Break out that sunscreen and sunglasses, as it’s time to return to the outside, gamers!
San Francisco—Feb. 15, 2017—Niantic, Inc. and The Pokémon Company International announced an additional 80 Pokémon will begin to appear in Pokémon GO later this week. These include Pokémon originally discovered in the Johto region from the Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver video games, including Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. Trainers will encounter these Pokémon “in the wild” as they embark on adventures and explore their neighborhoods and cities to catch Pokémon. In addition to Pokémon that will appear in the game for the first time, the latest update introduces new gameplay mechanics for Trainers to master, including new encounter gameplay, new Evolution items, two new Berries, and expanded outfit and accessory options for their Trainer avatars.
“Today is a momentous occasion for our team here at Niantic which has been hard at work to deliver these additional Pokémon and build upon the encounter and capture mechanics for our passionate global community of Trainers playing Pokémon GO,” said John Hanke, founder and Chief Executive Officer, Niantic, Inc. “Pokémon GO is a live experience which we’ll be continuing to support and evolve in new and interesting ways for years to come with new gameplay features, in-game and live events, more Pokémon to discover and much more.”
“With Pokémon GO, The Pokémon Company endeavored to create a compelling game based on the concept of encountering and catching Pokémon in the real world,” said J.C. Smith, Senior Director, Consumer Marketing, The Pokémon Company International. “The amazing response to Pokémon GO by millions of existing and new Pokémon fans around the world is remarkable. We’re thrilled to keep the adventure going by welcoming these Pokémon to this engaging new way of experiencing the fun of the Pokémon brand.”
With the latest Pokémon GO game update, new Pokémon evolution options will give players the ability to use new Evolution items to evolve their Pokémon into ones that were originally discovered in the Johto region. While catching Pokémon, Trainers can use two new Berries—the Nanab Berry, which slows a Pokémon’s movements, and the Pinap Berry, which doubles the amount of Candy received if the next catch attempt succeeds. Trainers will also be able to customize their avatar’s appearance with a new selection of hats, shirts, pants, and other items. Additional items will be available for purchase from the in-game Pokémon GO shop.
Trainers can download Pokémon GO from the App Store for iOS devices and Google Play Store for Android. A version of Pokémon GO for Apple Watch is also available through the App Store. Nintendo’s Pokémon GO Plus device, which allows Trainers to catch Pokémon and collect items with the push of a button without looking at their screens, is being replenished at retail locations in support of this latest update, while supplies last.
