Pokemon GO Map is Getting Its Biggest Update in Years

The world map of the popular mobile gamePokemon GOis set to receive its first massive update in years. In a recent statement, the development team at Niantic said that the world map within the mobile title is some years out of date and that the world at large has changed since the last update to the maps withinPokemon GOitself.Released in the summer of 2016 to near-universal acclaim, the free-to-play, augmented reality (AR) game took the world by storm, having been downloaded and installed on countless mobile devices to date, and has brought in billions of dollars for Niantic. Since then, the developers have continued to support the game and its continued growth, with periodic updates to the Pokedex and tothe tasks and rewards inPokemon GOthat players can complete, earn, or purchase outright.RELATED:Pokemon GO Reveals Day of the Dead Event DetailsNiantic stated that the last world map updated toPokemon GOoccurred over three years ago, in 2019. As a result, over the coming weeks, the map in the game will be updated to better reflect that of the real world. This may include the removal of old roads and buildings and the addition of newly constructed ones within that time span. In addition,more features will be added toPokemon GOin the coming months, though whether this will happen alongside the map refresh remains to be seen.

As part of the major map update, the spawn locations and conditionsfor all the different kinds of catchable Pokemon withinPokemon GOwill be adjusted accordingly. For players in more urban or densely populated regions, little changes will be made to the spawn rates. However, the locations may change or be spread out more evenly across a given vicinity. Rural and growing areas will see the Pokemon spawn rates increase as part of the map refresh.

In the near term, it seems players will still have plenty to look forward to in bothPokemon GOand thePokemonfranchise as a whole.Pokemon GOwill see events continue, from seasonal holidays to community days hosted around the world. On November 18, in just four weeks,Pokemon Scarlet and Violetwill release on Nintendo Switch and bringnew co-op features to thePokemonfranchisefor trainers young and young at heart to enjoy. Suffice it to say, the quest to “catch ‘em all” will continue for gamers for the foreseeable future.

Pokemon GOis available now on Android and iOS devices.