Pokémon Go's next event: Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, Easter?
Will there be a Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, Easter, Shiny, Great Birds, or other event for Pokémon Go in 2017?
Pokémon Go events have proven popular with players, getting those who've lapsed back on track and enticing new trainers into giving it a try. The makers of Pokémon Go are notoriously tight-lipped about future events, though, never giving more than a few days notice before they begin. So, with the Holiday Event over and the New Year Event winding down soon, we're left to wonder — what will be the big Pokémon Go event next?
What events has Pokémon Go had so far?
While never perfect, the best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. That means the only clues we have to future events are past events. Here's what we saw in 2016:
- Pokémon Go Halloween Event: Double candy for catching, hatching, and transferring Pokémon, 1/4 distance for walking Buddy Pokémon. Increased spawn rates for Zubat, Golbat, Drowzee, Hypno, Gastly, Haunter, Gengar, Cubone, Marowak, Meowth, and Persian.
- Pokémon Go Bonus Event: Increased spawn rates, including for rare Pokémon.
- Pokémon Go Thanksgiving Event: Double XP and Stardust for catching, hatching, and evolving Pokémon.
- Pokémon Go Holiday Event: Increased spawn rate for limited-time Santa Pikachu, increased chances of hatching Gen 2 babies Cleffa, Igglybuff, Togepi, Smoochum, Elekid, or Magby, and a free 1-time Incubator from the first PokéStop spin of the day.
- Pokémon Go New Year's Event: Increased spawn rate for Gen 1 Starter Pokémon and their evolutions, Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard, Squirtle, Wartortle, and Blastoise, and Lures last twice as long.
There are several things we can learn from this:
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Regional holidays don't mean regional events. Halloween isn't an internationally observed occasion but the event was worldwide. The U.S. Thanksgiving is only celebrated in the U.S., but was likewise a worldwide event. Granted, Pokémon Go is developed by a U.S. company, but it does indicate that other regional holidays could provide the impetus for other worldwide events.
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Pokémon Go has multiple levers to pull. They can increase rewards, like candy, XP, and stardust. They can decrease requirements, like walking distance. They can increase spawn rates for all or specific Pokémon and create limited edition Pokémon just for events. They can also give away items or increase their duration.
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Pokémon Go can have events for new features, not just holidays. So, if they want to maintain momentum and there's too long a gap between proper occasions, Pokémon Go can invent their own.
So, put all this together, and what does it mean?
Pokémon Go Chinese New Year Event
While not a public holiday in the U.S., Chinese New Year is a huge deal in many Asian countries and celebrated by many Asians around the world. Pokémon Go could easily use that as an excuse for an event.
Many of us might hope for increased Dragon spawns but 2017 is Year of the Rooster, so birds might be the safer bet. Coins could also play a part.
Regardless, a Pokémon Go Chinese New Year event would be a great way to maintain momentum following the western New Year.
Pokémon Go Valentine's Event
Valentine's is similar to Halloween in that, while it's not celebrated everywhere, it is celebrated in enough places that making an event around it makes sense. There's code in the Pokémon Go game to suggest genders are coming, and in the classic games, breeding Pokémon was part of the mechanics.
That might be a little too complex, or on point, for the more casual play style, so we could also see something along the lines of increased spawns or hatches for Valentine-appropriate Pokémon, and some other forms of bonus.
I'd love another shot at double XP, but it's hard to expect that more than once a year.
Pokémon Go Easter Event
An Easter event for Pokémon Go would be a great mirror for the Holiday Event. Eggs seem like the most natural fit, including longer-lasting lucky eggs or greater frequency for Pokémon eggs. Perhaps even lower walking distance to hatch them?
A special edition Chancey or WigglyTuff would also be fun.
Shiny Event
There's also code in Pokémon Go for "shinies", or color variant Pokémon like the red Gyrados. If and when Pokémon Go decides to put those ultra-rare mons live, a short event around the launch could give it some extra luster.
The Great Birds
Then, of course, there are the last remaining Gen 1 Pokémon still unseen in the game: The Great Birds, Mew, and Mewtwo.
The Great Birds sound like they'll be saved for a real-time event, where they're released at a specific time and place for those who gather for them. When that'll happen, and how Mew and Mewtwo will be handled, remain huge questions.
What Pokémon Go events do you want to see?
If you were planning the next big Pokémon Go event, when would you have it and how would you handle it?
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