Niantic Labs has finally revealed a holiday event for massively popular augmented reality game Pokémon GO, giving Pokémon trainers gifts that they could enjoy over Christmas and the New Year.
It was unsure whether Niantic Labs would be able to release its third-ever event for Pokémon GO in time for the holidays, after the Halloween event in October and the Thanksgiving event in November, but the developer was able to beat the deadline and launch the update before Christmas rolls in.
Here are the things that Pokémon GO players can expect over the holidays, as Niantic Labs announced through an official blog post.
Better Chance Of Hatching Gen 2 Pokémon, Free Incubators From PokéStops
Starting Dec. 25 until Jan. 3, players will enjoy a higher chance of finding Eggs in PokéStops that can hatch into the Gen 2 Pokémon, which were introduced into the game earlier in December such as Togepi, Pichu, and other Pokémon from the Johto region.
Over the same period, players will also be able to receive one single-use Incubator from the first PokéStop that they visit each day.
Santa Hat Pikachu
When Niantic Labs added the Gen 2 Pokémon into the game, the developer also added a version of Pikachu wearing a Santa Hat.
The limited-edition Pikachu was supposedly only available until Dec. 29, but Niantic Labs said that it will be available to be caught a bit longer, presumably also until Jan. 3.
More Encounters Of Kanto Starter Pokémon, Longer Lure Modules
From Dec. 30 to Jan. 8, there will be more encounters of the first starter Pokémon from the Kanto region, along with their evolutions. There will be a greater chance for players to catch Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur; Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard; and Squirtle, Wartortle, and Blastoise.
In addition to giving players better chances of encountering these Pokémon, the duration of Lure Modules have also been extended, increasing the time that they are active from 30 minutes to 60 minutes during the period.
Pokémon GO Updates
While the holiday event of Pokémon GO does not give double XP or double candy, the free incubators that will be given out and the increased chances of getting Gen 2 Pokémon and the original starter Pokémon make for a solid event that is not based on having players engage in microtransactions.
Just as Niantic Labs barely beat the deadline to launch a holiday event, it also was able to barely meet its promise of launching a version of Pokémon GO for the Apple Watch.
Pokémon GO players also recently collectively reached the milestone of walking 8.7 billion kilometers, which is equivalent to walking more than 200,000 times around the Earth.
