Pokémon Go | The comparison

Pokémon Go | The comparison
Pokémon Go: The world's first augmented reality app to become a household name. Niantic's mobile AR game is still going strong four years after its first release, with a steady drop in events and updates keeping new trainers glued to their phones and hitting the streets. And while it failed to reach the peak of its popularity in 2016, it's still going strong and finding many new ways to enhance your gaming experience. Including making it easier for players to catch them inside their own homes during the coronavirus lockdown. So what is the latest news for Pokémon Go? As you would expect, all new features are added all the time and themed events are still going strong. But without further ado, here's our guide to all the latest Pokemon Go news and updates.

Pokémon Go News and Updates

Pokemon Go

(Image credit: Niantic) Support for 32-bit Android devices removed... possibly Niantic has announced plans to end support for 32-bit Android devices. The hope is that this will allow the development team to streamline processes and focus on supporting new operating systems and technologies. Some of the phones that will be affected by this decision include the Samsung Galaxy S4, S5, Note 3, J3, Sony Xperia Z2, Z3, the first-generation Motorola Moto G, and many Android phones released before 2015. When the update takes place, those on these devices will not be able to access their Pokémon Go accounts using them and will need to update their device before they can play again. Niantic has not confirmed when this update will take place, originally scheduled for August 2020, it has since been delayed and is considered "TBD" so that Niantic can "investigate player concerns" regarding the decision. Coronavirus Home Game Changes: A New Way To Fight Team Rocket Since Pokémon Go is a game trying to attract its players outside, Niantic must respond to the coronavirus pandemic and make temporary changes that will allow players to Players continue to catch them without going through the gate. In a statement to Polygon, the developer said that it "prioritizes updates to Pokémon Go features and experiences that can be enjoyed in individual environments." The latest changes, announced on June 18, will be tested and are expected to be implemented in the coming months. The first is guaranteed Pokémon meetings daily. Guaranteed Pokémon meetings daily. Trainers chosen to test this feature will receive a special type of incense from Professor Willow that will attract a Pokémon once a day for you and only you. Another help will be the free daily boxes in the in-game store. Trainers chosen to try this will receive a free item box in the store each day that contains different items each time. Niantic also helped fight Team Rocket at home in July. Bad guys invade the game map in hot air balloons and should only be used for fighting, making it easy for players who are quarantined and unable to get out and get to the Pokéstops. The team leaders and Giovanni will be on these balloons as well, as long as you have your Rocket Radar and Super Rocket Radar equipped to view them. Check out our guide on how to play Pokémon Go at home to see all the changes Niantic has made and how they will help you stay safe and catch them all. Pokémon Go Battle League Its first season is over, the second season of the competitive Pokémon Go Battle League began on May 11. Trainers who participated in the first season and reached a rank of 7 or higher will have received an Elite Charged TM. Coach battles in the GO Battle League will rotate between three leagues and players will be able to rank against their fellow coaches and earn rewards for their ranking. GO Battle League begins with the Great League until June 1, which will be followed by the Ultra League until June 22, then the Master League until July 6, after which all three leagues will be available until July 13. . Season 3 is expected to start on July 13, when each of these leagues will be reviewed. Players can earn Stardust based on rank and number of battles won, as well as items like Rare Candies and TMS, as well as the chance to get exclusive Pokémon encounters. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Niantic continues to waive entry requirements and pay for Battle League. Players who are not close friends in-game will no longer need to be close to each other to Battle and will be able to send Battle requests to good friends and more. Trainers can now also start battles using QR codes that can be used regardless of friendship levels and distance. The other things that stay the same is that Metagross and Free Pikachu are always reward encounters when you reach ranks 1 and 10 respectively, and Steven Stone's avatar items are still rank 10 rewards. Some changes are made to the Battle League based on the lessons learned from the first season, including the reward system that will now allow players to win a reward match after their third victory on the base reward track or their first victory on The Premium Reward Tracks. The ranking system has also been modified so that more wins are needed to reach ranks 4, 5, 6, and 7. While some guaranteed reward matches have stayed the same, some will be different for Season 2. Players will now encounter Stunfisk at Rank 4, Rufflet at Rank 8, and Scraggy at Rank 9. Rank 10 will bring a new avatar pose. Those who finish Season 2 at Rank 7 or higher will receive an Elite FastTM this time around, while the other end-of-season prizes will remain the same as in Season 1. Live Leaderboards Starting April 10, you can see who's doing well in Pokémon Battle League thanks to the launch of the GO Battle League Rankings on PokemonGOLive.com. Ranking came when GO Battle League moved from Ultra League to Master League. The rankings show the five hundred best coaches in the world along with their coach nicknames, their teams, their rankings, their scores, and the total number of matches. Rankings are based on the in-game rankings of the previous game for trainers rank 7 and above, but will be updated daily between 8:00 p.m. UTC and 10:00 pm

What's the next Pokémon Go event?

Pokemon Go

(Image credit: Niantic) Pokémon Go Fest 2020 Niantic is moving forward with Pokémon Go Fest for 2020, but it will be a bit different from the 2019 experience. Taking place on July 25 and 26, this global virtual event will allow players to participate from their own homes, each ticket holder who can attend both days. Niantic said: "While we're sorry for the traditional Pokémon GO fan assembly, we're thrilled to bring a special Pokémon GO Fest experience to Trainers. You're not just in for an exciting weekend of bonuses, Pokémon encounters, and thanks to research specials, there will also be exciting ways to connect with other coaches and experience other fun surprises throughout the summer." Niantic has revealed more about what will happen during the two-day event. On the first day, between 10am and 8pm local time, players will have access to a special quest story reserved for that day. They will also be able to enjoy five rotating habitats that will change every hour and will feature Pokémon related to the themes of fire, water, grass, battle and friendship. The Go-Fest exclusive Global Challenge Arena will invite Trainers to work together to take on a collaborative challenge every hour. Each completed challenge will earn bonuses for players. Finally, Trainers will be able to encounter more than 75 species of Pokémon in the wild, during raids, and by doing special research tasks. The second day is no longer a mystery, and Niantic said that to keep the surprise going, ticket holders won't find out what the day has in store until July 26. Players can purchase tickets for the event in the in-game store for $14.99 / €14.99. Weekly Challenges To get players excited about Pokémon Go Fest and celebrate the game's fourth anniversary, Niantic is launching weekly Timed Research Challenges. Players can participate whether or not they have a Go Fest ticket, and completing the challenges will unlock additional Pokemon to appear at Go Fest. As of this writing, we are just entering week 2 of 3, which is the battle based challenge. From July 10 to 15, players will be invited to test their fighting skills through three tasks, each giving them a chance to win matches with Hitmonlee, Absol, and more. If the following numbers of trainers on the same team complete their timed quest in week 2, the corresponding Pokemon will be available to catch at Go Fest later this month. Week 3 will take place from July 17 to 22, just before the start of the Go Fest. This week's challenges, based on the friendship theme, will allow teams to unlock Togetic, Dratini, and Litwick for Go Fest. Niantic has announced that the next Pokémon Go Community Day will take place on July 19 and that the Pokémon featured will be the ghost-type Gastly. Between 11am and 5pm local time on this date, Gastly will appear most frequently in the wild. Those who upgrade a Haunter to a Gengar during the event or two hours after will receive the special move Shadow Punch. To make things easier for players who can't travel a long distance, there will be a one-time Community Purchase Box in the shop with 30 Ultra Balls, an Elite Fast TM, two Incenses, and two Super Incubators. Players will also be able to purchase a Community Day exclusive quest story for $1 / €1 titled The Great Gastly. Regarding the bonuses during the event, the eggs will have a 1/4 hatch distance when in the incubators and the incense will last for three hours.

Pokémon Go update: what's next?

Pokemon Go

(Image credit: Niantic) Now that Go Battle League has arrived in Pokémon Go, Niantic has checked another big promised feature off its list. At the moment, we don't know what the next step in the game is, other than of course adding new Pokemon. We'll update here when the roadmap becomes clearer.

Pokémon Go Plus deals

Do you want to buy a portable Pokémon Go Plus? Check out some of the best deals of the day below. Today's best Pokemon Go Plus deals Pokemon Go Plus Go-Tcha... (Image Credits: Niantic/Pokemon Company)

You might also be interested ...