'Pokémon GO' Summer Event Confirmed by Niantic: What to Expect
Niantic has hinted that a huge event will be arriving to their mobile game "Pokémon GO" in a few months.
The game developer has plans to host a large-scale "Pokémon GO" event this summer. The information was shared by Niantic's Asian General Manager Yoshiji Kawashima and Asian General Marketing Manager Kenji Suka during an interview with K-Tai Watch. They confirmed that gaming fans will get to see the update this summer and that the company is currently developing in-game mechanics before the event launches.
"I hope you are looking forward to this huge event this summer. Please look forward to it. Engineers are working hard now so that new functions can be implemented," Kawashima said.
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The executives were unable to provide a specific date for the event. However, there have been speculations that the update will also include a legendary Pokémon which requires player collaboration in order to be captured.
Some "Pokémon GO" fans believe that some the game mechanics that Niantic is currently working on are the player-versus-player (PvP) mode and the trading processes. There are also speculations that the addition of co-op gaming will also be launched as an update to the Gym battles featured in the game.
While "Pokémon GO" gamers already got a taste of small-scale events such as the recently concluded Eggstravaganza Easter event and the Water Festival before that, Niantic plans to continue the trend by launching similar festivals and events for the rest of the year.
As previously reported, Niantic also has plans to create more localized events in partnership with different government institutions, a project which they already kicked off in 2016.
For example, from October to November 2016, the company arranged to have more Lapras appear in Japan's Tohoku region. This move was Niantic's way of helping the locale gain more tourists after it was hit by tsunamis and earthquakes in 2011.
In line with this plan, the local governments of other earthquake-stricken regions in Japan like Miyagi, Iwate, Kumamoto and Fukushima declared last year that they are going to be cooperating with Niantic in maximizing the popularity of "Pokémon GO" to improve tourism in their area.
