Pokemon Go

Pokémon Go developer Niantic has laid off 230 people, shut its Los Angeles studio, canceled its previously announced Marvel: World of Heroes, and is closing down NBA All-World.

It's official: Mewtwo has returned to Pokemon Go, this time with an awesome new look. Armored Mewtwo is now available for the first time in raids. Trainers can now challenge him as well as check out some "stylish new items coming to the Style Shop".

Starting later today, Pokemon Go players will be able to take part in a crossover event celebrating the May 10th release of the Detective Pikachu movie. The event will last through May 17th and will include extra chances to find the Pokemon that will be seen in the movie. These include Jigglypuff, Snorlax, Psyduck, Pikachu and Charizard to name a few.

Niantic has published a very cool new blog called "Making Strides for a More Sustainable Future". In it, the company reveals that 17,000 Pokemon Go players volunteered over 41,000 hours and were instrumental in the collection and removal of 145 TONS of trash throughout the world. The efforts were made in cooperation with forty-six non-governmental agencies throughout the globe to bring "together community members, players, and sustainability efforts for a better world".

During the Summer 2019, Pokemon Go will be headed out on the road for a trio of live events. Pokemon Go Fests are scheduled for June in Chicago, July in Dortmund, Germany and later in the summer in Asia with details yet to be announced. In addition, there are monthly Community Days starting in May that give players a chance to meet up and game together.

Starting March 13th, Pokemon Go players will get to take part in a brand new event type when the Legendary Lunch Hour debuts. From 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm in any time zone in which a player lives, an increased number of raids will pop up. This will allow schoolmates, coworkers and other folks to take part. According to the Niantic post, this Legendary Lunch Hour will happen once per week.

Niantic has filed a proposed settlement in California regarding a Pokemon Go trespassing lawsuit brought against the company in 2016. The complainant alleged that Niantic placed PokeStops and Gyms on private property that led to players trespassing. Under the terms of the settlement, Niantic would have to avoid placing PokeStops or items/creatures on private property. Owners will be able to fill out a form on the PG site to ask for the removal of PokeStops or Gyms within 40 meters of property.

From December 18th to January 2nd, Pokemon Go players will be able to take part in its annual event when experience, candy and much more doubles for specific time periods. In addition, the limited-time Pikachu with a holiday hat on will be available and rarer Pokemon will be more commonly found in Eggs. Players will receive an Incubator every time they visit a PokeStop. Lastly, it's possible that a very rare version of Delibird will shop up from time to time.

The Pokemon Go blog has been updated with the big news that Trainer Battles are finally coming to the game. Later in December, players will be able to challenge friends or any other Trainer in the area. Each player will sport a team of three Pokemon that will duke it out to see which one survives the encounter. Win or lose, "both participants will receive great rewards, including a chance at rare Evolution items".

Pokemon Go players are definitely going to want to head out into the wilds to collect the new Ghost-Type and Dark-Type Pokemon during the now-available event. From now through November 1st, players will be able to catch these themed critters and will also be able to earn double Candy for every captured Pokemon.

North American Pokemon Go players are invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lyndon Johnson's National Trails and Wild & Scenic Rivers acts. During the event, players are encouraged to explore "as many rivers and trails as possible". The goal is to have players travel as many of the more than 12,000 miles of protected riverways in the United States.

Over the last little while, Pokemon Go players have been reporting sightings of "Ditto", a type of Pokemon that transforms into Meltan. Meltan is considered a "Hex Nut Pokemon" of the "Steel" type, a brand new Pokemon species. "Pokemon Go is somehow key to meeting this curious new Pokemon in Pokemon: Let's Go" and research is being conducted all while Meltan is becoming rarer in the mobile collecting game.

According to Polish gaming magazine "Gram" (via PokemonHub), it appears that PvP will be coming to Pokemon Go by the end of this year. The magazine interviewed EMEA Marketing Manager Anne Beuttenmuller, who said, "Now we are working on the PvP mode, which will appear soon." The team is also working to introduce new Pokemon to the game as well as improve the recently released Trading Mode and "constantly improving the elements that we have available in the game".

Niantic has revealed a new bonus for Pokemon Go players who love to trade with others. When one player trades to another, the one receiving the new Pokemon has a chance for it to turn into a "sparkly Lucky Pokemon" that will "require less Stardust to power up, which means they can reach a higher CP much faster than other Pokemon".

According to research site Sensor Tower (via VG247) Niantic's Pokemon Go has generated nearly two BILLION dollars in revenue since launching in July 2016. What's interesting is that Pokemon Go's revenue is up $800M since January alone, nearly doubling the amount earned in the preceding 18 months. Sensor Tower estimates that worldwide daily revenue generated is in the vicinity of $2M per day.