Pokemon Go news this week has revealed that Niantic have deployed a new map update for the game.
Additional areas appear to have been added to Pokemon Go through a new OSM data set, which could give Trainers a big boost.
New parks and other areas like lakes and rivers may have been added to the in-game map.
And that can mean a change to the local biomes, and what Pokemon spawn in the surrounding area for Trainers to add to their collections.
Here’s more from the Pokemon Go Hub on the subject, who explain: “Everything from Pokémon spawns, nests, EX raids and even potentially in-game biomes is influenced by the data set that OSM provides.
“Most notably, areas marked as parks and similar OSM tags are used in several different scenarios.
“Alongside S2 cells, OSM data is the second pillar of Pokémon GO’s “spawn and map” system, enabling Niantic to tap into rich geo-contextual data and create meaningful encounters.
“Ever wondered why parks often have nests, while your residential block doesn’t? OSM data.”
The Hub team also speculates that this latest update could have an effect on how the EX Raids system works in-game.
Trainers have been working on ways to trigger EX Raids, and it could be that this new update may have changed things.
There’s also the chance that nothing has been affected and players can carry on with their plans to try and grab a Mewtwo.
If anything, Trainers will be hoping for some changes to the EX Raids system, which is still seen as one of the most problematic features in the game.
Getting access to the special Raids is a big question for a lot of players, who feel that the system needs to be tweaked.
For anyone who is a Gen 3 Pokemon fan, Niantic have helpfully provided a very big boost this week.
While most of the recent Pokemon Go news has been dominated by the release of the new wave of Pocket Monsters, the development team is also offering a helpful bonus.
For a limited time, Trainers can guarantee to grab as many Gen 3 Pokemon as they can from whatever new eggs they hatch.
The news was confirmed on the game’s official Twitter page, explaining: “Trainers, we have some Egg-citing news! Super Incubators are now available in the in-game shop until 2/1.
“Get hatching, Trainers. For a limited time, every Egg you hatch will feature a Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region.”
So until February 1, Trainers have a great chance of bulking out their current Gen 3 lineup, with plenty of incentive to do it.
That’s because a few new Shiny Pokemon have been revealed, some of which can pack quite a punch.
Arons are now available to catch in the wild and are among the best of the new Pokemon added this week.
What makes them even better is that they also come in a Shiny variant and have three evolution stages.