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Pokémon GO

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Reason: Details on Pokémon GO for Apple Watch
Pokémon GO
Pokémon GO
Pokemon Go Logo.png
Pokémon GO logo
Basic info
Platform: iOS, Android
Category: Real-world adventure
Location-based game
Players: 1+
Connectivity: N/A
Developer: Niantic, Inc.
Publisher: Niantic, Inc.
Part of: Generation VI and VII miscellaneous
Ratings
CERO: N/A
ESRB: E
ACB: PG
OFLC: N/A
PEGI: 3
GRAC: 3
GSRR: N/A
Release dates
Japan: March 29, 2016 (field test)
July 22, 2016 (public release)
North America: May 25, 2016 (field test)
July 6, 2016 (public release)
Australia: April 25, 2016 (field test)
July 6, 2016 (public release)
Europe: July 13, 2016
South Korea: January 24, 2017
Hong Kong: July 25, 2016
Taiwan: August 6, 2016
Websites
Japanese: Official site (TPC)
Official site (Niantic)
English: Official site (TPCi)
Official site (Niantic)
Pokémon.com
Bulbanews
Bulbanews has multiple articles related to this subject:
StrategyWiki
StrategyWiki has more about this subject:

Pokémon GO (Japanese: Pokémon GO) is a multiplayer, location-based, augmented reality Pokémon game for iOS and Android. The game results from a collaboration between The Pokémon Company, Nintendo, and Niantic, Inc., and is free to download with in-app purchases. It was released in most markets with access to the iOS App Store or Google Play Store on a staggered schedule starting on July 6, 2016.

The game was announced at a press conference in Japan on September 10, 2015. Field tests for Pokémon GO were held from March 29, 2016 through June 30, 2016.

The game is compatible with the Pokémon GO Plus, a Bluetooth device that allows players to enjoy elements of the game without looking at their phone. Compatibility with the Apple Watch was added in an update on December 22, 2016.

Blurb

Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, Pikachu, and many other Pokémon have been discovered on planet Earth!

Now’s your chance to discover and capture the Pokémon all around you—so get your shoes on, step outside, and explore the world. You’ll join one of three teams and battle for the prestige and ownership of Gyms with your Pokémon at your side.

Pokémon are out there, and you need to find them. As you walk around a neighborhood, your smartphone will vibrate when there’s a Pokémon nearby. Take aim and throw a Poké Ball… You’ll have to stay alert, or it might get away!

Search far and wide for Pokémon and items

Certain Pokémon appear near their native environment—look for Water-type Pokémon by lakes and oceans. Visit PokéStops, found at interesting places like museums, art installations, historical markers, and monuments, to stock up on Poké Balls and helpful items.

Catching, hatching, evolving, and more

As you level up, you’ll be able to catch more-powerful Pokémon to complete your Pokédex. You can add to your collection by hatching Pokémon Eggs based on the distances you walk. Help your Pokémon evolve by catching many of the same kind.

Take on Gym battles and defend your Gym

As your Charmander evolves to Charmeleon and then Charizard, you can battle together to defeat a Gym and assign your Pokémon to defend it against all comers.

It’s time to get moving—your real-life adventures await!

Note: This app is free-to-play and is optimized for smartphones, not tablets.

Gameplay

Encountering a wild Rattata, with AR mode disabled (Prior to 0.55.0 version)

In the game, wild Pokémon appear on a map of the real world (based on the crowdsourced OpenStreetMap project)[1][2], with the player moving in the game by traveling in the real world. When a Pokémon is nearby, the player's phone vibrates. The player can encounter a nearby Pokémon by tapping it in the Map View. Different kinds of Pokémon will appear in different environments; for example, Water-type Pokémon are more common near water. Weather also affects which Pokémon are common. The player is assisted by Professor Willow throughout the game. Players can login using a Pokémon Trainer Club, Google, or Facebook account, which can be linked together for logging in.

In a wild encounter, the player attempts to capture a wild Pokémon in a Poké Ball before it runs away. Unlike in the core series games, these encounters do not involve battle. At higher levels, the player can use various Berries to make wild Pokémon easier to catch or use more powerful Poké Balls like Great Balls and Ultra Ball. While holding a press on a Poké Ball, a ring will appear around the Pokémon. This ring shrinks over time; once it reaches its smallest size it immediately returns to full size and the cycle repeats. If the Poké Ball is thrown while the ring is very small, the capture is more likely to be successful. Capturing while the ring is as far out as it can be, or halfway in the outer circle also provides small bonuses.

The game can be played as an augmented reality (AR) game, so that in wild encounters and Gym battles the Pokémon appear to be in the real world when looking at the smart device's screen. However, it is also possible to disable this functionality, which saves battery power and is necessary on some devices which do not support AR.

Catching and hatching Pokémon earns the player Candy, which can be spent to evolve or Power Up Pokémon. Each evolutionary family has its own type of Candy, so in order to evolve a Pokémon, the player needs to catch a number of Pokémon from that same evolutionary family. If a player wants to get rid of a Pokémon, they can transfer it to Professor Willow, who will permanently keep the Pokémon but give 1 Candy in return. Catching and hatching Pokémon also earns the player Stardust, which also needs to be expended to Power Up Pokémon; unlike Candy, there is only one type of Stardust for all Pokémon.

There are two main types of locations in Pokémon GO: PokéStops and Gyms. PokéStops and Gyms exist at pre-defined real-world locations, and the player must be within range of them in order to interact with them (although they can be inspected as long as they show up in the Map View). Players can obtain items and Eggs by visiting PokéStops or Gyms and spinning the photo-disc. Furthermore plasyers can fight against eachother to gain control of Gyms.

Players can customize their appearance, such as clothing and accessories, which can be shown to other players. Pokémon Trainers collect XP from performing various actions, such as catching Pokémon, which allows them to increase their Trainer level. Leveling up rewards the player with items, and some levels unlock features of the game. Wild Pokémon encountered by Trainers at higher levels are more likely to have higher CP. The maximum number of times an individual Pokémon can be Powered Up increases with the Trainer's level.

PokéCoins can be obtained in-game or via in-app purchases with real money. They can be traded for extra items and other enhancements. Players can also earn PokéCoins by defending gyms, at a rate of one coin for every ten minutes their Pokémon is in a Gym, for a maximum of 50 a day.

Available Pokémon

Only Pokémon introduced in Generations I, II, and III are available in the game. Currently, only the families of Smeargle, Nincada, Kecleon, and Clamperl, and Mythical Pokémon (excluding Mew and Celebi) are not or have not been obtainable in the game.

Most obtainable Pokémon can be found in the wild, including evolved Pokémon. The exceptions are baby Pokémon, Pokémon that require an item to evolve into, Mawile, Spinda, Absol, Legendary Pokémon, and Mythical Pokémon. Baby Pokémon can only be hatched. Mawile is exclusive to Raid Battles. Spinda is exclusive to Field Research. Absol is exclusive through both Raid Battles and Field Research. Alolan forms are exclusive to special eggs and Raid Battles. Legendary Pokémon are only available through Raid Battles or Research Breakthroughs. Mythical Pokémon are only available through Special Research.

When the game was initially released, most Generation I Pokémon were available. The game has gradually updated to include previously unavailable Pokémon, primarily those from a later generation. Shiny Pokémon were also not initially available, but on March 27, 2017, Shiny Magikarp and Gyarados were made available, with more being gradually released after August.

Limited availability

Certain sets of Pokémon appear to be exclusive to certain regions in the world. During special events, some of these Pokémon have been made available in other regions. The territories described below are generally limited to broad descriptions, sacrificing precise accuracy. Many community-sourced maps can be found that will show these boundaries in much greater detail, such as this one on Reddit.

  • Farfetch'd, Kangaskhan, Mr. Mime, Tauros, Heracross, Torkoal, Tropius, and Relicanth primarily appear in areas distinct from each other.
    • Farfetch'd: east Asia
    • Kangaskhan: Australia
    • Mr. Mime: Europe
    • Tauros: the United States and southern Canada
    • Heracross: Central and South America
    • Torkoal: southwestern Asia
    • Tropius: Africa and the Middle East east of the Persian Gulf
    • Relicanth: certain islands east of Australia, such as New Zealand, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and others farther east
  • Corsola appears in coastal areas near the equator. This encompasses areas within approximately 50 kilometers of a coast between latitudes 31° N and 26° S, except in the Atlantic Ocean where the southern reach is 5° S.
  • Volbeat, Zangoose, and Lunatone are found in separate halves of the world from Illumise, Seviper, and Solrock. Originally, Zangoose and Seviper were in the opposite territories, but they were switched on January 5, 2018 (after four weeks). Solrock and Lunatone swapped territories on June 21, 2018.
    • Volbeat, Zangoose, and Solrock: Europe, Asia, Australia, and the western Pacific Ocean
    • Illumise, Seviper, and Lunatone: Americas, Africa, and the Middle East east of the Persian Gulf

Legendary Pokémon have only been released for strictly limited periods. These include Lugia, Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos, Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Ho-Oh, Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, Latias, Latios, Regice, Registeel, and Regirock. Once their periods are up, there is no guarantee if or when they will be made available again, but some have made return appearances through Field Research.

Mewtwo only appears in special EX Raids. EX Passes grant players the ability to participate in an EX Raid and are distributed on a semi-random basis to players who have recently completed a Raid at the Gym where the EX Raid will take place.

Special availability

The player may choose from the three Kanto starter Pokémon at the beginning of the game: Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. If the player walks away from the starter Pokémon four times, Pikachu will also appear as a possible starter Pokémon. These Pokémon may also be found in the wild later on.

While Eevee's evolution is normally random, it can be nicknamed to force it to evolve into a specific Pokémon: "Sparky" for Jolteon, "Rainer" for Vaporeon, "Pyro" for Flareon,[7] "Sakura" for Espeon, and "Tamao" for Umbreon. These are the names of the Eevee brothers and the Kimono Girls in the Pokémon anime. Each nickname can only influence evolution once per player.

During certain conventions or other events, specific letters of Unown may be made available at a greatly increased rate in the vicinity of the event. The letters made available relate to the event, such as C, H, I, A, G, and O for Pokémon GO Fest in Chicago.

Locations

There are two main types of locations in Pokémon GO: PokéStops and Gyms. PokéStops and Gyms exist at pre-defined real world locations, and the player must be within range of them in order to interact with them (although they can be inspected as long as they have shown up in the Map View).

The locations of PokéStops and Gyms are based on a selection of portals from the Niantic game Ingress. Until 2015, Ingress players could submit proposals for portals which subsequently had to be approved by Niantic.

PokéStops allow players to obtain items and Eggs by spinning the Photo Disc. At Gyms, players can battle to weaken those belonging to opposing teams or strengthen those belonging to their own team; a player can earn and PokéCoins by holding onto their own Gyms, while also obtaining items from its Photo Disc. The player will be given a Gym Badge for each Gym on the first time they interact with it. Badges can be leveled up to bronze, silver, and gold, with each level causing the Gym to give out a higher number of items when spun.

A Gym can only be controlled by one team at a time. If a Gym is controlled by the player's team, they can add one of their own Pokémon to defend it and feed Berries to any Pokémon in the Gym. Doing so will earn the player Stardust, possible Candy, and an increase in the Pokémon's motivation. If a Gym is controlled by a rival team, the player can battle it to decrease each Pokémon's motivation; when a Pokemon's motivation reaches zero, it will be knocked out of the Gym. When all defending Pokémon have been defeated, the team loses control of the Gym, allowing the player to reclaim it as their own.

PokéStops are much more common than Gyms, but depending on where a player lives, they may be very common or very sparse. Locations tend to be more common in urban areas due to a higher population density, resulting in more players in those areas. If there are no nearby PokéStops, the player can only obtain Poké Balls by leveling up or purchasing them with PokéCoins; if there are no nearby Gyms, the player can only obtain PokéCoins by purchasing them with real currency.

Teams

The Team Leaders, Candela, Blanche and Spark.

After the player reaches level 5, they can choose a team by tapping a Gym. There are three teams: the yellow Team Instinct led by Spark, the blue Team Mystic led by Blanche, and the red Team Valor led by Candela.

Pokémon Appraisal, added in version 0.35.0 (labelled version 1.5.0 on the iOS App Store), has the chosen Team's leader detail a Pokémon's stats much like a stats judge in the core series. They describe how good the Pokémon would be in a battle, which of its three stats is its highest, and how good its stats are overall. They will also note if the Pokémon's height or weight is particularly far from the average listed in the Pokédex.

Emblem Team Color Legendary bird Leader Description
Team Instinct emblem.png Instinct Yellow Zapdos Spark Hey! The name's Spark — the leader of Team Instinct. Pokemon are creatures with excellent intuition. I bet the secret to their intuition is related to how they're hatched. Come and join my team! You never lose when you trust your instincts!
Team Mystic emblem.png Mystic Blue Articuno Blanche I am Blanche, leader of Team Mystic. The wisdom of Pokemon is immeasurably deep. I am researching why it is that they evolve. With our calm analysis of every situation, we can't lose!
Team Valor emblem.png Valor Red Moltres Candela I'm Candela — Team Valor's leader! Pokemon are stronger than humans, and they're warmhearted, too! I'm researching ways to enhance Pokemon's natural power in the pursuit of true strength. There's no doubt that the Pokemon our team have trained at the strongest in battle! Are you ready?

PokéCoins

A PokéCoin
Main article: PokéCoin

PokéCoins are the in-app currency used in Pokémon GO. There are two ways of obtaining PokéCoins: the Gym Defender bonus or by purchasing them with real money.

To obtain the Defender bonus, the player must assign a Pokémon to defend a Gym that currently has less than six defenders. Upon their Pokémon being knocked out, the player will receive a number of coins based on how long their Pokémon defended a Gym, one coin for every ten minutes, up to a maximum of 50. Once a Pokémon returns with 50 coins. Sometimes Pokémon will be unable to give coins when returning to the player, even if they stayed for eight hours and twenty minutes.

Items

Permanent items

The following items are in the player's Bag by default. They have no quantity and cannot be tossed.

Image English name Japanese name Description
GO Camera.png Camera カメラ
Camera 		When you encounter Pokémon in the wild, you can use your camera to photograph them.
GO Egg Incubator Infinity.png Egg Incubator ∞ ムゲンふかそうち
Infinite Egg Incubator 		A device that incubates an Egg as you walk until it is ready to hatch. Unlimited use!

Standard items

Most of these items can be obtained by spinning the Photo Disc at PokéStops or Gyms. Other ways to obtain some of these items include by leveling up or by purchasing them from the shop. The player also starts with several standard items in their Bag.

Image English name Japanese name Unlock requirements Description
GO Potion.png Potion キズぐすり
Wound Medicine 		Level 5 A spray-type medicine that restores the HP of one Pokémon by 20 points.
GO Super Potion.png Super Potion いいキズぐすり
Good Wound Medicine 		Level 10 A spray-type medicine that restores the HP of one Pokémon by 50 points.
GO Hyper Potion.png Hyper Potion すごいキズぐすり
Amazing Wound Medicine 		Level 15 A spray-type medicine that restores the HP of one Pokémon by 200 points.
GO Max Potion.png Max Potion まんたんのくすり
Tank-Filling Medicine 		Level 25 A spray-type medicine that completely restores all HP of a single Pokémon.
GO Revive.png Revive げんきのかけら
Vitality Fragment 		Level 5 A medicine that can revive fainted Pokémon. It also restores half of a fainted Pokémon's maximum HP.
GO Max Revive.png Max Revive げんきのかたまり
Vitality Clump 		Level 30 A medicine that can revive fainted Pokémon. It also fully restores a fainted Pokémon's maximum HP.
GO Lucky Egg.png Lucky Egg しあわせタマゴ
Lucky Egg 		None A Lucky Egg that's filled with happiness! Earns double XP for 30 minutes.
GO Incense.png Incense おこう
Incense 		None Incense with a mysterious fragrance that lures wild Pokémon to your location for 30 minutes.
GO Raid Pass.png Raid Pass レイドパス
Raid Pass 		None Pass to join a Raid Battle. You can get a free pass at Gyms once per day if you don't already have one.
GO Premium Raid Pass.png Premium Raid Pass プレミアムレイドパス
Premium Raid Pass 		None Premium Raid Pass to join a Raid Battle. You can use this pass anytime.
GO Legendary Raid Pass.png EX Raid Pass EXレイドパス
EX Raid Pass 		None Exclusive Raid Pass to join a special Raid Battle. You can use this pass only at the specified limited-time event.
GO Star Piece.png Star Piece ほしのかけら
Star Piece 		None A small shard of a beautiful gem. Earns 50% more Stardust for 30 minutes.
GO Poké Ball.png Poké Ball モンスターボール
Monster Ball 		None A device for catching wild Pokémon. It's thrown like a ball, comfortably encapsulating its target.
GO Great Ball.png Great Ball スーパーボール
Super Ball 		Level 12 A high-performance Ball with a higher catch rate than a standard Poké Ball.
GO Ultra Ball.png Ultra Ball ハイパーボール
Hyper Ball 		Level 20 An ultra-performance Ball with a higher catch rate than a Great Ball.
GO Lure Module.png Lure Module ルアーモジュール
Lure Module 		None A module that attracts Pokémon to a PokéStop for 30 min. The effect benefits other people nearby.
GO Razz Berry.png Razz Berry ズリのみ
Zuri Fruit 		Level 8 Feed this to a Pokémon to make it easier to catch.
GO Nanab Berry.png Nanab Berry ナナのみ
Nana Fruit 		Level 4* Feed this to a Pokémon to calm it down, making it less erratic.
GO Pinap Berry.png Pinap Berry パイルのみ
Pairu Fruit 		Level 18 Feed this to a Pokémon to receive more Candy when you catch it.
GO Egg Incubator.png Egg Incubator ふかそうち
Incubator 		None A device that incubates an Egg as you walk until it is ready to hatch. Breaks after 3 uses.
GO Super Incubator.png Super Incubator スーパーふかそうち
Super Incubator 		None A more powerful Egg Incubator helps Eggs hatch quickly. Breaks after 3 uses.
GO Sun Stone.png Sun Stone たいようのいし
Sun Stone 		Level 10 A peculiar stone that can make certain species of Pokémon evolve. It burns as red as the evening sun.
GO King's Rock.png King's Rock おうじゃのしるし
King's Symbol 		Level 10 A rock that can make certain species of Pokémon evolve. It looks like a crown.
GO Metal Coat.png Metal Coat メタルコート
Metal Coat 		Level 10 A coating that can make certain species of Pokémon evolve. It is a special metallic film.
GO Dragon Scale.png Dragon Scale りゅうのウロコ
Dragon Scale 		Level 10 A scale that can make certain species of Pokémon evolve. It is very tough and inflexible.
File:GO Up-Grade.png Up-Grade アップグレード
Upgrade 		Level 10 A transparent device that can make certain species of Pokémon evolve. It was produced by Silph Co.

Raid rewards

These items can only be obtained as rewards for defeating a Raid Boss.

Image English name Japanese name Unlock requirements Description
GO Fast TM.png Fast TM わざマシンノーマル
Normal Move Machine 		Level 15 This Technical Machine teaches the Pokémon a new Fast Attack.
GO Charged TM.png Charged TM わざマシンスペシャル
Special Move Machine 		Level 25 This Technical Machine teaches the Pokémon a new Charged Attack.
GO Rare Candy.png Rare Candy ふしぎなアメ
Mystery Candy 		Level 5 A mysterious candy. When used on a Pokémon, it turns into the Pokémon's Candy.
GO Premier Ball.png Premier Ball プレミアボール
Premier Ball 		Level 5 Premier Balls are used to catch Raid Bosses after defeating them.
GO Golden Razz Berry.png Golden Razz Berry きんのズリのみ
Gold Zuri Fruit 		Level 10 Feed this to Pokémon to make it easier to catch. Works better than Razz Berry.

Upgrades

These are upgrades that increase the storage capacity of certain aspects of the game. They can be purchased with PokéCoins.

Image English name Japanese name Description
GO Bag Upgrade.png Bag Upgrade パックアップグレード
Pack Upgrade 		Increases the max number of items you can carry by 50.
GO Storage Upgrade.png Pokémon Storage Upgrade ポケモンボックスアップグレード
Pokémon Box Upgrade 		Increases the max number of Pokémon you can carry by 50.

Unavailable items

These items are present in game data but cannot be acquired in-game. The identifiers for items in this internal data do not always reflect the item names visible to the player in-game, so if these items are released they may not use the same name.

Image Name
Bluk Berry
GO Master Ball.png Master Ball
Wepear Berry
X Attack
X Defense
X Miracle

Experience

Main article: Experience → Pokémon GO

In Pokémon GO, the player earns experience (abbreviated XP), rather than the Pokémon. As the player gains experience they gain levels. Leveling up awards the player with items, and certain levels unlock particular items. After reaching level 5, the player can choose a team, which allows them to use Gyms. As the player's level increases, their Pokémon are able to achieve a higher Combat Power as the player powers them up.

Eggs

A 2 km egg in Pokémon GO (originally used for Eggs of all distances)
Main article: Pokémon Egg → Pokémon GO

The player can obtain Eggs at PokéStops. An Egg will hatch after traveling a certain distance while the Egg is in an incubator. Three Egg distances are possible: 2 km, 5 km, and 10 km. Each species has a set Egg distance and can only hatch from Eggs with this distance.

Buddy

A Buddy Pokémon
Main article: Buddy Pokémon

By assigning a Buddy Pokémon, the player can receive additional Candies for that species of Pokémon as they walk. Depending on the species, the Buddy Pokémon will find 1 Candy every 1 km, 3 km or 5 km walked. The player can only have a single Buddy Pokémon at once.

Notably, Feebas must be a Buddy Pokémon for 20 km's before it can be evolved into Milotic.

Medals

Main article: Medal → Pokémon GO

The game has challenges that award medals upon completion. Medals can be viewed from a player's profile.

Daily bonuses

Daily bonuses give the player extra rewards the first time they perform certain actions each day (local time). They were added to Pokémon GO in version 0.45.0 (labelled 1.15.0 on the iOS App Store), which was released on November 7, 2016.

The first Pokémon the player catches each day earns the player a bonus 500 XP and 600 Stardust. If the player catches a Pokémon every day for 7 days in a row, they will earn a bonus of 2500 XP and 3000 Stardust.

The first PokéStop or Gym the player searches each day earns the player a bonus 500 XP and extra items. If the player searches PokéStops or Gyms every day for 7 days in a row, they will earn a bonus of 2500 XP and even more items. The 7-day streak bonus is guaranteed to give the player an Evolution item (such as King's Rock).

Events

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Missing events

Global events

Global events are in-game thematic events that run for a limited time. Those events are activated directly by Niantic and do not require any kind of registration.

Name Date Mechanics
Halloween event October 26-November 1, 2016

Limited time:

  • Double candy when catching, hatching, or transfer Pokemon.
  • Buddy Pokémon earns Candy four times as fast.
  • Increased spawn rates for "spooky" Pokemon (Gastly, Haunter, Gengar, Zubat, Golbat, Drowzee, Hypno).
Celebration event November 23-30, 2016

Limited time:

  • Double XP and Stardust when completing in-game actions.
Holiday event December 25, 2016-January 8, 2017

Limited time:

  • One free single-use Incubator each day from PokéStops. (December 25, 2016- January 3, 2017)
  • Increased hatching rates for Generation II Pokémon. (December 25, 2016- January 3, 2017)
  • Increased spawn rates for Generation I starters. (December 30, 2016-January 8, 2017)
  • Lures modules last for 60 minutes. (December 30, 2016-January 8, 2017)
  • Pikachu and Raichu wearing festive hats.
  • Special boxes in the in-game shop.
Valentine’s Day event February 8-15, 2017

Limited time:

  • Double candy when catching, hatching, or transfer Pokemon.
  • Buddy Pokémon earns Candy twice as fast.
  • Increased spawn rates of pink Pokemon.
  • Increased hatching rates for Cleffa, Igglybuff, and Smoochum.
  • Lures modules last for 6 hours.
Water Festival event March 22-29, 2017

Limited time

  • Increased spawn rates for Water-type Pokémon.

New addition

  • "Magikarp Hat" clothing item for your avatar.
Eggstravaganza event April 13-20, 2017

Limited time:

  • Greater variety of Pokémon hatching from 2 km Eggs.
  • More Candy when hatching.
  • Double XP when completing in-game actions.
  • Lucky Eggs 50% off in the in-game shop.
Grass event May 5-8, 2017

Limited time:

  • Increased spawn rates of Grass-type Pokémon.
  • Lure modules last for 6 hours.
Adventure Week event May 18-25, 2017

Limited time:

  • Buddy Pokémon earns Candy four times as fast.
  • Increased spawn rates of Rock-type Pokémon.
  • Increased dropping rates of items from Poke Stops.
  • All Balls 50% off in the in-game shop.

New addition:

  • "Explorer's Hat" clothing item for your avatar.
Fire and Ice event June 13-21, 2017

Limited time:

  • Increased spawn rates of Fire- and Ice-type Pokémon.
  • Huge XP bonuses for throwing Poké Balls accurately.
  • Discounted Lucky Eggs in the in-game shop.
First Anniversary event July 6-24, 2017

Limited time:

  • Pichu, Pikachu and Raichu wearing Ash's hats.
  • Special Anniversary Box in the in-game shop (Incubators, Max Revives, Ultra Balls, and Raid Passes)
Equinox event September 22-October 2, 2017

Limited time:

  • Double Stardust when catching Pokémon and hatching Eggs.
  • 20 bonus Stardust for Berry feeding.
  • Registering a new Pokémon to your Pokédex will earn you triple the normal XP.
  • Increased hatching rates for Pokémon not normally found in 2 km Eggs (Chansey, Mareep, Larvitar, and more.)
  • Special boxes in the in-game shop (Lucky Eggs, Lure Modules, all-new Super Incubators)
Halloween event October 20-November 2, 2017

Limited time:

  • Double candy when catching, hatching, or transfer Pokemon.
  • Buddy Pokemon earns Candy twice as fast.
  • Increased spawn rates for "spooky" Pokemon: Gastly, Haunter, Gengar, Zubat, Golbat, Drowzee, Hypno.
  • Special boxes in the in-game shop (Lucky Eggs, Lure Modules, all-new Super Incubators)
  • Pichu, Pikachu and Raichu wearing a witch hat.

New addition:

  • Ghost-type Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region: Sableye, Shuppet, Banette, Duskull, Dusclops.
  • "Mimikyu’s Disguise Hat" clothing item for your avatar.
Holiday event December 21, 2017-January 4, 2018

Limited time:

  • One free single-use Incubator each day from PokéStops. (December 22-25, 2017)
  • Increased spawn rates for Ice-type Pokemon.
  • Special boxes in the in-game shop (Super Incubators, Lure Modules, and the all-new Star Pieces)
  • Pichu, Pikachu and Raichu wearing festive hats.

New addition:

  • More Water and Ice-type Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region.
  • Delibird (only for the duration of the event)
Valentine’s Day 2018 event February 13-16, 2018

Limited time:

  • Increased spawn rates for Chansey and Luvdisc, which grant triple Stardust when caught.
Lunar New Year 2018 event February 15-17, 2018

Limited time:

  • Increased spawn rates for the dog-like Pokémon: Growlithe, Eevee, Snubbull, Poochyena and Electrike, which grant triple Stardust when caught.
Eggstravaganza event March 22-April 2, 2018

Limited time

  • Greater variety of Pokémon hatching from 2 km Eggs.
  • More Candy when hatching.
  • Double Stardust when completing in-game actions.
  • Special boxes in the in-game shop (Super Incubators and Star Pieces)
April Fools' Day event March 31-April 7, 2018

Limited time

  • Increased spawn rates for Murkrow.
  • Pokémon icons replaced with 8-bit graphics.
Kanto event April 10-17, 2018

Limited time

  • Increased spawn rates for Pokémon originally discovered in Kanto region.
  • Special Raid Battles featuring Pokémon such as Aerodactyl and Snorlax.
  • Double Candy when completing in-game actions.
  • Special boxes containing Raid Passes in the in-game shop.
Earth Day event April 23-30, 2018

Limited time

  • Increased spawn rates for Water, Grass and Ground-type Pokémon, which grant triple Stardust when caught.
Battle Showdown event May 1-14, 2018

Limited time

  • Increased spawn rates for Fighting-type Pokémon.
  • Double XP for Gym and Raid Battles.
  • Raid Battles award guaranteed 3,000 Stardust for participating, and at least 1 Rare Candy for winning.
  • Double items from Badge bonus when spinning Photo Discs at Gyms.
Adventurous event May 24-June 5, 2018

Limited time

  • Increased spawn rates for Rock-type Pokémon.
  • Special Field Research and Raid Battles featuring Rock-type Pokémon such as Aerodactyl.
  • Buddy Pokémon earns Candy four times as fast.
  • Bonus XP for spinning PokéStops and Gyms (up to 10 times the usual amount if spun for the first time)
Water Festival event June 7-21, 2018

Limited time

  • Increased spawn rates for Water-type Pokémon, which grant triple Stardust when caught.
  • Special Field Research, Raid Battles and 2 km Eggs featuring Water-type Pokémon.
  • Return of Kyogre to Raid Battles.
  • Double Candy and Stardust when hatching Eggs.
Second Anniversary event July 6-31, 2018

Limited time

  • Pichu, Pikachu and Raichu wearing straw hats and sunglasses.

New addition

  • "Pikachu Fan" clothing items, which can be bought after unlocking Pikachu Fan medals.
Trading event August 2-19, 2018

Limited time

  • All trades cost 25% less Stardust to complete.
  • Bonus Candy when trading.
  • Triple XP when gaining a new Pokédex entry.
Johto Festival event August 20-28, 2018

Limited time

  • Increased spawn rates for Pokémon originally discovered in Johto region.
  • Special Field Research and Raid Battles featuring Pokémon originally discovered in Johto region.
  • Special boxes in the in-game shop.

New addition

  • Celebi shirt and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Trainer clothing items for your avatar.

Local events

Local events are events based on real life locations that require physical presence to attend. They also award special medals.

Name Date Country Description
Pokémon GO Fest Chicago July 22, 2017 USA Be a part of the first-ever Pokémon GO Fest. Complete challenges around the world to unlock major in-game rewards for everyone.
Pokémon GO at Big Heritage Festival July 22-23, 2017 UK Pokémon GO players will be able to take part in a number of fun trail activities, with in-game and real-world surprises.
Pokémon GO at Pikachu Outbreak August 9-15, 2017 Japan Pokémon GO PARK is available at Pikachu Outbreak hosted by The Pokémon Company.
Akron - New Roo Weekend August 26-27, 2017 USA Come connect with the downtown Akron neighborhoods and partake in a Pokémon GO Scavenger Hunt that will take you to locations around the city with great history and culture. Charge up and connect with Akron!
Pokémon GO Safari Zone at Unibail-Rodamco September 16, 2017 France, Spain, Germany Celebrate the summer together with thousands of Trainers and catch Pokémon that haven't been seen before in Europe at one of the upcoming Unibail-Rodamco events.
Viva Calle San Jose September 17, 2017 San Jose, USA Explore San Jose through the lens of Pokémon GO - see new neighborhoods, connect with community members, and visit significant and interesting PokéStops.
Pokémon GO Safari Zone at Unibail-Rodamco October 7 and October 14, 2017 Czech Republic, Demark, Sweden, Netherlands Celebrate the summer together with thousands of Trainers and catch Pokémon that haven't been seen before in Europe at one of the upcoming Unibail-Rodamco events.
Philly Free Streets October 28, 2017 USA Explore Philadelphia with Pokémon GO by joining this City of Philadelphia initiative and taking a car-free adventure through Philadelphia, visiting historic locations, and meeting other players.
Pokémon Festa November 4-12, 2017 South Korea For the duration of this event, Trainers all throughout South Korea will find more Pokémon appearing across the country in Pokémon GO!
Pokémon GO Safari Zone at Tottori Sand Dunes November 24, 2017 Japan Trainers of all ages will be able to catch a wide variety of Pokémon, including some rarely seen throughout the country, while exploring the largest sand dunes in Japan.
CicLAVia December 12, 2017 USA Join us at the next CicLAvia event on 12/10, meet other Trainers, have fun, while exploring the community!

Shop

Main article: PokéCoin → Shop

In the Shop, the player can make two kinds of purchases. They can purchase PokéCoins for real money or they can purchase in-game items for PokéCoins.

A number of the in-game items in the Shop can also be obtained by playing the game, but a few items are exclusive to the Shop: the Bag Upgrade, the Pokémon Storage Upgrade, and the Premium Raid Pass. The Shop also occasionally features limited-time "Box" deals (e.g., a Special Box) that include more than one kind of item.

Music

Some of the music in Pokémon GO was composed by Junichi Masuda. The music, as well as the sound effects, can be turned off in the settings of the app.

Version history

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Many updates missing

iOS

Android

Compatibility

Pokémon GO requires an internet connection (Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G) and GPS/location services. According to the official support site, the game can be played on:[10]

  • Android devices: Android 4.4+ (rooted devices are not supported), preferred resolution of 720×1280 pixels (not optimized for tablet)
  • iOS devices: iPhone 5 and newer, iOS 8 and newer (jailbroken devices are not supported)
    • Apple Watch support was added on December 22, 2016.
    • Discontinued support for certain Apple devices from 2013 and older as of February 28, 2018.[11]

However, the game is also playable on some iOS and Android devices that are not officially supported.

Connectivity

Pokémon GO currently has no connectivity with other Pokémon games. However, Junichi Masuda has stated that the developers plan to add connectivity with the next entry in the core series Pokémon games.[12][13]

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! will allow the player to transfer Pokémon from Pokémon GO to the Let's Go games. Only the first 151 Pokémon will be able to be transferred. Let's Go will also be able to send a special, brand new Pokémon as a gift to Pokémon GO.

Partnerships

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Partnerships in Japan, Big Heritage partnership

Due to the popularity of Pokémon GO, the game has partnered with several other companies to offer special promotions. These partnerships often involve sponsored locations, wherein stores affiliated with the partner company become PokéStops and Gyms; sponsored locations do not appear in the game for players under the age of 13.

Pokémon GO partnered with Globe in the Philippines. Starting October 28, 2016, Globe retail locations and charging stations are becoming PokéStops and Gyms. Globe will also be working with Ayala Malls, Puregold, Robinsons Malls and SM Supermalls.[14] The partnership ends on midnight of March 15, 2018 (local time).[15]

Pokémon GO partnered with Sprint in the United States. Starting December 7, 2016, 10,500 Sprint, Boost Mobile, and Sprint at Radioshack stores in the United States are becoming PokéStops and Gyms. Sprint locations also feature in-store charging stations to allow Pokémon GO players to charge their devices. Players could also find small Level 10, 20, 30 or 40 iron-on patches at Sprint store Gyms.

Pokémon GO partnered with Starbucks in the United States. Starting December 8, 2016, 7,800 company-operated Starbucks stores in the United States have been made into PokéStops and Gyms. Additionally, Starbucks is selling a special-edition Pokémon GO Frappuccino as part of this partnership; the Pokémon GO Frappuccino starts with a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino blended beverage and raspberry syrup blended with freeze-dried whole blackberries and topped with whipped cream.

Pokémon GO partnered with Reliance Jio Infocomm (which operates under the name Jio) in India. Starting December 13, 2016, nearly 3,000 Jio stores (thousands of Reliance Digital stores according to Jio's press release) and select partner premises in India will become PokéStops or Gyms in the Pokémon GO, as well as offering charging stations for players. On Jio's social messaging app, JioChat, Pokémon players have access to an exclusive Pokémon GO channel to allow them to collaborate and be part of a community of players with daily tips, contests, clues, and special events. During Jio's "Happy New Year" offer, Jio SIM customers will be able to download and play Pokémon GO without incurring data charges, like any other apps and content, until March 31, 2017.

Pokémon GO partnered with Unibail-Rodamco shopping malls across Europe. Starting on February 18, 2017, new PokéStops and Gyms across 58 shopping and destination centers in ten European countries were added. An average of a dozen new PokéStops and Gyms were added to public spaces, social hubs, and public art at each of the destination centers.

Development

The game was conceived by John Hanke after the development of Niantic's Ingress. It was decided that a game based on Pokémon would be a good choice, due to its focus on collecting the titular creatures. Hanke brought the idea to the Pokémon Company and talked with Mr. Isihara. Development began. Junichi Masuda worked with Niantic on the game's development.[16]

An Ingress Report released on September 10, 2015, the day of the game's announcement, stated that a closed beta would occur during Northern Hemisphere winter 2015 and that the game would be released in early 2016.[17] However, no beta testing occurred during 2015.[18][19]

Field tests were held in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States prior to the game's public release. Selected applicants were given the opportunity to test the game.

  • Japan: held from March 29 to June 30, 2016, announced on March 3, 2016[20][21]
  • Australia and New Zealand: held from April 25 to June 30, 2016, announced on April 7, 2016[22]
  • United States: held from May 25 to June 30, 2016, announced on May 16, 2016[23]

A session at the Game Developers Conference featuring the game was intended to be held by Niantic CEO John Hanke on March 14, 2016, but was later cancelled due to Niantic preparing the game for beta testing and launch.[24]

Release

Unlike previous Pokémon games for mobile devices, Pokémon GO was released on a staggered schedule, releasing initially to only to a few select countries. After its initial release on July 6, 2016, additional releases were put on hold due to server issues, but resumed on July 13, 2016, with the app's release in Germany. France was supposed to receive the app alongside other European countries, but the official release in the country was postponed due to the 2016 Nice attack.[25] The release in Brazil was only a couple of days prior to the beginning of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

So far, Pokémon GO has been released in all countries with access to the iOS App Store or Google Play Store, except for Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, mainland China, Tunisia, Algeria, Mali, Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Congo, Angola, and Zimbabwe.

Date Locations
July 6, 2016 Australia, New Zealand
United States
July 13, 2016 Germany
July 14, 2016 United Kingdom
July 15, 2016 Italy, Portugal, Spain
July 16, 2016 Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland
July 17, 2016 Canada
July 19, 2016 Puerto Rico
July 22, 2016 Japan
July 24, 2016 France
July 25, 2016 Hong Kong
August 3, 2016 Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela
August 5, 2016
August 6, 2016 		Aruba, Brunei, Cambodia, Curaçao, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Turks and Caicos Islands, Vietnam
September 30, 2016 Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macau, Macedonia, Serbia
October 1, 2016 Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
October 4, 2016
October 5, 2016 		Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia
November 18, 2016 Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates
December 14, 2016 Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
January 24, 2017 South Korea

Gallery

  • Icon

    Icon

  • Load Screen Original

    Load Screen Original

  • Load Screen Halloween 2016

    Load Screen Halloween 2016

  • Load Screen Holiday 2016

    Load Screen Holiday 2016

  • Load Screen New Year 2017

    Load Screen New Year 2017

  • Load Screen April 2017

    Load Screen April 2017

  • Load Screen June 2017

    Load Screen June 2017

  • Load Screen Halloween 2017

    Load Screen Halloween 2017

  • Load Screen Holiday 2017

    Load Screen Holiday 2017

  • Load Screen New Year 2018

    Load Screen New Year 2018

  • Load Screen Mew Research 2018

    Load Screen Mew Research 2018

  • Load Screen Summer 2018

    Load Screen Summer 2018

Trivia

  • This is the only Pokémon game to have the word "Pokémon" spelled in Latin letters in its Japanese name.
  • Pokémon GO has been banned in Iran[26] and Mainland China[27] due to security concerns. However, some Iranians are still playing the game publicly regardless.[28]

In other languages

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese Pokémon GO
Chinese Cantonese Pokémon GO
Mandarin Pokémon GO
France Flag.png French Pokémon GO
Germany Flag.png German Pokémon GO
Italy Flag.png Italian Pokémon GO
South Korea Flag.png Korean Pokémon GO
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Pokémon GO
Spain Flag.png Spanish Pokémon GO

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ Niantic Switches to OpenStreetMap in Pokémon GO
  2. ↑ Recommendations for new (Pokémon GO) mappers by community members
  3. ↑ The Official 50 Gen 3 list : TheSilphRoad
  4. ↑ Generation 3 pokemon release status (wild, nest,...) : TheSilphRoad
  5. ↑ Alolan Rattata appearing on my sightings! : TheSilphRoad
  6. ↑ Celebi Quest is Live : TheSilphRoad
  7. ↑ PSA - How to force your Eevee to evolve into your choice of Eeveelution! : pokemongo
  8. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/PokemonGO/posts/927439090735983
  9. ↑ https://twitter.com/PokemonGoApp/status/847140011027910657
  10. ↑ Supported devices – Pokémon GO
  11. ↑ Discontinued support for certain Apple devices from 2013 and older
  12. ↑ Pokémon GO - Demonstration - Nintendo E3 2016 (YouTube)
  13. ↑ News From the Pokémon GO Announcement - Pokemon.com (archived July 15, 2016)
  14. ↑ Globe Telecom enhances The Pokémon GO Experience for PH Gamers
  15. ↑ Globe Telecom is no longer sponsoring Pokémon GO in the Philippines
  16. ↑ Game Informer #81: Pokénomenon
  17. ↑ INGRESS REPORT - Begin New Journey - Raw Feed September 10 2015
  18. ↑ Pokémon GO - Pokemon.com (archived February 7, 2016)
  19. ↑ 『Pokémon GO』のベータテストについて ｜ポケットモンスターオフィシャルサイト
  20. ↑ Pokémon GO - Pokemon.com (archived March 3, 2016)
  21. ↑ Pokémon GO field testing will begin in Japan - Niantic, Inc.
  22. ↑ Pokémon GO field testing expands to Australia and New Zealand - Niantic, Inc.
  23. ↑ Pokémon GO field testing expands to the United States - Niantic, Inc.
  24. ↑ Pokémon Go GDC Presentation Canceled - www.GameInformer.com
  25. ↑ Pokémon GO : The Pokémon Company confirme le report français
  26. ↑ Pokemon Go banned by Iranian authorities over 'security' | BBC
  27. ↑ Pokémon Go banned by China authorities over 'safety' and 'security' | Forbes
  28. ↑ Iranians hunt Pokemon despite ban | Yahoo



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