‘Pokemon GO’ Update: Could Legendary, Gen 2 Pokemon Be Included In Next Update Rollout?

With the recent Christmas and New Year’s Day events having just concluded, fans are eagerly awaiting the next Pokemon GO update. Hopes are still high among many, as gamers look forward to the rollout of the remaining Gen 2 Pokemon after the limited holiday special they got last month. Others are hoping to see “Legendary” Pokemon such as Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Mewtwo make their debut on the next update. But when will that update be rolling out, and what can players look forward to?

Although interest in Pokemon GO has considerably waned since its release in the summer of 2016, that hasn’t stopped developer Niantic Labs from rolling out several updates and events to whet player interest and/or bring back lapsed players who may have given up on the game.

Last year’s Halloween event was particularly well-received, as it didn’t just double candy, XP, and Stardust gains for catching a creature, it also made several Ghost-type Pokemon more common. The Thanksgiving event didn’t mark a similar increase in spawns, nor did it mark the debut of any Legendary Pokemon (particularly the Legendary Birds), but gamers still got a taste of those delicious double candy, XP, and Stardust bonuses.

In December, several Pokemon GO updates came and went without any new Legendary creatures or Gen 2 Pokemon, and many were upset that all Niantic had to offer by way of Gen 2 creatures were seven “baby” Pokemon. It didn’t help that the Santa hat Pikachu was seen as an unsatisfying holiday-themed reward. But Niantic still held two holiday events, one offering the above perks and a number of tiered holiday boxes filled with PokeBalls, incubators, and other goodies, and another making the three starter Pokemon and their evolutions spawn more frequently. Since then, gamers have been waiting with bated breath for the next Pokemon GO update.

A report from SlashGear cites the publication’s own internal, anonymous sources, claiming that Niantic may want to take advantage of its current situation in China, where the country’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television (SAPPRFT) had cracked down on the often-controversial game, blocking it and effectively placing a moratorium on Pokemon GO until certain issues are sorted out. An earlier SlashGear report noted that the game had been blamed for several mishaps, including a few car accidents, as well as raised concerns about “geographical information security,” thus forcing the SAPPRFT to withhold a license for the title’s release.

The next Pokemon GO event update could be Magikarp heavy https://t.co/ikk2hgD44c #slashgear #tech pic.twitter.com/cLrVnToWo4

— Patrick Perez (@patrickperez1) January 13, 2017

In all, the next Pokemon GO update may likely be an attempt on Niantic’s part to rebuild goodwill in China, given its large population and the millions of interested Chinese gamers who have long been waiting to play the game for the past several months. SlashGear speculated that based on its insider information, the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations later this month could mean the debut of at least one Legendary Pokemon.

“To do this, Niantic may release the Pokemon that best represents the new year visually. Starting on January 28th, the second New Moon after the Solstice, the New Year in China will be represented by the Fire Rooster. In Pokemon GO, a Fire Rooster would be best represented by one of the three Legendary birds of Gen 1 (Kanto) – Moltres!”

Fans have their own theories on when the next Pokemon GO update will be rolling out. A report from Mic detailed a rather peculiar idea first shared on The Silph Road subreddit, one that suggests Niantic should roll out an April Fools’ Day event, one that allows players more chances to catch Magikarp. While Magikarp is portrayed as an incompetent, low-powered Pokemon who won’t do anybody good in battle, catching enough of it would allow players to evolve one Magikarp into Gyarados, who is one of Pokemon GO‘s more powerful creatures. As it requires 400 Magikarp candies to create one Gyarados, such an event should be helpful to players who are still struggling to get anywhere close to the 400 mark.

As for the odds of Gen 2 Pokemon rolling out with the next update, the chances of such are still speculative at best, but Niantic did recently tease another Pokemon GO update “in a few weeks,” as well as a “special message from Professor Willow.” Mirror believes that this could be a sign more Gen 2 creatures may be due for release later on this month, though there’s also a possibility Niantic will release the new Pokemon in phases, with last month’s seven baby Pokemon being the first phase.

[Featured Image by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]