‘Pokemon GO’ Update 0.53.1 Reveals More Gen 2 Clues: 35+ New Moves, Unown Forms, Evolution Items, And More


Pokemon GO has just rolled out its 0.53.1 update, and its contents are no less than underwhelming. Apart from tweaks in the game’s distance tracking and the inevitable minor text fixes, the most recent patch appears marginal at best. Beneath the surface, however, Pokemon GO Update 0.53.1 contains some of the most compelling references to new features in the game’s code, including more than 35 new moves, Unown forms, Evolution items, and much more.

The details for what appears to be more Gen 2 updates to the popular mobile augmented reality game have been discovered through data mining efforts of Pokemon GO-themed group The Silph Road. In an official report, the data miners have stated that PoGO Update 0.53.1 includes numerous new features for the game. Among the most notable information that was found referenced 38 never-before-seen moves in the game, which, interestingly, are utilized by numerous Generation 2 Pokemon. Here is a comprehensive list of the new moves that were discovered by The Silph Road.

Quick Moves

New Quick Moves referenced in Pokemon GO‘s data include Counter, Powder Snow, Charge Beam, Volt Switch, Dragon Tail, Infestation, Struggle Bug, Astonish, Iron Tail, Fire Spin, Bullet Seed, Extrasensory, Air Slash, Hex, and Snarl.

Charge Moves

New Charge moves found in the game’s codes include Close Combat, Dynamic Punch, Focus Blast, Aurora Beam, Wild Charge, Zap Cannon, Avalanche, Brave Bird, Sky Attack, Sand Tomb, Rock Blast, Silver Wind, Night Shade, Gyro Ball, Heavy Slam, Overheat, Grass Knot, Energy Ball, Futuresight, Mirror Coat, Outrage, Crunch, and last but not least, Foul Play.

[Image by Wachiwit/Shutterstock]

The Silph Road team noted that apart from the names of the moves themselves, most of the sequences’ graphic assets have also been found in the Pokemon GO Update 0.53.1 data, leading numerous players to believe that some of the new moves could easily be deployed through server-side changes. Niantic has done the same thing in the past, when Ditto was about to be rolled out to the game. With this in mind, there is a good chance that the same might happen for a number of new Gen 2 creatures.

Apart from a new set of special moves, a fresh batch of Pokemon “forms” have also been discovered in the game. What is extremely interesting is the fact that the codes reference a very notable creature that has made waves in both the franchise’s games and anime — Unown. Numerous Pokemon fans in online forums such as Reddit have stated that Unown is one of the most unique types of Pokemon, mainly due to its massive variety of forms and attributes.

So far, data miners have discovered references to UNOWN A, UNOWN B, UNOWN C, UNOWN Z, UNOWN QUESTION MARK, and UNOWN EXCLAMATION POINT in the Pokemon GO 0.53.1 update. While it still remains to be seen how Niantic would roll out the unique creature to the popular mobile augmented reality game, the premise of the creature’s addition to the title has been embraced very warmly by numerous players.

[Image by ValentinoPhotography/Shutterstock]

References to new Evolution items have also been found in the game’s codes, which include lines of code that pertain to SUN STONE, KINGS ROCK, METAL COAT, DRAGON SCALE, and UPGRADE. Avid Pokemon fans noted that in the succeeding generation of Pokemon, some creatures could only be evolved after being exposed to specific items. Items which, from what could be determined in the Pokemon GO Update 0.53.1 code, would be made available in the game very soon.

Other significant changes to the mobile title that were found in Pokemon GO Update 0.53.1 data include a new News Digest section, more codes for Shiny and Gender-specific Pokemon, cryptic but interesting new sponsors, and last but not least, more customization options for the game’s avatars. Also found in the mobile game’s codes are references to Gym Radius Interactions, as well as large debugging tools with options that range from Species, Gender, Costume, Form, and Shiny. With this information in mind, Niantic definitely appears to be getting ready to roll out new creature variants for final-stage testing.

While Pokemon GO might not be the juggernaut that it was when it initially launched globally, the game continues to get better with each update rolled out by its developer. The mobile title is still far from being a complete Pokemon experience for the franchise’s hardcore fans. However, it has also improved a lot over the last few months. From what could be determined in the game’s current codes and Niantic’s consistent updates, it would appear that Pokemon GO would only get better in the near future.

[Featured Image by Solarisys/Shutterstock]

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