Trainers have had to wait patiently to find out what is coming next to Pokemon Go.
And today, Niantic released a wave of new information on their plans for the future.
There was a lot of details shared on how the game’s core mechanics will be tweaked going into 2019.
This includes changing how good Pokemon perform in battle, something that might be a precursor to launching PvP.
Rebalancing in-game battle mechanics will always be tricky – here’s what Niantic want to change:
CP value will be adjusted going forward to improve game balance.
HP values will be adjusted to close the gap between high HP Pokémon and low HP Pokémon.
Pokémon Defense and Stamina values will be retroactively rebalanced, allowing highly defensive Pokémon to be valuable in battle by outlasting opponents rather than simply running out the clock.
Defence values have also been slightly retroactively reduced for most Pokémon. Changes like these will help narrow the gap between Pokémon with the highest defensive stats and other Pokémon.
Lots to digest, especially the idea of bridging the gap between some Pocket Monsters with important stats.
The other massive update was the announcement that Sinnoh Pokemon are coming to Pokemon Go next.
Gen 4 Pokemon have been rumoured for some time and were expected to be part of the new Halloween event.
However, it appears that Niantic may do things a little differently in 2018.
While in 2017 we were given the first Gen 3 Pokemon via Halloween, it looks like Niantic may be launching an Autumn event for Gen 4.
This remains speculation at this time, but it appears Pokemon Go will be releasing the starters from the Sinnoh region first.
This was teased in the new trailer posted today by Niantic, with the company adding: “Are you ready for a Sinnoh adventure?
“Stock up on Poké Balls, Berries, and Lure Modules, and tighten up the laces on your favourite walking shoes, because a whole lot more Pokémon are out there waiting to be discovered.
“We’re excited to let you know that in preparation for the arrival of Pokémon originally discovered in the Sinnoh region, we are making two key shifts to the game balance in the coming weeks.
“These changes are based on Trainer feedback and are designed to promote an improved overall experience.”
The new trailer posted online from the company showcases some of the starters from that generation, including Chimchar, Turtwig and Piplup.
The legendary Giratina is also featured, although no official release date was posted with today’s announcement.
Halloween is still looking like a pretty good date for something to happen; otherwise, Trainers will have to watch out for something a little different.