Pokemon Go Developer Announces Inkay Evolution Fix

Earlier this month, Pokemon Go players had the opportunity to catch Inkay, a Pokemon that first debuted in Pokemon X and Y. In the Nintendo 3DS game, players could only evolve Inkay by holding the handheld upside down, and Pokemon Go replicates this evolutionary method, once the player has acquired enough candies. Unfortunately, Pokemon Go players with phones lacking a gyroscope quickly discovered that they weren't able to evolve the Pokemon, leaving a gaping hole in the Pokedex where Malamar should be. Fortunately, developer Niantic has now addressed the issue, assuring players that a fix for the problem is on the way.

"We apologize for the inconvenience and are working on a solution that will allow Trainers whose devices lack gyroscopes to evolve Inkay using Inkay Candy. This change will be implemented in the next app update," the statement reads.

From the statement, it's unclear whether this will be a running change to the game as a whole, or if it will only be applicable to those players with phones lacking a gyroscope. From Niantic's phrasing, it sounds like there will be some kind of option offered to those players, but it's just not clear how it will work. Pokemon Go doesn't always stick to the evolutionary methods of the mainline Pokemon games, but it's a shame that Niantic came up with a way to replicate Inkay's evolution, only for it to not work for certain players. At the very least, fans have to give the team credit for trying something new!

Inkay's appearance might lead some players to believe that it's a Water-type, but the Pokemon and its evolution Malamar are Dark/Psychic-type. In addition to appearing in Pokemon X and Y, Inkay also appears via Poke Ball in the Super Smash Bros. series. The fighting games also reference Inkay's unusual evolutionary method, as the Pokemon flips upside down, making its opponents trip to the ground.

Pokemon Go is available now on iOS and Android devices. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.

Have you encountered difficulties evolving Inkay in Pokemon Go? Are you happy that Niantic will be offering a fix? Let us know in the comments or share directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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