When playing Pokémon GO, it’s natural to want to build the strongest possible team. As such, you may be looking to evolve your Pokémon into bigger and mostly better forms. Some of these evolu?tions aren’t as simple as spending candy and pressing a button, though. 

There are a large number of Pokémon who will only evolve after you’ve completed certain Buddy Tasks. These can be as simple as walking a certain distance, or catching a certain number of Pokémon of a certain type. In this guide, we'll go through specific Buddy Task evolutions. Others, such as the bizarre case of Inkay, will not be included. 

How to select or change your Buddy in Pokémon GO

Of course it’s no use simply doing these tasks if the required Pokémon isn’t set as your Buddy at t?he time. 

To select a Pokémon Buddy, navigate to your Pokédex and select which Pokémon you want as your Buddy. After picking one, scro?ll down and select the Buddy icon to select your first Buddy. 

If you’ve already got a Buddy and want to switch it out for another Pokémon, open their Buddy Profile via the button i??n the bottom left corner of the map, then select ‘Swap Buddiesâ€?at the bottom of their Profile. 

Once you’ve got your Buddy at? your s??ide, you can choose to either get them out of their Pokéball to walk beside you on the map, or keep them inside. Either way, your efforts towards evolving them via Buddy Tasks will count.

Pokémon who evolve through distance walked in Pokémon GO

One of the simplest types of Buddy Tasks in Pok??émon GO i??s walking. Different Pokémon require different distances before you’ll be able to evolve them:

Pokémon with specific Buddy Tasks to evolve

Things get slightly more complicated with these Pokémon, as they have specific?? requirements which must be completed while they’re set as your Buddy before you can even atte?mpt to evolve them. 

You’ll know if your Buddy has one of these tasks, because there will be?? a drop down menu under the Evolve button which details the task.

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Niantic had already unsubtly teased it, but the legendary Necrozma is officially on its way to Pokémon Go, along with a new fusion mechanic. While there's still excitement among players for Necrozma's inc??lusion, a quick glance at fan responses shows some people would rather Nian??tic prioritize reverting its avatar changes.

Niantic shared details on Necrozma via a May 13 Twitter post, and yet the very first response was a ?plea for the studio to "Revert the avatars." Once you get past the first lot of reactions from blue check users, the replies turn into a barrage of similar demands requesting Niantic undo its big avatar update. Even after that initial wave of comments peters out, you can still catch other such replies in-between ones that are actually related to Necrozma's inclusion.

Last month, Niantic rolled out an update to Pokémon Go players' avatars, adding new and more detailed customisation options, such as adjustable body weights, eye colors, and skin tones. To call the update unpopular would be an understatement, with practically the entire player-base lambasting it for making their avatars "uglier." This Reddit thread from April is chock full of harsh criticisms, with some calling it a late April Fools joke. Among the to?p commen??ts are complaints of how pale avatars look, to the point where they're described as "anemic," as well as how everyone now sports a "baggy crotch."

Not long after the update's arrival, fan site Pokémon Go Hub claimed to have been contacted by a Niantic representative who said the company was accepting feedback and "taking this seriously." However, they added Niantic didn't promise it would make any further changes or revert the update, and the company doesn't seem to have commented on the avatars since then. Until it does, I expect any future Pokémon Go co??ntent announcements will continu??e to be met with cries for a U-turn on the avatar customization.

As for what Niantic is actually talking about, Necrozma will initially only be available in five-star raids during in-person Pokémon Go Fest 2024 events, though there will be a global event later in the summer anyone can participate in regardless of location. Necrozma is an especially unique Pokémon since it can fuse with either Solgaleo or Lunala to take on one of two forms: Dusk Mane Necrozma and Dawn Wings Necrozma. To do this, you need a certain amount of Necrozma and Cosmog Candy as well as one of two new resources: 1,000 Solar Energy for fusing with Solgaleo or 1,000 Lunar Energy for fusing with Lunala. Both resources will become available by comp??leting certain research tasks, or by defeating Dusk Mane Necrozma and Dawn Wings Necrozma in raid battles.

You can find a more detailed breakdown on Necrozma and its forms on the official Pokémon Go website, but it's not the only new addition coming to the game either. Three more of the Ultra Beasts—Naganadel, Stakataka, and Blacephalon—will become available for capture during an Ultra Space Wonders event. Said event will run from May 23 to May 28, and you can read more about it on Niantic's website.

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If you're still playing Pokemon Go, you're probably going to be jazzed about the latest addition to the game: the Paldea region. A handful of new creatures ??are entering the fray soon, which is scheduled for a Septemb??er 5 at 10AM (local) through September 10 through 10AM (local) debut.

Because it's Niantic, this isn't a full kickoff for Scarlet & Violet; just a drip-fed roll?out of a select few ch??aracters.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRYjvkKwkmA

Here's the full list of Paldean Pokemon coming to Pokemon Go at launch:

Bringing a selection of Paldean Pokemon into the fray still isn't a big win

Rubbing salt in the wound, Niantic also announced in that same blog post that Unowns were returning to the raid pool, but ??they haven't addressed many complaints from fans earlier this year. There are constant posts on many communities talking about how they play less (myself included) after the remote raid price was hiked to 195 Pokecoins in March of 2023. This is on top of stingy reward payouts for players.

Oddly, Generation 8 starters (and much of the Galar region in general) are nowhere to be found, which?? is confusing a ton of fans. The? Pokemon Company has a lot of sway here in terms of what actually gets rolled out when, but Niantic's track record has given folks pause as to when that might actually happen.

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Things get frantic at Niantic

Recent years have seen gaming studios face increasing scrutiny for how they foster their workplace environments. The latest studio to find itself under the microscope is Niantic which is responsible for the mobile AR game and runaway hit, Pokemon Go. 

??A lawsuit has been filed against Niantic by a former e?mployee, and it claims that the studio has been systematically underpaying and undervaluing female employees, turning the workplace into a "Boys Club".

[caption id="attachment_358928" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Niantic Labs[/caption]

What does the lawsuit against Niantic allege?

According to reports, the laws?uit was filed by an ex-employee who started working at the studio with a starting salary of $70, 000. Even after receiving a promotion, she learned that a male employee with a lower position was being paid more than her. By Spring 2023, her salary was $115, 000 but she was still being paid less than her male colleague. The situation was worsened when Niantic posted the pay range for her job title and level, and she learne?d that she was being paid $10, 000 less than the bottom range for her job.

It is alleged that when she brought her complaints to Niantic’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Director and Principal People Partner, she was met with hostility toward her "concerns about sexism or sexu??al bias in the workplace". The lawsuit also claims that executives stated that she was given lower pay because she had voiced her concerns to colleagues.

It appears that this experience isn't exclusive to the unnamed ex-employee. A survey was conducted by Wolf??pack, which is Niantic's resource group for women, and it revealed that many female employees believed that Niantic has "a sexist work culture that disadvantages female employees�

The lawsuit has many aims. It seeks to?? ensure that sexist complaints from women are taken seriously and acted upon. It also aims to acquire monetary compensation and remedy the Boys Club fostered by Niantic. This involves ending the practices of paying women less than their male counterparts and "creating, encouraging, and maintaining a work environment that exposes its female employees to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation."

Should Niantic be found guilty, the studio could wind up in a lot of hot water. Following complaints of workplace misconduct and sexism, Activision Blizzard agreed ?to pay $35 million to resolve claims. Though the accusations are damning, it does not spell the end for the studio, as it has the opportunity to change. This has been seen with Rockstar?, which has allegedly left its fratboy culture in the past.

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The Pokémon Go studio is shuttering its Los Angeles office

Niantic, the mobile developer known for games like Pokémon Go and Pikmin Bloom, is making some big cuts. The company is shuttering its Los Angeles office, closing down NBA All-World, cancelling an upcoming Marvel project, and laying off roughly 230 employees.

In an email to employees, as first reported by Kotaku, Niantic CEO John Hanke says he has made the decision t??o narrow the company's focus for mobile game investments.

"The mobile gam?i??ng market is very mature and only the best and most differentiated titles have a chance to succeed," Hanke said.

Specifically, Niantic is closing its LA studio and reducing the game platform team, alongside reductions across the company, which will result in "around 230" employees laid off. NBA All-World is being sunset, and production is ceasing on Marvel: World of Heroes.

It's a pretty sudden, drastic shift. When addressing why these changes are happening, Hanke says the answer is "straightforward"; that Ni?antic allowed expenses to grow faster than revenue.

"In the wake of the revenue surge we saw during Covid, we grew our headcount and related expenses in order to pursue growth more aggressively, expanding existing game teams, our AR platform work, new game projects and roles that support our products and our employees," Hanke said. "Post Covid, our revenue returned to pre-Covid levels and new projects in games and platform have not delivered revenues commensurate with those investments. This change will bring expenses and revenue back into line while pres?erving our core assets and long term upside."

A new reality

Moving forward, Hanke says Niantic will keep working on augmented reality. Pokemon Go remains a "forever game" and a top priority. Hanke also says he is confident about Pikmin Bloom, Peridot, and Monster Hunter Now's prospects.

The reduction of the platform team, though, is a reflection of Niantic's goal to "do less, better." It is, still, a rou?gh day for the developers who work at Niantic and make all of these AR experiences happen.

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Pokemon Go reverse these changes and admit defeat

In case you missed it, Niantic made another decision that's been unpopular with the Pokemon Go community, which has been a trend since the game came into being. The team is up-charging for remote raids, and will limit the amount of times you can partake in them. It's one of a series of reversals that gave folks hope that Pokemon Go would improve before a core fea?ture was rug-pulle??d.

That was weeks ago. Speaking to Dot Esports, several team members have finally responded to the backlash. Michael Steranka, Pokemon Go director, started off by saying that they've "taken note" of the backlash and that it's "hard to ignore." Steranka is personally tagged in some of these tweets, and like Destiny developer Bungie often says before they immediately announce that they're not reversing a?? bad decisio??n, they are "reading everything."

As for the heart of the m??atter, Ste?ranka has this to say:

"That was like a very, very painful decision to make even for me. But when we look at sort of the overall health of the game, and the type of behaviors that rem?ote raid passes were introducing, it just really didn’t align with the kind of experience we were trying to create"

John Funtanilla, Pokemon Go senior producer, "echoed" the sentiments, stating: "There’s a lot of Michael [Steranka]s on this team, every??one’s playing the game, everyone, you know, like, wants to do remote r?aids, but we kind of have to understand, what we feel is best for the player experience."

So that's it, then I guess! No surprise there.

This isn't the first time Pokemon Go has been in the hotseat

I've had issues with the way Pokemon Go has been maintained for many years, and this sort of hardline stance on rug-pulling a previously-useful feature is not new. The company has also been struggling with juggling multiple projects, pumping out AR games like Telltale cranked out episodic adventures before their downfall. The company keeps chasing Pokemon Go by cloning it with limited success, all while making their?? marquee product w?orse.

It's a bold strategy, let's see if it pays off!

The post Niantic responds to recent Pokémon Go backlash: “It’s hard to ignore” appeared first on Destructoid.

(It's Monster Hunter GO, essentially)

Developer Niantic and publisher Capcom have lifted the lid on a brand new mobile title set within the latter's popular fantasy series, Monster Hunter �Currently in development for iOS and Android platforms, Monster Hunter Now is an augmented reality title t?hat will allow fans to go searching for beasties when out and about in the real world.

"Monster Hunter Now is a new and unprecedented Monster Hunter game that entices players to go out with their Palico and encounter incredible monsters in the real world," said producer Ryozo Tsujimoto in the announcement. "Niantic’s AR technology delivers a ‘here and right now�hunting experience, something that can be played casually, while honoring the gameplay and hunting action that only Monster Hunter can offer. Let’s get ou??t into the real world and enjoy hunting!"

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOvwHwa7_Gs&?amp;ab_channel=MonsterHunterNow

In case you haven't put it together, Monster Hunter Now is, essentially, a Monster Hunter-themed variant on Niantic's incredibly popular critter catcher Pokemon GO! which captured hearts and minds while making major headlines back in 2016. Much like that title, Niantic's new venture will see players tracking beasts in the ?real world,?? while taking part in specifically located gatherings and events.

This time around, however, you will not have to battle the monster??s there and then. Should you come across?? a beastie to hunt, then you can "mark" the monster with a device known as "Paintball", and then simply do battle with the creature once you're on your commute home/the toilet. You can hunt alone or with friends, as you race to tackle the rarest specimens in a mission to, well, make them rarer still, I guess.

Whether Monster Hunter Now has quite the incendiary, and frankly insane, cultural impact of Pokemon GO! remains to be seen �and is perhaps a little less likely �but for franchise fans, it's certainly going to be an interesting way to interact with your favorite series while out and about. If you're interested, then sign-ups are available now on the official website, with the game expected to launch in Septe?mber of this year.

The post Nianti??c reveals Pokemon GO-like Monster Hunter Now for mobile appeared first on Destructoid.

Niantic is back to their old tricks

As a day one Pokemon Go player, I'm no stranger to witnessing Niantic making bad choices firsthand. But this particular choice (in addition to some of their design philosophie??s during lockdown) really takes the cake; especially with taking into account all of their past mistakes. In? short, they're retooling the remote raid function: one of the more interesting endgame activities for hardcore players. And that same player bas??e has...thoughts.

What is Pokemon Go changing in 2023 that pissed people off?

In a blog on March 30, Ni?antic explained some of the upcom??ing changes to remote raids:

• Remote raids are getting more expensive (195 Pokecoins for a single raid pass)
• Remote raids can only be played five times per day per player

So why does this matter? Well, as is the case with many things Pokemon Go related, the studio (and The Pokemon Company) giveth and taketh away. Remote raids, a feature added late i?n the game's?? lifecycle in 2020, allowed folks to engage in raid battles (one of the few meaningful things to do) remotely. Not only was this useful for individuals who didn't leave their home; it was a boon for people who couldn't leave their home for a variety of reasons, and it was a great way to keep the community alive and kicking in rural areas??.

Niantic always promised that "details related to this feature may change in the upcoming weeks or months," and for Pokemon Go fans, that disclaimer was an ill-portent they hoped would never come to pass. But it did, and many prominent members of the community spoke up about this, including Joe Merrick of Serebii.net fame, and other Pokemon groups like PokeJungle. The Pokemon Go subreddit is also ablaze (what is this, a Bungie game?!).

The b??ig concern with the community is that Niantic is trying to slowly phase out the remote raid feature to get people outside more often: which will allow them to track their location data. But as Niantic has learned time and time again, it's really hard to put that genie back in the bottle.

This is their official st??atement? on the changes, which they seemingly knew would go poorly:

"We plan to keep Remote Raid Passes as part of Pokemon GO. However, we believe this change is necessary for the long-term health of the game, and we do not make it lightly. We feel this is a necessary step toward our goal of preserving and improving the unique experience of playing Pokemon GO—a game we hope you continue to ??enjoy long into the futu?re."

Well, we'll see about that last bit! Niantic is famous for reverting policies after an outcry, but if they really try to low-or-hig??h-key phase out remote raid passes over time, it won't go well.

The post Pokemon Go’s upcoming raid changes straight up suck appeared first on Destructoid.

Cross your fingers and catch them all!

In the early days of the anime, Ditto was a little awkward with its shape-shifting. It could perfectly pull off every other detail except the face! It was almost horrific when the Pokémon would turn around and have this blank face, but at least it was easy to tell that it was Ditto. In the games, this little quirk is not present. If you're searching for a Ditto in Pokémon GO, unfortunately, there's no way to distinguis?h one in disguise from just a normal Pokémon. So how in the world do you catch one?

Honestly, you just have to get lucky! That's a sucky answer, I know. Unfortunately, you won't know if a Pokémon is a Ditto in d?isguise until you catch it. Only once it is safely captured in the PokéBall will a little question pop up. Then Ditto's t??rue form will be revealed. Of all of the Pokémon to catch, that has to be the most exciting then!

These tricky little blobs are pretty rare, and their shiny counterparts are even rarer. Don't worry though, a shiny Ditto will not be disguised as a shiny Pokémon. You don't have to be afraid that when you finally? catch a shiny you've been looking forward to it will turn out to be a blue blob of putty.

Niantic, the team behind Pokémon GO, doe not release an official list of Pokémon each month that are likely to be the shape-shifter. The whole idea is to have the illusion that it could be any of them. However, some sites, such as IGN, have a ??running list of likely disguises each month based on anecdotal evidence. People catch Ditto and seem to find monthly pa??tterns, which makes sense from a tech standpoint.

You can't really train Ditto, and it's useless in battles, so you might as well just enjoy the lottery. Maybe you'll get lucky, maybe you won't. If you want more concrete tips on catching Pokémon in the mobile game, we have guides on how to catch Leafeon and Glaceon as well as how to catch Kecleon.

Related: How to Evolve Floette in Pokemon GO on Prima Games

The post How to catch Ditto in Pokémon GO appeared first on Destructoid.

Let's celebrate the adorable Noibat!

Pokémon GO takes player engagement to another level. Since its launch in 2016, players have been wowed by their favorite Pokémon seemingly all around them �all you need is a phone to see them and catch them. Years later, the mobile game keeps itself relevant by always adding new creatures to catch and plenty of events to get you out there. I talked about what Spotlight Hour is in Pokémon GO in a recent post where I mentioned that these one-hour events every Tuesday highlight one Pokémon, which is basically just a smaller, weekly Community Day. Well, the next Community Day coming our way is Sunday, February 5 from 2-5 PM, and it's all about that Noibat.

Community Day is a three-??hour long event that ??will highlight one Pokémon, making them more abundant in the wild during the event. If you don't already have the Pokémon in question, this is the perfect opportunity to get out there and start slinging Pokéballs. Like a real-life Community Day, there will be plenty of prizes to look forward to!

Noibat and Noivern

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="475"] Image via Official Pokédex[/caption]

This adorable Sound Wave Pokémon looks like a bat and evolves into Noivern. During the upcoming Community Day event, there will be more Noibats than usual, so you can add this cutie to your Pokédex. Also during this event, if you evolve Noibat into Noivern during the time limit and up to five hours afterwards, you will get a bonus move. Noivern will ??know the Charged Attack Boomburst, which has 150 Power during Trainer Battles and 140? Power in Gyms and raids. If you're Shiny hunting, it is possible to find a Shiny Noibat during this event!

Event Bonuses

According to the Pokémon GO official event announcement, the February 5 eve??nt bon?uses will include the following:

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The augmented reality developer is cutting back

Niantic, the company behind 2016's massively successful Pokemon Go, is ??cutting back. A new report reveals the company is cancelling several projects and cutting jobs.

Bloomberg reports that four Niantic projects have been canceled, including its Transformers game and a collaboration with Sleep No More company Punchdrunk. It's also report?edly set to cut "about 8?5 to 90" jobs.

Niantic hit huge success with Pokemon Go, the augmented reality game that turned into a summer craze for the ages. Pokemon Go still garners a massive following nearly six years later. Sensor Tower reports that Pokemon Go has now surpassed $6 billion in global lifetime spending, across the App Store and Google Play Stor??e.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sj2iQyBTQs

The success hasn't transferred over to every subsequent project, though. Niantic shuttered Harry Potter: Wizards Unite in January, and while Pikmin Bloom is pretty neat, it's also seemingly struggled to bottle the PokeGo lightning.

Walking around the block

In an email to staff seen by Bloomberg, Niantic CEO J??ohn Hanke reportedly wrote the company was "facing a time of economic turmoil" and needs to further streamline its operations, to weather any "economic st??orms" ahead.

"We recentl??y decided to stop production? on some projects and reduce our workforce by about 8% to focus on our key priorities," a spokesperson told Bloomberg. "We are grateful for the contributions of those leaving Niantic and we are supporting them through this difficult transition."

The company did recently reveal a new mobile game, called NBA All-World. It's a sports game intended to blend the real world with one-on-one basketball, as well as collecting and fashion. It also has Peridot, another real-world game featuri?ng pet-like creatures, in development. We'll see if these projects can help bring Niantic further out of the storm.

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Get ready for a whole new adorable adventure

I feel like Niantic is one of those studios you don't often hear much about, but they've been a huge part of the gaming space for the past few years. Their biggest impact was far and away that of Pokemon GO, and culturally speaking, I think it's safe to say that that was one of the biggest game launches ever. The studio obviously knows what they're doing, which is why it's so exciting to see the new projects that they're working on, which now includes the freshly announced real-world adventure pet game, Peridot.

//t?witter.com/playperidot/status/1514288492259422209

The main premise of the game is that you're raising li??ttle creatures cal??led Peridots, with mechanics like petting them, feeding them, playing with them, and teaching them tricks.

With the help of the app's AR features, you'll also be able to take your Peridot on walks "wherever you go and discover new places in your local neighborhood," according to the game's website. Y??ou can also ta??ke photos and videos of your outings with your pet to "track all of your memories together."

Another prominent feature in Peridot will be teaming up with?? other players to breed new creatures, which will be a mix of "Peridot archetypes." Apparently, the designs of the?? creatures are based on animals like cheetahs, dragons, and unicorns, just to name a few.

Honestly, this is a game I'd actually be interested in trying. I've been saying for years that someone needs to bring back a Nintendogs-esque game, because there's a real gap in the market there, and I get the feeling that Peridot might be able to scratch that itch. I'd also love another game that bri??ngs everyone outside for a bit, ??because I think a lot of us would benefit from touching some grass every once in a while, myself included.

We don't have any kind of a release window for Peridot just yet, but pre-registration is avai?lable now with a "soft?? launch" beta test coming soon in "limited markets."

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All (Battle) Points Bulletin

Two Los Angeles Police Department officers were fired in 2017 for choosing to go on a Pokémon GO jaunt rather than respond to a robbery-in-progress callout. The bizarre story was revealed in newly released documents recounting the incident, which took place during Pokémon GO's golden years.

As reported by Vice, LAPD officers Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell were patrolling a Los Angeles mall in the spring of 2017 �a time in which Pokémon GO fever had ??softened a little, but was still riding high. Asked by LAPD control to respond to a robbery-in-progress in the area, Lozano and Mitchell instead attended the more urgent call of capturing a nearby Snorlax in the augmented reality title. The pair's proceeding hunt was then recorded via their patrol car's "DIVCS" monitoring system.

As written in the ensuing court documents: (Y'all ready for this?)

"Officer Mitchell alerted Lozano that 'Snorlax' 'just poppe?d up' at '46th and Leimert.' After noting that 'Leimert doesn’t go all the way to 46th,' Lozano responded, 'Oh, you [know] what I can do? I’ll [go] down 11th and swing up on Crenshaw. I know that way I can get to it.' Mitchell suggested a different route, then told Lozano, 'We got four min?utes.'"

"After Mitchell apparently caught the Snorlax �exclaiming 'got ‘em' �petitioners agreed to 'Go get the Togetic' and drove off. When their ca??r stopped again, the DICVS recorded Mitchell saying 'Don’t run away. Don’t run away,' while Lozano descri??bed how he 'buried it and ultra-balled' the Togetic before announcing, 'Got him'. Eventually, Mitchell exclaimed, 'Holy Crap. Finally,' apparently in reference to capturing the Togetic, and he remarked, 'The guys are going to be so jealous.'"

The Board of Rights, understandably, did not take too kindly to the officer?s' extracurricular activity.

"Playing Pokémon GO showed complete disregard for the community, wasted?? resources, violated public trust, and was unprofessional and embarrassing to the Department,"? said the LAPD Board of Rights of the incident." Further nothing that the officers "behavior reflected gross negligence, cowardice, lack of thoughtfulness and deceit."

Lozano and Mitchell appealed against their dismissal on the grounds that their privacy had been violated by listening to the DICVS recording. This appeal was denied by a Los Angeles court on January? 7, 2022.

Detective Pikachu was unavailable for comment.

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My mom calls it Bloomies.

Following the astronomical success of Pokémon Go, the mobile market has seen its fair share of competitors and imitators trying to capture the magic (and profits) of Niantic's global phenomenon. Everything from The Witcher to Jurassic Park to Garfield has launched its own location-based AR experience, usually with mixed results. Even Niantic has tried to replicate its success with similar games based on Settlers of Catan and Harry Potter. But much like their competitio??n, they didn't fare too well against the popularity of Pikachu and Poké Balls.

Pikmin Bloom goes in a different direction. It's a more laid-back experience, letting players focus more on walking rather than collecting or battling. Where Pokémon Go might ask you to stop moving every 100 steps to catch a new 'mon for your collection, Pikmin Bloom encourages you to keep on walking to get that step count higher and higher. If that makes it sound more like a fitne?ss app than a game,? well, that's because it is.

Pikmin Bloom (Android [reviewed on a Google Pixel 3a], iOS)
Developer: Niantic Inc.
Publisher: Niantic In.
Released: October 27, 2021
MSRP: Free-to-Play w/ Microtransactions

Pikmin Bloom can best be described not as a game but as a companion app to your phone's built-in fitness tracker. After you create your Mii in the app (or import it from your My Nintendo profile), you'll be given the task of simply walking around your town or city, planting flowers as you go w??ith Pikmin in tow. You'll start with just one, but as you get out an??d move, you'll find more Pikmin seedlings waiting to be plucked into existence. Like with the eggs in Pokémon Go, each seedling requires a set amount of steps to be walked before they can be pulled from their pot and added to your crew. The more you wal??k, the more you level up, and the more Pikmin you can have following you around in the world.

As you and your Pikmin walk, they'll come across various fruits that are converted into nectar. Feed the nectar to your Pikmin and they'll sprout flowers on their head. Pluck a petal from those flowers and you can plant it the next time you go? for a walk. The color of the nectar you feed them determines the color of the flowers that you can grow. The idea is that you and people in your neighborhood will plant enough of these digital flowers as you go to make your town look like the flower dress from the end of Midsommar.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp2StaIKZgk

What's nice about Pikmin Bloom is that it doesn't expect you to keep the app open while you walk. Though you will need to boot it up if you want to plant flowers, you can close the app and carry on with your routine knowing that ??it's tracking your steps and GPS location. Even if you don't open it for a day or two, it'll still keep track of your movement. If your phone already has a pathetic battery life, believe me when I say this is not going to help things. Ever since I started using the app, I've had to charge my phone an extra time each day to keep it from fully draining.

When you are done walking for the day or just taking a break in the afternoon, you can open the app to see all the pieces of fruit your Pikmin have found on your journey. Conver?ting that to nectar will let them pick up more fruit the next time you get walking. As you level up, you'll also be able to send them on expeditions to pick up any large fruit or seedlings you passed throughout the day. The further away t?he item is from your location, the longer the expedition will take, though, from my experience walking around my town, it's never more than a 20-minute wait for them to return. If I still lived and worked in the Bay Area, I'm sure it would be a different story.

After you hit level 15, you can also send your Pikmin out on missions to destroy any mushrooms you cr?ossed along the way. This will take a bit more time, but you are rewarded with more fruit upon completion. Mushrooms can be taken down alongside the Pikmin of other players, and if you can find anyone else using this app where you live, you'll have to let me know what that's like. I am, as far as I know, the only person in my town bothering with it right now. And I'm sure everyone just assumes I'm playing Pokémon Go when I stop on the sidew??alk to take an AR picture of my Pikmin crew.

I've used Pikmin Bloom every day for more than a week now and I'm having trouble finding any reason at all to recommend it. Besides eating my battery faster than Joey Chestnut eats hot dogs, it's a rather pointless app. This is nothing more than a gussied-up pedometer with non-intrusive microtransactions that is slower to load on your phone. It doesn't have the excitement of discovering new types of pocket monsters on your journey or seeing the structures your friends have created in the now-defunct Minecraft Earth. Instead, it's hoping you'll care about beautifying your fake neighborhood with fake flowers (and the word "be??autifying" is doing a lot of heavy lifting t?here).

Maybe for some, Pikmin Bloom will be a cute app they use with friends to track their steps and share photos of their Pikmin out in the real world. It certainly has the cuteness factor going for it. All Pikmin games do??. But what it doesn't have is a strong motivating element that'll drive players to get out and explore the world. It's fine that this is a more passive experience than other location-tracking games, and I appreciate that it works with my routine rather than forcing me to carve time out of my schedule to fit it into my life. But if my only reward for keeping the app around is a nearly dead battery and a flat map covered in flat flowers, I'd rather just stick with seeing my step count in Google Fit.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game downloaded from Google Play]}

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The Pokemon Go follow-up is closing its doors in January

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is gradually s?hutting down over the coming months. Niantic and Warner? Bros. announced today that the wizarding alternate-reality game will officially close on Jan. 31, 2022.

The magical mobile game was launched in 2019, following not too long after the immense success of Niantic's previous AR game Pokemon Go. The idea was you'd venture out into the real world, casting spells and haunting magical objects using your phone as a lens into a magical, virtual world. Initial impressions were less fervent than its Pokemon predecessor, however.

In a blog post, Niantic and Warner Bros. run down the shutdown process for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. The?? game will be removed from the App Store, Google Play Store, and Galaxy Store on Dec. 6, 2021. Players will no longer be able to make in-game purchases on or after that date, either. Then, on Jan. 31, 2022, the game will officially close? down.

//twitter.com/??H??PWizardsUnite/status/1455582459794395140

As part of the shutdown process, Niantic is providing a few gameplay changes and content drops in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. Starting on Nov. 2, many updates will offer more rewards, ??remove caps, and reduce timers for players. And over the months between now and the end of this mobile game, a number of spec?ial events and encounters will roll out.

It's a shame to see online games die out, though that's also an inevitability as players move on from one game to the next. Pokemon Go has had an unusually long lifespan, likely ??thanks to ?both its initial launch hype becoming a point in cultural history and a lot of support in the time since.

But not everything can stay, and at least now, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite can close down with a bang, and even get to avoid any tangential book author-related controversies that arise in the future.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will be shuttered on Jan. 31, 2022.

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'Not only for the next five years, but maybe 10-15'

It's taken Pokemon Go over five years to get to the X and Y series (with dabbling in the Galar region), and it's nearly up to date. What happens after that? Well maybe another Pokemon Go decade is to come, according to Niantic.

Speaking to Eurogamer, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, a??nd Africa) product marketing manager Philip Marz had a pretty pointed answer about the future of the game:

"From a content standpoint, even if there's a limitation in terms of the Pokémon that are still available, there's a couple of different other initiatives we are thinking about to keep the momentum going, actually, and really pay into that mission and ambition to make Pokémon Go a forever game not only for the next fiv??e years, but maybe 10-15. Who knows, actually, but I think the record of the past five years has put us in a great position to continue that momentum."

Now, a marketing manager hyping something as a "forever game" is not an out-there sentiment. But at the same time, Niantic has made a ton of dough worldwide from Pokemon Go, so wanting to continue to ride that gravy train makes sense for them,? as well as The Pokemon Company. And you have to think that very early on there was some sort of plan for when they run out.

Whether that involves more events, original characters (which the game has already dove into quite a bit), or just incorporating all of the upcoming games like Pokemon Legends, is yet to be seen. But we do know that Pokemon as a whole is never going t?o stop, so even though there might be some lulls between games, eventually Game Freak and?? The Pokemon Company will give Niantic more ammo.

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Now the bugs can be a literal feature

Remember when Nintendo confirmed a Niantic-led mobile Pikmin project back in March? Well, me neither. This past year has been a blur, and given Niantic's track record, this is sort of a "I'll see it when I see it" situation. But what about the Pikmin mobile release date? According to Nin?tendo, it's stil?l due by the end of 2021.

As Nintendo Life points out, Nintendo snuck a little update on the Pikmin mobile release date in the latest consolidated financial forecast. Here's the full quote:

"In our mo??bile business, we will focus on continuing to operate the applications that we have released to date, along with the application featuring Pikmin from Niantic that is planne??d for the second half of 2021, and work on ways to encourage more consumers to continue to enjoy playing these applications."

Note that this is as of August 5, so it's not a delayed response, and it seems like it's very confident in letting us know that it is still on track. Now things could change: including the Pikmin mobile release date.

I really have no clue as to how this is going to pan out. I mean, Niantic can barely manage Pokemon Go, much less whatever they have planned for Pikmin. It's totally possible that they could market it as a very low key casual alternative to the money-making Go, which? would be an excuse for a limited amount of updates and support.

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It says it's assembling a team to look into solutions

A campaign recently stirred in the Pokemon Go community over developer Niantic undoing in-game changes made due to the spread of COVID-19. Today, Niantic says it's assembling an internal, cross-functional?? team to address concerns.

In today's blog, Niantic discussed the recent reversion back to pre-pandemic interaction distances in the U.S. and New Zealand. The company announced in June that it would be rolling back some of the changes made to Pokemon Go, originally meant to address the COVID-19 pandemic, in areas where the pandemic's e??ffect was p?erceived to be lessening.

Pokemon Go players were not happy with this, posting a list of reasons across social media to detail why they believed it was a bad idea to undo the interaction radius change. They range from not needing to cross dangerous ??roads or trespass to interact with a point of interest, to accessibility and better respect for others, by not congesting entryways or properties.

"While the Pokes??top/POI interaction radius was increased due to an unprecedented global pandemic, the flow on effects of this in-game change ??have had a far greater positive impact on the community," the letter reads.

Niantic's response today addresses the feedback about the interaction distance. It says that Niantic wants to keep with its mis??sion of encouraging people to explore, exercise, and safely play together in person. They ??go on to outline their response to the campaign:

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

So for now, the Pokemon Go community will have to wait to see what this task force comes up with for the massive AR game. You can find Niantic's full response here.

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It's been a long five years

Five Years. Five years since Pokemon Go was originally released. I literally can't believe it. I was there day one when there were crowds of hundreds (remember crowds?) getting in on the frenzy, and I witnessed Niantic's incredibly slow response time first-hand. By the time they added the next generation of creatures nearly all of my local playgroups had fallen off and only the hardcore remained. But now it's time for the Pokemon Go Galar era.

Since Pokemon Go kind of has its own story now, all of this is under the guise of Hoopa causing "mischief," unlocking new characters "in the real world." Confirmed characters include Zacian and Zamazenta (the legendaries on the covers), as well as Skwovet, Greedent, Wooloo, Dubwool, and Falinks. You can find the full patch notes for the update below, which includes a date and time c??onfir??mation.

Unfortunately, Pokemon Go has also been plagued by a recent update that reduced Pokestop/Gym spin [activation] distance, and players aren't happy about it. The way Niantic operates really reminds me of Bungie in some?? ways;? giving useless features and taking helpful ones on a whim. You really can't have a Niantic or Bungie content update without some other high-level managerial decision distracting us from it!

Date + Time for the Pokemon Go Galar update

Friday, August 20, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday, Aug?ust 31, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. local time

Features

• Skwovet and Wooloo will be appearing more frequently in the wild! You can also look forward to finding Galarian Darumaka, Trubbish, and more! If you’re lucky, you might encounter Falinks!
• The following Pokémon will be hatching from 7 km Eggs: Galarian Meowth, Galarian Ponyta, Galarian Slowpoke, Galarian Farfetch’d, Galarian Zigzagoon, Galarian Darumaka, and Galarian Stunfisk.
• If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Galarian Meowth, Shiny Galarian Farfetch'd, Shiny Galarian Weezing, or Shiny Galarian Stunfisk! See below for when some of these Pokémon will be appearing in raids during the event.
• Complete event-exclusive Timed Research for a chance to encounter Pokémon first discovered in the Galar region!
• Get themed Field Research tasks from PokéStops. If you complete Field Research, you may encounter Skwovet, Wooloo, or Falinks.
• Starting on Thursday, August 19, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. PDT (GMT âˆ?), uniforms that appear in the Galar region will be available as avatar items in Pokémon GO! Pick up the Gym Challenger Uniform avatar item for free, which is worn by Pokémon Trainers challenging Gyms in the Galar region. If you want to show off your Dragon-type or Dark-type pride, you can purchase Dragon-Type Sport Uniform and Dark-Type Sport Uniform avatar items in the shop.
• Starting on Friday, August 20, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time, event-exclusive Gift stickers will also be available! Pick them up in the shop or by spinning Photo Discs at PokéStops and Gyms.

I?n addition, you can look forward to challenging different Pokémon in raids during each week of the event.

Week 1 raids

The following Pokémon will be appe??aring in raids from Friday, August 20, 2021, ?at 10:00 a.m. to Thursday, August 26, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time.

• Galarian Slowpoke, Galarian Farfetch’d, Unown U, and Galarian Zigzagoon will be appearing in one-star raids. If you’re lucky, you might find a Shiny Galarian Farfetch'd or a Shiny Unown U!
• Galarian Weezing, Lapras, and Falinks will be appearing in three-star raids. If you’re lucky, you might find a Shiny Galarian Weezing!
• Zacian in its Hero of Many Battles form will be appearing in five-star raids. You can also look out for a Raid Hour event featuring Zacian happening on Wednesday, August 25, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.
• Mega Beedrill will be appearing in Mega Raids. Mega Evolve Beedrill for an advantage against Zacian in its Hero of Many Battles form!

Week 2 raids

The following Pokémon will be appearing in Pokemon Go Galar raids from Thursday, August 26, 2021, at ?10:00 a.m. to Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. loc??al time.

• Galarian Meowth, Galarian Ponyta, Unown U, and Galarian Darumaka will be in one-star raids.
• Snorlax, Galarian Stunfisk, and Falinks will be appearing in three-star raids.
• Zamazenta in its Hero of Many Battles form will be appearing in five-star raids. Look out for a Bonus Raid Hour featuring Zamazenta happening on Monday, August 30, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.
• Mega Pidgeot will be appearing in Mega Raids. Mega Evolve Pidgeot for an advantage against Zamazenta in its Hero of Many Battles form!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuKGAXwr_CI

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Gotta cash 'em all

This week sees mobile phenomenon Pokemon GO celebrate its fifth birthday. Yep, it's been five long years since Niantic's AR app came into our lives, bringing with it tales of crazy community rushes, mass acts of trespassing, and woeful festivals. But throug?h it all, the mobile title has remained not only relevant, but massiv?ely successful.

In fact, according to the faithful number-folk over at Sensor Tower, Pokemon GO has raked in over $5 billion USD in revenue since its initial release in July 2016 �that averages around a billion a year for all you maths majors out there. The title's most successful year was 2020, where lockdown legislation saw mobile gaming revenue rise to unprecedented standards and saw Pokemon GO in particu????lar pull in a staggering $1.3 billion in just one year.

Niantic, understandably, is far from finished with its cash cow. Later this month, the developer will hold its annual Pokemon GO Fest in both an online and limited?? physical capacity, promising players two days of fun bonuses, rare critters, discounts, and other activities. Set to take place the weekend of July 17-18, thi?s year's festivities are centered around a musical theme, and will feature a severely reduced entrance fee for attendees... I think Niantic can afford it.

For more deets on Pokemon GO Fest, check out the official website.

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More than meets the WiFi

Niantic, the studio behind mobile phenomenon Pokemon GO, has revealed that it is working alongside developer Very Very Spaceship to produce a brand new ??augmented reality game, this time set in the Transformers universe.

Transformers: Heavy Metal is expected to follow a similar path to Niantic's other releases, allowing players to track down and battle Autobots and Decepticons in battles found within real-world locations. Niantic's tried-and-tested software engine, Lightship, will power the new game. Players will side with t??he Autobots as part of the "Guardian Network", going head-to-head against the ferocious might of the villainous Deceptions.

"Transformers is the perfect franchise for AR," said Niantic CEO John Hanke. "Battling and interacting with giant robots in the real world will be an amazing exp??erience. We want to live up to the high expectations of Transformers fans around the world and bring them a game unlike anything they've played before."

Niantic, which is already beavering away at several games including Pokemon GO, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and a brand new Pikmin collaboration with Nintendo, expects Transformers: Heavy Metal launch later in 2021, after incoming trials in selected territories. Pre-registration is available over on the official Transformers: Heavy Metal site.

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'The first in a series of apps' co-developed by Nintendo and Niantic is none other than... Pikmin?!

Pikmin 4 is still nothing more than a distant dream, but Shigeru Miyamoto can't truly abandon his tiny alien plant children. The next game in the series after Pikmin 3 Deluxe is another offshoot: an as-yet-unnamed Pikmin mobile game that's being co-developed by Nintendo a?nd Niantic Tokyo Studio.

Most people associate Niantic with the monstrous Pokémon Go, and that's not changing anytime?? soon – but Nintendo wants to branch out with more AR-fueled games for its "beloved characters."

This new Pikmin game is ??"the first in a series of apps that the two companies will develop together??," according to a press release, and it's built to "encourage walking and make the activity more enjoyable."

The companies didn't release any screenshots yet, but there's a sign-up page with artwork. You know I had to pre-register as soon as I saw it. Pikmin is my?? jam, even in lean times. I'll take just about anything.

"Niantic's AR technology has made it possible for us to experience the world as if Pikmin are secretly living all around us," Shigeru Miyamoto said in a very on-br?and press statement. "Based on the theme of making walking fun, our mission is to provide people a new experience that's different from traditional games. We hope that the Pikmin and this app will become a partner in your lif??e."

The Pikmin app will release "globally later in 2021," though specific plat??forms weren't mentioned yet.

"As we continue to expand our games portfolio, it was a natural next step to team up with Nintendo," said Niantic CEO John Hanke. "We're looking forward to shaping the future of AR together, bringing Nintendo's beloved game?? characters to life for mobile game players around the world."

I'll go on hikes with Pikmin, let Pokémon lull me to sleep, and dream about treasure with Wario.

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Hey kids, like casinos?

Pokemon Go has been around since mid-2016, and it's been aggressively selling a number of microtra??nsa??ctions ever since.

One of the most contentious elements is the egg system, which is like a pseudo loot box; and has managed to evade legislation or mass scrutiny since launch. The gist is that players have to incubate eggs with in-game items (a process that can be quickened by paying), walk ar?ound, hatch them, and then pray they get the creatures they want.

This might be changing soon, as Niantic has confirmed that you could be able to see which creatures hatch from which eggs. Here's the rub from t?h??e tweets:

"Trainers, we're excited to share that we're starting testing where a limited number of Trainers will be able to see which Pokémon may hatch from Eggs in their Inventory! Trainers included in the test will be able to tap an Egg to see a list of possible Pokémon and their rarity le?vel. Please note this will not show if the Pok&eacut?e;mon may be Shiny."

So uh, it's about time? This sort of trans??parency h?as been commonplace for many loot box games for several years, but not by choice. After the global stage got wind of the gambling/gacha elements, also known as "surprise mechanics," many organizations added percentage and rarity clarity to boxes to sidestep legislation or hefty fines.

Given how slow Niantic and The Pokemon Company are to adapt anything in Pokemon Go, doing it largely after the fact fi?ts with their modus operandi. Especially if there's more trouble brewing for microtransaction schemes behind the scenes.

Niantic Support [Twitter]

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Pokemon Stop

As you may or may not be aware, Britain is currently in its third lockdown, due to the nation's inability to keep the ong??oing COVID-19 pandemic under even the most rudime??ntary control. Despite the climbing numbers, and efforts from authorities to keep Brits indoors, rules are being frequently broken by said authorities and the public alike.

Example: An unnamed Bedworth-based man was stopped by Warwickshire police after traveling 14 miles down the M6 motorway to the town of Kenilworth. The reason? Tracking critters in Niantic's mobile title Pokemon GO. According to a report by the BBC??, the man was fined £200 for the infraction, which contrave?ned "the requirement to not leave or be outside the place they live without a reasonable excuse."

As reported by Eurogamer, Essex police put out a social media post just last week chastising UK Pokemon GO players for breaking lockdown legislation. The post was pulled following debates over whether playing the augmented reality game breaks the UK's incredibly-shaky lockdown rules, which allow people to leave the house for "exercise", but not for "recreation". Pokemon GO players argued that playing counts as exercising.

"Everyone has a part to play in ensuring they slow the spread of the virus," said a police spokesperson in response to the Bedford case. "We would like to remind people they must not leave or be outside their home unless they have a reasonable exc??use."

Or unless you're a Tory minister, right kids? /bitingsatire

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GG?

Niantic has announced that it has acquired community gaming platform Mayhem.gg with an eye to boosting the social and global aspects of Pokémon GO and future community-driven titles. As of this writing the terms of the sale, inc??luding cost, are undisclosed.

Mayhem was founded in 2017 as a downloadable platform with which gaming communities could organize tournaments, team leagues, and other events – not unlike esports platform Smash.gg, which itself was purchased by Microsoft last month. However, quite unlike the Smash.gg acquisition, it appears that Mayhem's team will be directly integrated int?o Niantic, and? as such will be ending its status as a community league gaming platform.

"Through our games, many Niantic explorers have found incredible meaning in playing and interacting with other explorers," said Niantic CEO J???ohn Hanke in an official blog post. "They create memories, they make friends, and they end up with some amazing stories to tell. We look forward to working together with Mayhem to amplify those mo??ments, bring our player community closer together, and make a positive impact on the world."

The Mayhem acquisition is the seventh of such major purchases by Niantic, who has seen nought but incredible success since the launch of Pokémon GO. The community-based mobile title continues to draw bank-busting rev?enue, having pulled in over $4 billion since its launch back in 2016.

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Pokemon Go seasons will last three months and impact the Pokemon you'll find, 'so catch them while you can'

Niantic is getting ready for a major Pokémon Go shakeup at the end ?of November. If you've fallen off the game (for any number of well-founded reasons), the Go Beyond update might be enough of a draw.

From a content-impacting seasonal schedule that will have a ripple effect on the entire game, to a bunch of Generation 6 Pokémon in the Kalos region like Greninja and Talonflame, to a Trainer level cap boost from 40 to 50, to a 12 Days of Friendship?? reward event – there's?? so much stuff to parse.

These areas of interest will speak to everyone differently, but for me, the highlights are definitely in-game seasons and the first crop of Kalos catches. Pokémon Go will split the year up into winter, spring, summer, and autumn, with each season impacting the types ??of Pokémon you'?ll catch, hatch, or encounter in Raids. Variable Pokémon forms will also come into play (for now, just Deerling), and "certain" Mega Evolved Pokémon will get "increased total CP" depending on the current season.

Not unlike Animal Crossing's schedule, there will also?? be a no??rthern and southern hemisphere divide.

Another change: "The GO Battle League will expand from 10 to 24 ranks, and the top four ranks will have all-new names and corresponding badges." Niantic says these ranks will bring "a totally new reward structure," and the Battle League, in general, is switching to a three-mo??nth schedule.

The Go Beyond update is launching during "the week of Monday, November 30." On that day, Niantic will flip a switch and give out more XP across the boar?d, from catching to hatching to registering Pokédex entries?. "In some cases, the XP earned will be as much as double what it was before."

That said, as game designer Matt Ein puts it, the "level progression past 40 is intended to be very challenging for players in terms of both mastery of t?he game mechanics and the effort required, so no one can shoot up to level 50 instantly." There are Platinum rank medals to grind out, too.

Also, an end-of-year FOMO alert: "Trainers who reach level 40 before Thursday, December 31, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. local time will earn the title of Legacy 40 Trainer and earn some exclusive rewards, like Tim?ed Research that rewards an exclusive Gyarados Hat avatar item and a special Legacy 40 medal."

As for the Kalos critters, the hunt begins on December 2 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Here's the list:

• Chespin, Quilladin, Chesnaught
• Fennekin, Braixen, Delphox
• Froakie, Frogadier, Greninja
• Bunnelby, Diggersby
• Fletchling, Fletchinder, Talonflame
• Litleo, Pyroar
• Klefki (Only in France)
• "A mysterious Pokémon preparing to hatch from a one-star Raid Egg soon."

GO Beyond: The Pokémon GO jour??ney continues beyond [Niantic]

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Online GO Fest an overwhelming success

Back in June, Niantic CEO John Hanke announced that his company would be donating $5m USD in revenue to support a range of black gaming initiatives, projects and communities. However, Pokémon GO Fest 2020 - held on Niantic's AR title this past weekend - proved such a huge success that the company will now double its donation to $10m.

Pokémon GO Fest usually sees players from around the world gather together for a physical weekend of fun and critter-hunting, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced the annual event to go all-digital this year. However, as reported by Eurogamer, this did not discourage would-be trainers, as "millions" of players from over 120 countries spent an astounding $25 million in-game during the weekend of July 24-26. These numbers boost Pokémon GO's yearly revenue to around $540m, with its global lifetime ??revenue reaching $3.7bn.

While Niantic is yet to state specifically how the $10m donation is to be divided, it had previously said that half of the money would go toward funding black gaming projects and creators that can live on the Niantic platform, while the remaining half would be spent on supporting local black communities and businesses. In addition, Niantic has made a donation to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, an organisation dedicated to protecting and defending the rights of black trans people. Niantic is also i?n the process of creating a new training programme to better edu?cate its employees in combating systemic racism.

"It is up to non-Black allies to educate ourselves and each other," said Hanke back in June. "We hope this diversity and inclusion training can help provide the tools and resources to make us all better allies... Lastly, we will take ?a public stand in support of the Black community and reject white suprem??acy, racism, and police brutality."

Pokémon GO is available now on iOS and Android devices.

Pokemon GO creator Niantic doubles Bl??ack Lives Mat?ter donation to $10m [Eurogamer]

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Look for an unmistakable Meowth hot air balloon to battle them

No more kidding around with grunts. Team Rocket isn't complete without Jessie and James, and while they didn't blast off at the speed of light to reach Pokémon Go, they're here now, ready to be trounced.

You'll want to keep an eye out for a (fittingly) conspicuous Meowth hot air balloon that's floating around town for a limited time. Tap the gaudy vessel, pummel Ekans and Koffing in a battle, and know you did your part. Today's Pokémon Go update also includes Tea??m Rocket avatar outfit?s in the shop.

Officially, lore-wise, "Team GO Rocket has assigned Shadow Pokémon to protect Jessie and James as they seek to create more Shadow Pokémon." In reality, the unbreakable duo secretly loves the endless Tom and Jerry routine that always ends in defeat. It gives them purpose. They'd be lost without it.

Battle Jessie and Jam??es by finding the??ir Meowth balloon [Pokémon Go]

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It's like a Lure but for players

Globally, a ton of small, local businesses have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. With everyone staying home, nonessential stores forced to close, and rent due every 30 days, a lot of shop owners have found themselves in tough financial positions. Pokémon Go developer Niantic is doing its part to ?help.

Dubbed the Niantic Local Business Recovery Initiative, Pokémon Go is turning 1,000 small businesses into&nbs??p;PokéStops and Gyms across Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, and the United States for a year. The idea is that an influx of players will result in an uptick in business -- something a lot of these stores could sorely use right now. It sounds perfect for the boba tea joint you love or the card and board game shop you spend your Friday nights at.

If you know of a business that you hold near and dear, give them some extra support by nominating them for this venture. Here's the link to start the nomination process. Then, post up at the Gym sippin' some coffee and crush every Pokémon until it's?? completely demotivated -- that's the sort of patronage that will keep small businesses motivated through these lean times.

Nominate businesses for the ??Niantic Local Business Recovery Initiative [Pokémon Go]

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'We are committed to this cause'

Niantic, developer of mobile phenomenon Pokémon GO, has announced its intentions to donate a minimum of $5 million USD to supporting black gaming projects and communities. Niantic CEO John Hanke made the announcement yesterday in a detailed statement on Twitter.

"We'll be donating Niantic proceeds from Pokémon Go 2020 Fest ticket sales, committing a minimum of $5m," said Hanke. "Half of the proceeds donated will be used to fund new projects from Black gaming and AR creators that can live on the Niantic ?platform, with the ultimate goal of increasing content that represents a more diverse view on the world. Th??e other half will go to U.S. nonprofit organisations that are helping local communities rebuild."

Additionally, Hanke announced that Niantic would be donating $100,000 to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, an organisation dedicated to protecting and defending the rights of black trans people. Niantic noted that it would match any further donations made by its own staff. Hanke said that the company would also re-evaluate its internal efforts to imp??roving diversity, creating a new training progra?mme to better educate its employees and "galvanize our non-black employees to do their part in combating systemic racism and social injustice."

"It is up to non-Black allies to educate ourselves and each other," continues Hanke. "We hope this diversity and inclusion training can help provide the tools and resources to make us all?? better allies... Lastly, we will take a public stand in support of the Bl?ack community and reject white supremacy, racism, and police brutality."

Pokémon GO Fest 2020 will take place in?? July. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year's festivities will be held as a virtual event, in lieu of the traditional outdoor event.

Pokémo??n GO will donate $5m minimum from GO Fest 2020 [Eurogamer]

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