Pokémon GO, once the most well-known and seemingly popular game on the planet, is getting a major update this year. The 2016 mobile game is getting a graphical overhaul to every part of the game. Plus — more Pokémon in Snapshot pictures!
Here’s the official description of the upcoming update:
Discover a fresh new look with an updated in-game map, encounter screens, battle screens, and more—all tailored to your location. From lush forests to bustling cities, tropical beaches to rugged mountains, you can immerse yourself in diverse landscapes within Pokémon GO.
Hopefully the update doesn’t make the game sluggish or laggy, problems that plagued the uber-popular, free-to-play mobile game when it first launched all those years ago.
The new update will also feature more customization options and styles for our avatars. Snapshot, Pokémon GO’s picture and AR-camera, is also getting a nice update. Snapshot will soon allow up to three Pokémon in the same picture. Nice!
These updates aren’t coming all at once, but are instead rolling out over the next few weeks.
The updates to the Style shop and avatar customization will arrive April 17, followed by the big visual update on April 22. Also coming April 22 is a focus on Gen 1 Pokémon from the Kanto region, who will be found in certain biomes.
Finally on May 7 we’ll see the GO Snapshot update that increases the Pokémon participation size from one to three.
All updates will release globally at the same date.
Though not quite as hilariously popular as when it first launched, Pokémon GO remains an excellent, easy-to-play, mobile-friendly spinoff that revolutionized the Augmented Reality genre. It continues to see regular updates and seasonal events to this day.
Pokémon is free-to-play on Android and iOS mobile devices. It’s rated E for Everyone.
