WhenPokemon GOfirst launched, it did so with most of the Generation 1 Pokemon, minus Legendary Pokemon and some select others. Since then, Niantic has greatly expanded the number of Pokemon inPokemon GO, introducing creatures from the Johto region all the way to the sixth generation ofPokemongames. Gen 6 Pokemon were added toPokemon GOin December 2020, meaning it’s been well over a year since the popular mobile game has had a significant influx of new creatures to catch. But now there’s evidence to suggest that a slew of new Pokemon could be on the way sooner rather than later.
Data mining efforts by PokeMiners has determined that gen 7 Pokemon could be added toPokemon GOat some point in the near future. According to the data miners, all Pokemon from Generation 7 have been “pushed,” so it’s just a matter of when Niantic decides to introduce them at this point. This even includes the uniqueUltra Beast Pokemon, so it will be interesting to see exactly how they’re incorporated inPokemon GO.
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While this will mark the first time that a majority of Generation 7 Pokemon will be added toPokemon GO, it should be noted that this isn’t the first time Pokemon from the Alola region have been added to the game. As some may recall, roughly four years ago or so, Niantic added theAlolan variants of Generation 1 Pokemonto the game.
Details on how exactly thePokemon GOgen 7 rollout will work remains to be seen, but fans can make an educated guess based on how previous generations were handled. The most likely scenario is thatPokemon GOwill add a limited number of Generation 7 Pokemon to the game to start out, with more introduced over time to refresh the pool of wild Pokemon and keep fans engaged. Some Pokemon, like theGeneration 7 legendary Pokemonand maybe the Ultra Beasts, will likely be introduced toPokemon GOas part of special events, though that’s just speculation at this time.
After the Generation 7 Pokemon are added toPokemon GO, the mobile game will be nearly caught up with the main series games, which could in turn lead to a drought of new Pokemon for players to catch. There’s still the Generation 8 games and the fewnew Pokemon that were added inPokemon Legends: Arceus, but otherwisePokemon GOwill need to wait for the Generation 9 games before it will be able to add a meaningful number of new Pokemon to the game.
With how long it’s been between the introduction of Generation 6 and Generation 7, though, the potential content droughts shouldn’t be a huge problem forPokemon GO. Niantic will find other ways to keep fans engaged with the game, like throughSpecial Research questsand seasonal events.
Pokemon GOis out now for iOS and Android mobile devices.
