Pokemon GO Next Update Release Date Coming Soon? May Fix App Freezing And Gym Battle Removal Glitches

Is the next Pokemon GO update release coming soon? Based on the history of release dates, it appears it could be on the way. While gamers are expecting the latest installment to bring major changes, it’s more likely that some glitches will be fixed in the upcoming Pokemon GO update. However, gamers are still expecting some next generation Pokemon updates within the next few months, while the game creator is trying to find ways to fight off the game’s decline in popularity.

As Heavy reported on Wednesday, the last Pokemon GO update came on December 22nd, which was three days after the previous. However, before that, it was 12 days in between updates for the popular game. The website notes that the Niantic Twitter account hadn’t seen an update in about two weeks and that there may be a delay for the latest update due to the holidays. Pokemon GO has a holiday event going on with special bonuses which should end in a few days.

Gamers are hoping that the latest update will at least address two glitches that have been causing some annoyance in the game. One of these is the lag which will actually remove players from gym battles. The other is the app freezing as soon as a player opens it. There were Pokemon GO fixes for the freeze glitch reported here at The Inquisitr, among other websites. However, having the glitch gone would be optimal for those who want to continue to play the game at their leisure.

Gamers would also probably love to see a huge rollout of new characters to make the game more captivating. There hasn’t been a major update regarding generation two characters yet, as they have slowly rolled out for the game instead. There were some baby Pokemon released last month but not a huge wave of new characters. As mentioned, it’s unlikely that the new update for the game will add a bunch of new characters for players to hatch or catch in the wild. Unfortunately, that’s not helping the game gain back its prior viral popularity, nor are the every-so-often holiday bonuses and rewards.

Pokemon GO hit huge viral levels of popularity back in the summer of 2016. Since then, the game creators have unveiled new updates and fun holiday events to keep things rolling. However, the popularity has dropped off. In December, a report from GamesIndustry.biz indicated that the popularity of Pokemon GO is going to continue to drop even more.

In their article, Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities makes his prediction for Pokemon GO in the new year.

“Pokemon Go drops out of the top 10 in every country with a population greater than 20 million. The game was fun, but there’s only so many Pokemon to capture.”

Also mentioned in the article is Super Mario Run, another Nintendo character property with a mobile game that did very well when it was first released. In the past several weeks, the Super Mario game was on top of the app chart at iTunes. As of this report, the Super Mario Run title was on top of the iTunes App Store’s free chart, while Pokemon GO ranks at No. 7 on the “Top Grossing” apps list.

Niantic Labs and those behind the Pokemon GO product seem to attempt to find new ways to engage players in the popular game of catching Pokemon in real world locations. A recent Apple Watch app was released but was met with disappointed from reviewers and many game players. The holiday events seem to spur some interest for enthusiasts but are not going to put the game back in the top spot of the charts anytime soon.

It almost seems as if Niantic Labs would do best to introduce some contest in the game with “real world” prizes for top players, to regenerate the massive enthusiasm that was once part of this cultural phenomenon. Until then, loyal fans of the game will continue playing the game and enjoy those holiday events, while hoping the new updates arrive soon to fix those pesky glitches.

Pokemon GO fans, what are you hoping for from the next major update from Niantic Labs? Do you think there is any way the creators can make the game even more fun and popular like before?

[Featured Image by Mike Coppola/Getty Images]