Events about events reach the mobile game Pokémon GO. The developers currently offer players many opportunities for variety and motivation to level up. Trainers say the developers are currently in top form.
When Pokémon GO launched in 2016, everyone was surprised by the huge hype that this mobile game generated. Unfortunately, the developers were also surprised, as a small team struggled to cope with the influx of millions of fans. Server issues and poor morale plagued the first days after the release of Pokémon GO.
In a few months, the second birthday of Pokémon GO approaches, and everything seems to be going according to plan.
Community Day, Christmas, and Shiny Monsters
At the beginning of Pokémon GO, events were rare and only occurred during special worldwide holidays like Christmas or Halloween. Presumably, the developers at Niantic focused on improving the game at that time.
Meanwhile, things have changed; events now occur more frequently and bring variety to the game. And that pleases the trainers. In the following overview, we show you which events and smaller occurrences took place since autumn 2017. These have positively impacted Pokémon GO.
New was that Niantic gradually released Gen 3, thus being able to deliver new content week after week. This implementation was particularly successful for trainers who are not very familiar with the monsters of the Hoenn region.
Instead of being presented with many new monsters all at once, trainers can take the opportunity to engage more deeply with individual monsters through the gradual distribution.
Autumn/Winter 2017 – Events Increase, New Monsters in the Game
October started as usual with a Halloween event. An event with this theme was also launched by Niantic in the release year 2016. New was that ghosts from the 3rd generation appeared in the game.
With the global catch event in the following month of November, the developers were also able to score again in the community. In December, there were four noteworthy events.
- October 2017: For Halloween 2017, Niantic devised an event that activated Pokémon from the Hoenn region (Gen 3) in the game for the first time. These were ghosts like Shuppet and Banette. Additionally, candy rewards were doubled. The event was well-received by trainers, as the candy rewards were the best part for many players.
- November 2017: The global catch event motivated trainers to unlock bonuses. Here, Niantic established the rules and explained: Catch number X Pokémon to unlock one of the bonuses. The big goal was the unlocking of Porenta. The regional Pokémon was then catchable worldwide for a short time.
- December 2017: Dynamic weather now plays a major role in Pokémon GO. The strength and stardust yield of monsters now depend on regional weather.
- December 2017: After the first Gen 3 monsters were released for Halloween, the activation of the next monsters from the Hoenn region began. Niantic stated that these would gradually find their way into the game. Initially, these 50 new Pokémon were introduced.
- December 2017: The legendary Pokémon Groudon is now in the game
- December 2017: At Christmas, the next wave of Gen 3 Pokémon entered the game. These were mostly of the Ice and Water types. Additionally, a new shiny was introduced.
January 2018 – Monthly Event and Exclusive Gen 3 Eggs
In January 2018, Niantic continued at a similar pace as experienced in December ’17. They presented the special Community Day, which was particularly well-received by trainers.
At this event, there were previously chances at special shiny monsters that also had an exclusive event attack. Anticipating this, an event started in January that made it easier for trainers to fill their Pokédex with Gen 3 monsters.
- January 2018: Niantic takes another step closer to players by introducing the Community Day. This event will take place every month, allowing a special monster to appear more frequently, which possesses an exclusive event attack. Community Day 1 featured Pikachu, Community Day 2 featured Dratini, and Community Day 3 will feature Bulbasaur.
- January 2018: Kyogre is now available as a legendary enemy in the game
- January 2018: Along with Stollunior and Sonnfel, a total of 23 more Pokémon from Generation 3 have been unlocked in Pokémon GO.
- January 2018: To quickly collect the new Gen 3 Pokémon, Niantic for a limited time allowed only Hoenn monsters to hatch from eggs. This was well-received by fans who found too few of the new monsters in the wild.
February 2018 – Valentine’s Day and Additional Gen 3 Monsters
For February 2018, Niantic stepped on the gas again. The event announcements were almost overwhelming. Old raid bosses returned for a big event after trainers initially celebrated Valentine’s Day together. Afterwards, the Lunar New Year was celebrated, which introduced additional shinies.
- February 2018: The Gen 3 rollout continues. Now 19 more Hoenn region monsters can be found in the game. Among them is the new Gen 3 shiny Swablu.
- February 2018: In the wild, only Pokémon from Gen 3 spawn initially, Rayquaza is in the game.
- February 2018: Valentine’s Day with Luvdisc – Swarms of the small pink Pokémon appeared everywhere. For collection fun, Niantic offered the shiny version of the monster here, which could appear in the wild with a certain chance.
- February 2018: The Lunar New Year is celebrated in Pokémon GO and brings additional stardust and popular shiny monsters.
- February 2018: After their disappearance, Groudon and Kyogre return to Pokémon GO. Together with Rayquaza, they form the trio of ancient legendary monsters.
- February 2018: The Pokémon Day 2018 is celebrated with party hats and shiny monsters.
More Events in March 2018 – What Do Trainers Say?
For March, further events are planned. Trainers were already able to utilize the rewards from the legendary week, which allowed wind-loving Pokémon to hatch more frequently from eggs or appear as raid bosses. Combined with double experience points, community sentiment was very positive.
Now the last days with Rayquaza and double XP are running.
This month, a Community Day is set to take place, celebrated with Bulbasaur. What else the developers may come up with in the coming weeks remains to be seen.
The sentiment in the community has been markedly positive in recent weeks. Of course, there are always some issues that are complained about, but that has significantly decreased in recent months. A point of contention remains the opaque EX raids. However, trainers frequently mention on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook that Niantic is currently in top form.
The many events continuously bring fresh air into the game and provide trainers with new goals. According to players, the Community Days with their shiny monsters are among the best new features of Pokémon GO. You can also find a great community in our Pokémon GO Facebook group.
For beginners, now is a good time to start with the game. There are always rewards and bonuses that can make leveling relatively easier.
Water Event 2018?
March 22 is a significant event worldwide, as it is World Water Day. Trainers are already speculating about how Niantic will utilize this day. It might be an opportunity for the developers to release the last unreleased Pokémon from Gen 3. However, we do not expect a wave of legendary monsters, but rather the “normal” Pokémon, which will also be found in the wild. But this remains speculation.
What do you think about Pokémon GO lately? Are you satisfied with the work of the developers and the many events, or does the game annoy you?
And before the question arises: Yes, people still play Pokémon GO!
