The PvP update for Pokémon GO may appear in autumn. There is also a new announcement regarding PokéStop submissions.
What’s new? In a blog post, Niantic reported on the Pokémon GO numbers for summer 2018. They also discussed the future of Pokémon GO, which is expected to receive new co-op features soon.
Additionally, an employee from Niantic commented with a tiny update on PokéStop submissions.
Plans for Co-op in Pokémon GO
In Niantic’s blog, they talk about players having an exciting autumn to look forward to.
Possible PvP announcement: Niantic states: “Even as summer disappears in the Northern Hemisphere, we are working on surprises for autumn in Pokémon GO, to give trainers even more opportunities to play together.”
What does this mean? It could be that Niantic is alluding to the PvP feature, which has long been promised for Pokémon GO. The last news about it was from August, where Niantic said: The PvP is still coming to Pokémon GO in 2018. Following this new announcement from September, trainers expect that Niantic will activate the PvP in the game this autumn.
What is PvP? The abbreviation PvP stands for “Player versus Player”, meaning player against player. It involves direct battles between trainers. How this will look in Pokémon GO is still unclear. It may be turn-based, as seen in previous Pokémon games.
Trainers have long wished for a way to compete directly against their friends or other players in Pokémon GO.
Submitting PokéStops – What’s new?
More than waiting for PvP, especially rural players are looking for a way to submit PokéStops. Currently, this can only be done awkwardly via Ingress, another game by Niantic.
What has been known so far? In the code of Pokémon GO, there have already been hints for submitting PokéStops. Such a function should finally remove the detour through Ingress. Trainers should be able to propose towns and gyms directly for Pokémon GO. It was only known that Niantic was working on it.
What’s new? On Twitter, Omar H. Téllez (Vice President Business Development & Partnerships at Niantic) revealed that trainers should stay tuned. At Niantic, they are listening to the problems that trainers are raising.
This is just a really small update on the PokéStop situation, but it shows that Niantic is working on it. The feature may come sooner than expected.
Update: News from Niantic – the first tests for Stop submissions will start soon
Numbers for Summer – How many players?
The big summer tour of Pokémon GO, with stops in Dortmund (Safari), Chicago (GO Fest), and Yokosuka (Safari), attracted many players. Numbers on the events, the friends feature, and gifts have now been published.
- Since May, the numbers of active players in Pokémon GO have increased by 35%
- 113 million friendships were made with the new friendship system
- 2.2 billion gifts were sent to friends
- 400,000 players participated in the events in Dortmund, Chicago, and Japan.
