For a while now there have been rumors thatPokemon GOwould be revamping its Gym gameplay by adding some form of multiplayer component to the experience. Today, developer Niantic all but confirmed such a change is on the way, while also announcing its nextFire and Ice Event.
Niantic began by confirming the Fire and Ice event will take place starting on June 13th and will, as the name suggests, see an increase in spawn rates for Ice and Fire-type Pokemon. There will also be some XP bonuses involved, and Lucky Eggs will be sold at a discount for the duration of thePokemon GOevent.
Shortly after the event concludes, Niantic will be shutting offPokemon GOgyms across the world, as it reworks some of the mechanics involved with them. What exactly those changes might be is not yet clear, but Niantic says that “collaborative gameplay” will be introduced, which suggests that multiplayer may finally be added to the game.
Soon thereafter, you’re able to look forward to a new update focused on collaborative group gameplay features that will get you playing Pokémon GO in fun new ways. In preparation for these exciting features, we’ll be temporarily disabling Gyms for a short period of time.
There have been rumors for a while now thatPokemon GOmight add some form ofmultiplayer raid or PvPto the game, but now it seems Niantic is finally ready to pull the trigger and add something new. Whether that involves fighting players vs. player at gyms, or trying to take over gyms with other members of the same faction, the good news is that things are changing.
Some data mining ofPokemon GOfiles found activities that led fans to believe that it might be possible todefend gymswhile another player attempts to take it over. Although it’s not exactly what some players envisioned when they heard thatPokemon GOmight add raids, it is a more realistic gameplay mechanic for a relatively simple mobile title. Gyms are such a focal point in Nintendo’sPokemongames that many expected them to be more involved in there.
In fact,Pokemon GOplayers have found gyms to be a major point of contention in the game, asGPS spooferscould take over the locations and keep control nearly indefinitely. But, if players can work together to claim gyms that might remove some of the perceived unfairness involved with gyms, while also introducing a cooperative element to the popular mobile game.
Pokemon GOis available on iOS and Android.
