Different in-game content will be featured each three months.
Pokemon Go developer, Niantic, recently revealed a major Go Beyond update that’s coming to the free-to-play mobile game. This update will add a variety of new features and changes to Pokemon Go, such as Candy XL, a level cap increase, and more.
The Go Beyond update will also introduce a new “Seasons” feature to the game, which will cause the game to be updated in specific ways every three months (in keeping with the changing of the seasons in the real world). The first in-game season will kick off on December 1 at 8 a.m. local time (more about this particular Season in a bit).
Each in-game Season, different Pokemon will appear more often in the wild, in Raids, and will be available to hatch from Eggs. This also means that some Pokemon may be more difficult to find when they’re “out of season.”
The Pokemon that appear more frequently in each in-game Season will relate to the current season in the real-world, which means that in-game Seasons will vary across hemispheres.
As an example, during the first Season, Pokemon “related to winter” will appear more often in the wild in the Northern Hemisphere, while Pokemon “related to summer,” such as Burmy and Darumaka, will appear in the wild in the Southern Hemisphere.
The real-world season will also impact the form of Deerling that will be available to encounter in the wild. (Deerling has four forms, with each being related to one of the four seasons.)
In addition, during each in-game Season, special events will take place that are themed after the current season.
Different Mega-Evolved Pokemon will also be featured in Raids each Season, and each Season will feature “limited periods where [certain Mega-Evolved Pokemon] will have increased total CP.”
The game’s first Season is called the Season of Celebration. During this season, Professor Willow will ask you to help him research Pokemon from the different regions that are represented in the game so far (Kanto, Johto, and so on). The Season of Celebration will feature a variety of in-game events that focus on Pokemon from these different regions.
At the end of the Season of Celebration, players will be able to participate in a new “global event experience,” but Niantic hasn’t revealed any details about this event just yet.
Finally, with the introduction of in-game Seasons, the length of Go Battle League seasons will be extended to match. That is, each Go Battle League season going forward will run alongside the game’s current Season, changing out every three months (each Go Battle League season will also feature rewards that match the theme of the current Season).
This update will also see the Go Battle League expanded from 10 ranks to 24 ranks, with the top four ranks (Ranks 21-24) corresponding to new in-game titles and badges.
To learn more about the Go Beyond update for Pokemon Go, check out our previous coverage.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
