily activities with your buddy each day to earn more affection and become fast friends!
Coming soon: Meet your (real-world) buddy’s buddies, too! After Buddy Adventure is available to Trainers around the world, there’ll be even more to look forward to. Soon, your buddy will be able to meet your fellow Trainers’ buddies in Shared AR Experience mode!
In the new Shared AR Experience mode, you can sync up with up to two other Trainers with AR+ to take a group photo with your buddies together! It’ll be the perfect chance to create your own epic Pokémon moments and capture new Pokémon memories with your friends!
We hope you have a blast discovering all the new ways you can bond with your Buddy Pokémon, Trainers! Be sure to share your favorite buddy moments and photos with #PokemonGOBuddy once the feature is released.
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/buddyadventurelaunch/
Dev Insights: Discovering more with Buddy Adventure
Trainers, The bond between Trainers and their Pokémon has been at the core of every part of the Pokémon franchise, from the main-series games to the anime and beyond. The partnership between a Pokémon and its Trainer is built on trust, and as with any great partnership, those involved grow together, play together, and explore together. In the new Buddy Adventure feature, Trainers worldwide will be able to experience what it’s really like to have a Pokémon exploring the world with them.
Collaborating with our partners like Best Buddies!
“Since launching Pokémon GO, this might be the most collaborative feature we have had with The Pokémon Company,” shared Ryuta Hiroi, the lead Niantic product manager on the project. “Even with your phone in your pocket, you’ll feel like your buddy is right beside you!”
Niantic tech artist Lena Verstappen added to the point about collaborating with our partners, mentioning that there was a deeply respectful way in which each and every Pokémon was treated throughout the process of developing the features.
Each Pokémon species has been designed to express itself in distinct ways, and the team here at Niantic found itself time and again charmed by Pokémon. From tackling the fact that Exeggcute has six heads to taking on the challenge of feeding an Alolan Exeggutor (“How do you feed something so tall?” said Lena), everyone came away with a deeper appreciation for not only the partnerships we had but for the Pokémon themselves.
“It’s almost as if each Pokémon were a family member!” Lena shared. “How they eat, how they walk, and even where the Best Buddy Ribbon should be placed on each Pokémon’s body—all of this and more was taken into account when crafting an as-immersive-as-possible experience.”
“I’m surprised by the number of Pokémon I’m falling in love with from interacting with them,” said Laura Warner, the lead game designer on the project. “Like watching a Spheal roll behind me on the map... I just care about Pokémon unlike ever before. We’re excited for Trainers to try out different buddies and see how each one becomes their friend!”
Challenges along the road to exploration
Buddy Adventure touches on almost every aspect of Pokémon GO. You see your buddy on the map, you use your buddy in battle, and your buddy helps you when you catch Pokémon. Developing something as ambitious as this feature set was an interesting challenge for the team to tackle head on.
“When a feature is so all encompassing, it’s important to break it up from a development standpoint,” says Trey Williamson, the lead technical program manager on the feature. “What was Buddy Adventure’s ideal experience? What defines that ‘successful’ experience for a Trainer? It was very much a learn-as-you-go kind of process.” Determining what Trainers would want out of Buddy Adventure really helped the team focus their development on the most important parts of the feature.
Designing relationships with both Niantic and Pokémon values
Niantic products and features strive to bring people together in real life, get people moving, and encourage people to explore the areas around them and discover new places.
When the Buddy Pokémon feature was first released, we introduced the ability for Trainers to walk with their buddy to get Candy, which encourages exercise. Buddy Adventure will feature more discovery and exploration mechanics than ever before. Upon reaching a certain Buddy Level, buddies will be able to alert their Trainers whenever an interesting PokéStop is nearby. The upcoming shared AR mode creates a meaningful real-world social experience by letting up to three Trainers place their Pokémon in the same space and take a photo together. We hope that features like this will enrich Trainers’ lives as they discover even more places alongside their buddies.
Our core design philosophy was not the only guiding compass when developing Buddy Adventure. We also wanted to make sure it still fit within the Pokémon universe. In this case, we wanted Trainers to be able to feel as if their buddy is a true partner and friend—just like in the sorts of partnerships they’ve seen in various Pokémon series in the past!
The experience of Buddy Adventure goes beyond the AR experience. You see your buddy on the map. Your Pokémon is growing alongside you. Your Pokémon can help you in Pokémon encounters once you reach a certain Buddy Level, which really makes you feel like your Pokémon is there to help you. It creates a special feeling. You and your buddy have a real partnership.
—Ethan Chan, technical lead for Buddy Adventure and Pokémon GO client engineer
Introducing: Your Buddy Adventure!
We feel incredibly lucky and grateful to have been able to work on a feature that will let Trainers get closer to their Pokémon while exploring the world around them. We cannot wait for you all to experience Buddy Adventure and create memories and relationships with your Buddy Pokémon that will last!
Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/buddyadventure-devinsights/
YouTube Clip - Pokémon GO Buddy Adventures
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C461fBV-J7c
YouTube Clip - Pokémon GO Buddy Adventures
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs22v0XUKyU
