Massive changes are expected to be on the way for Pokémon GO, with a Dec. 12 update expected to add 100 new Pokémon to catch in the augmented reality mobile game.
Developer Niantic Labs has not yet officially revealed what will be included in the upcoming update, but a data mine on the recently released version 0.49.1 of Pokémon GO by The Silph Road provided a glimpse of what could be coming next for Pokémon trainers worldwide.
Pokémon GO Version 0.49.1 Update
The version 0.49.1 update for Pokémon GO adds the ability for trainers to transfer multiple Pokémon simultaneously to Professor Willow, which can be activated by pressing and then holding on one of the Pokémon that the player wants to transfer.
The update also introduces icons for Pokémon types to the Gym battle screens, while also adding information on the total candy count and total kilometers walked for Buddy Pokémon.
These are the contents of the official patch notes for the update, but data mining by folks over at The Silph Road revealed much more exciting things being added to the game.
Upcoming Pokémon GO Changes
The Silph Road discovered that gender may soon be associated to Pokémon in the game, with identifiers for Male and Female genders found in the code.
In addition, more code has been added in relation to "shiny" Pokémon, which are variants of Pokémon that come in colors that are different from the regular versions of the Pokémon. These shiny Pokémon are different from their normal-colored versions only in their appearance, but due to their extreme rarity, they are sought after by collectors.
The Silph Road also found expanded codes for the customization of the avatars of players in Pokémon GO, with categories that can be customized including the eyes, hair, hat, shirt, pants, shoes, and backpack. It also seems like the customization items can be either purchased or unlocked.
Code has also been added to allow Pokémon to wear costumes, with the first type of costume tagged as holiday ones. The costumers also appear to feature collision physics, which makes it interesting to see how Niantic Labs will be utilizing them.
There is also the mention of a baby Buddy position, which will be a new way for Buddy Pokémon to be displayed alongside trainer avatars.
Pokémon GO Dec. 12 Update
The Silph Road also discovered that the audio files for the next 100 species of Pokémon have been added to the game, signaling that the arrival of the second generation of Pokémon to Pokémon GO is just around the corner and likely on Dec. 12.
Sprint, which has become the first United States partner for Pokémon GO, has confirmed that the Dec. 12 update is coming, through its announcement that beginning on that date, all Sprint, Boost Mobile, and Sprint at RadioShack stores will function as either PokéStops or Gyms.
