Pokemon Go Teasing "Huge, Major Features" Coming This Year

Hard as it might be to believe, 2024 marks the eighth anniversary of Pokemon Go. The mobile game has had a massive impact on the franchise since it launched in 2017, and it's evolved in a number of ways since then. In a new interview with Eurogamer, senior vice president of Pokemon Go Ed Wu talked about how things have changed, and how Niantic is gearing up for a second decade of Pokemon Go. Unfortunately, Wu did not go into specifics, but he did hint that there are some big new features planned for this year. 

Building on Foundations and Adding New Features

"I should be careful, but we will continue to deliver huge, major features, and we have several lined up for later this year. In the same way we are making sure to improve the foundations of our game, gearing up for the next decade, collection is core to this game – and we're going to lean into that," Wu told Eurogamer. 

In that same interview, Wu talks about features like Raids and the addition of trading as some of his favorite moments in the game, noting "that's the trajectory we're aspiring to and getting back to." The creation of Routes is one recent example of a feature that's had a big impact on the game, though Wu admits not on the same scale as additions like Shadow Raids. However, the developers have "a commitment to launch major features which transform the way people play the game."

What's Next for Pokemon Go?

It's impossible to say what the developers have planned next for Pokemon Go, but there are some hints that could come from the main series games. While Pokemon Go has featured Pokemon from every single generation, the game has offered a smaller number from Sword and Shield. Fans have been wondering for years now why so few Pokemon from Galar have been added to Pokemon Go, but one possibility is that Niantic is planning to implement a feature based on Dynamax. In Sword and Shield's stadiums, players could grow any Pokemon to gigantic size, and Gigantamax Pokemon had unique designs, similar in concept to Mega Evolutions. 

It's possible Niantic has been holding off on adding Galar favorites like Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble until it finds a way to implement Gigantamax forms in the game. That's all just speculation, but it would line up with the collection theme that Wu says is core to Pokemon Go. Mega Evolutions have helped keep Pokemon Go players engaged without actually adding new Pokemon, and we've seen them released in a slow drip over several years; Gigantamax forms could similarly drag things out. With the game quickly catching up to the number in the main series, that's pretty important! Whether or not Gigantamax forms make their way into Pokemon Go, however, remains to be seen. 

Are there certain features you'd like to see implemented in Pokemon Go? Do you think Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokemon will be added to the game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!