It was this time last year that Pokémon Go hit our smartphones and tablets and got everyone, from toddlers to grandparents, catching virtual Pokémon on the streets. In celebration of the milestone, and because Niantic Labs recently announced that they'd hit 750 million global downloads, some exciting stuff is happening.
First up is the Solstice Event, starting on Tuesday June 13, where fire and ice type Pokemon will appear much more frequently, so if you're short on Vulpixs or Delibirds, now's the time to hunt for them. Lucky Eggs will also be discounted in the shop, and "huge XP bonuses" will be rewarded for throwing Pokéballs accurately.
Niantic also announced there will be a new update coming shortly after the commencement of the Solstice Event that will be "focused on collaborative group gameplay features that will get you playing Pokémon Go in fun new ways." Could this be the introduction of legendary Pokemon and PvP battles?
Perhaps even more exciting than the Solstice Event is the introduction of real-world Pokémon Go events. Pokémon Go Fest Chicago is the first one, taking place on July 22 at Grant Park in Chicago, and tickets and exact details of what the festival will entail will be disclosed on June 19 here at 10:00am PDT (18:00 BST).
Those in Europe don't have to worry about being left out though, as various Pokémon Go celebrations will be held at Unibail-Rodamco shopping centres from June through until September. A complete schedule is supposedly coming soon, while The Pokémon Company is hosting a "Pikachu Outbreak" event in Yokohama, Japan in August which "explores a unique Pokémon Go experience."
You can read the full announcement and blog post here. Will these events get you playing Pokémon Go again? Did you ever even stop playing? Let us know in the comments.
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