Pokémon fans, rejoice! 80 new Gen 2 Pokémon are officially ready to hit Pokémon GO later this week.
Niantic and The Pokémon Company have just announced on Wednesday, Feb. 15, that 80 new Pokémon are finally ready to roll out to Pokémon GO within the next few days. The new Gen 2 Pokémon are from the Johto region introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver.
"Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, and many more Pokémon are nearly here! Starting later this week, you'll have the opportunity to catch more than 80 Pokémon originally discovered in the Johto region in the Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver video games," says the Pokémon GO team. "We've also implemented some new features to enhance your Pokémon GO experience."
In addition to the new Gen 2 Pokémon, the update will also bring new Evolution items to evolve Pokémon, as well as new accessory and outfit options that players can purchase to customize their trainer.
'Pokémon GO' Update: New Evolutions
Players will get more chances than ever before to evolve their critters in Pokémon GO, the announcement further touts. For instance, some Kanto region Pokémon will soon be able to evolve into Pokémon for the Johto region. The game will get new Evolution items for players to evolve some Pokémon and the items will be available through PokéStops.
'Pokémon GO' Update: Encounter Gameplay Changes
The update will also bring some changes to the encounter gameplay, which means that Pokémon will have new reactions as you encounter them in the wild and try to capture them. At the same time, new item carousels will be in the mix, allowing players to select Berries and Poké Balls straight from the encounter screen.
'Pokémon GO' Update: New Berries
Speaking of Berries, the new Pokémon GO update will also bring some new Berries for extra tricks. Pokémon love Berries and players will get the chance to grab two new Berries at PokéStops: Pinap Berries and Nanab Berries. The Pinap Berries will double the amount of Candy offered with the next successful Pokémon capture, while Nanab Berries will slow the Pokémon's movements so that it's easier to capture. The new Berries join the existing Razz Berries that were already available in the game, making Pokémon slightly easier to catch.
'Pokémon GO' Update: Increased Customization
The update will also allow Pokémon GO players to upgrade their avatar with a bevy of new pants, shirts, hats, and other items.
Gen 2 Pokémon
Niantic has yet to offer a full list of the new Gen 2 Pokémon set to hit the scene with the upcoming update, so other than the ones mentioned in the announcement (Chikirita, Cundaquil, and Totodile) it remains unclear which others will join the party. Nevertheless, the new Pokémon will expand the initial set of Gen 2 Pokémon introduced back in December, when Niantic added new baby Pokémon that hatch from eggs. That set included Togetic, Togepi, Elekid, Pichu, Smoochum, Cleffa, and Igglybuff.
The new update comes hot on the heels of the week-long Pokémon GO Valentine's Day event set to end soon, and will mark the biggest update Pokémon GO has received since launch. No specific date is available for when the update will start rolling out, but players might want to get their walking shoes ready. Gen 2 Pokémon hunting season is opening soon! In the meantime, check out the video below.
