'Pokémon Go' Players Will Be Able to Do Raids From Home Soon

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread around the world, Niantic has announced more changes to its mobile games to allow for players to get more of the experience of Pokémon Go, Ingress and Harry Potter: Wizard's Unite.

In a new blog post, Niantic confirms that it will make the following changes to Pokémon Go:

Niantic will make the Adventure Sync feature track your indoor movements and activities better.

Players will soon be able to team up with friends and take on Raids from home

Niantic is looking into how it can help players visit and share memories virtually about their favorite real-world places

Pokémon Go Fest will also change this summer as it will allow those who wish to attend to do so from home. More details on this will come soon.

As for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Niantic has increased the amount of content that's near you on the map, so players should see Spell Energy, more iconic Harry Potter content and rare potion ingredients that will help players progress.

Niantic has also made potion-tuning adjustments so players can have Foundables spawn directly at their house. Gifts have also been adjusted to include more helpful resources and increased the amount players can open each day.

Ingress players will see more Portals that are tuned to encourage at-home play and the need to interact with multiple Portals has been reduced. The number of Portal hacks before burnout has increased and well as a reduced cooldown period for Portals. The changes also allow the deployment of two L7 and L8 Resonators per Portal.

Also, Portal recharge has been added as a new means for daily credit towards the Sojourner Medal.

This isn't the first time Niantic has changed the way its mobile AR games worked. Before the announced Abra Community Day in March, the company decided to postpone the event, as well as make it easier for players to experience Pokémon Go from home.

Incense duration was increased to one hour as opposed to the usual 30 minutes, more Pokémon will spawn when Incense is used, as well as PokeStops dropping more gifts than usual.

When the Pokémon Go Battle League began, the walking limit to unlock battles was lifted, allowing players to battle from the comfort of their own home.

Previously announced events were postponed or altered and more events will likely change in the future.

What do you think of the upcoming changes to Pokémon Go? Let us know in the comments section.

Niantic changes Pokemon Go and other games to adapt to social distancing

Niantic is reworking its games so players can stay inside and still have fun.

Pokemon Go For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website.

Niantic, creator of popular AR games Pokemon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, is changing gameplay to encourage social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The games now include both indoor and outdoor play elements, Niantic CEO John Hanke said in a Monday release. 

"We are adding to our product roadmap so we can enable more ways to play inside and around the home in the coming days and weeks, when the world needs it most," Hanke said in the release.

Niantic is planning to add an indoor step-tracker with Adventure Sync so indoor tasks like cleaning or running on a treadmill will count toward achievements in the game. The company is also enhancing in-game social features so players can stay in touch with those they can't meet up with in real life. 

"You'll soon be able to team up with friends and take on Raid Battles together in Pokémon GO from the comfort of home," H anke said.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is getting some new changes.

César Salza / CNET

Niantic is also working on ways for players to "virtually visit and share memories about their favorite real-world places," and is reimagining Pokemon Go Fest, though more details are not yet available. Players can also check out Go Battle League, a new form of gameplay with reduced walking requirements. 

In Wizards Unite, Hanke said Niantic has increased the nearness of overall content like Spell Energy and rare potion ingredients. In addition, Foundables can spawn directly in your house. Ingress Portals are also now tuned to encourage at-home play. 

"In areas where it is permitted by local authorities, outdoor walks, practiced with proper social distancing, will continue to be a great way to contribute to physical and mental well being and you'll still be able to play our games while you do that," Hanke said. "The changes we are making offer an alternative when that's not possible."

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Pokemon's Coolest Underused Final Forms, Ranked

Charmander can become a Charizard, Squirtle can become a Blastoise, and Gastly can become a Gengar. But what about those final forms trainers don't often see? Some evolutions can be more trouble than they're worth, but those aren't the Pokémon we'll be looking at on this list. These are the coolest final Pokémon forms that are overlooked, underappreciated, or sometimes, completely ignored.

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Amoonguss

This Pokémon is most notable for being a Team Rocket favorite. James used Amoonguss any chance he got, though it never worked in his favor. Admittedly, Amoonguss isn't a powerful Pokémon. The Grass and Poison-type's only desired ability is Effect Spore, which means trainers usually avoid going to the trouble of evolving a Foongus into its final form. Whether or not Amoonguss is strong, though, he's still pretty unique looking. The mushroom with a Pokéball head and fist makes him a cool and adorable addition to any team.

Continue scrolling to keep reading Click the button below to start this article in quick view.

RELATED: Pokemon Twilight Wings Adorably Spotlights the Franchise's Least-Loved Type

Raichu

It isn't particularly hard to evolve a Pikachu -- all you need is a Thunderstone and you have yourself a Raichu. Remember that episode of the anime called "Electric Shock Showdown"? Ash and Pikachu go to the Vermillion City Gym where the two face a Raichu. Raichu defeats Pikachu in battle and, as Ash had a Thunderstone, he could have evolved Pikachu into a Raichu if he wanted and his team would have a better chance at defeating his opponent's.

But Ash refuses to force Pikachu to change just to win a match. Ash and Pikachu defeat the Raichu with hard work and heart, and Ash promises never to make any of his Pokémon change if they don't want to. This episode has undeniably worked its way into fans' minds, so you're more likely to see a high-level Pikachu than an evolved Raichu in any trainer's team.

Slowbro

This lazy water and psychic Pokémon is considered the least desirable of the two possible Slowpoke final forms. A Slowpoke can either evolve into a Slowbro or a Slowking and they're about equally as powerful. So, what gives? Slowbro is one of the more bizarre Pokémon designs, after all. Why, for instance, does Slowpoke's Slowbro evolution come with a Shellder?

RELATED: Pokemon: Pikachu's Unseen Final Form, Explained

The Shellder is seemingly attached to Slowbro's tail for reasons unspecified. When you look at the information in the Pokédex it says that the Shellder on Slowbro's tail feeds off its host's leftovers. There are a few logical flaws with that. What leftovers? Slowbro isn't known to not finish a meal. It seems like the Shellder host would be better off latching to a different Pokémon.

Despite the strange design, Slowbro is actually pretty tough -- both Psychic and Water attacks are potential heavy hitters and its pretty good at taking damage. Still, it seems that Slowking is the fan favorite for the two evolutions.

Gothitelle

Psychic Pokémon are only super-effective against Fighting and Poison, which means that often the ideal Psychic Pokémon has another specialty. The final evolution of Gothita is the much more powerful Gothitelle. Trainers can only take a limited number of Pokémon into battle, and Gothita gets left out frequently because it is primarily Psychic-type and not exceptionally strong.

It takes a while, too, for your Gothita to reach its final form. Firstly, it has to become a Gothorita at Level 32, then around ten levels later, it will take on its strange final form as Gothitelle. If trainers decide to see their Gothita through till the end, it's worth it, too: Gothita is an exceptional Psychic-type guaranteed to one-shot any Fighting or Poison Pokémon you come up against with its Psybeam. And if that isn't cool enough, Gothitelle looks like the lead singer of an emo band.

Cloyster

Shellder is a pretty useless Pokémon... until it evolves into one of the most dangerous Ice and Water-type Pokémon out there. Cloyster doesn't just have a high attack -- its defense is through the roof as well. The only reason this final form goes unused so frequently is because you can only evolve a Shellder using a sometimes rarified Water Stone.

And if a trainer finds themselves with this evolutionary item, most want to change their Poliwhirl into a Poliwrath instead. On paper, Cloyster is more powerful than Poliwrath stats-wise. Still, Poliwrath is a sensible choice to use a Water Stone to evolve because it is Fighting and Water, and does incredibly severe damage using either method of attack. In short, Cloyster is amazingly defensive, where Poliwrath is offensive, and offensive makes for more exciting gameplay, which is why poor Cloyster gets short thrift.

Hydreigon

By far the rarest and most powerful on the list, Hydreigon evolves from a Zwelious at the exceptionally high level of 64. Hydreigon is one of the hardest to get simply because of the hours of gameplay it takes to evolve. First trainers will need to get a Deino, which isn't a bad Pokémon but it isn't great. Then trainers will have to get that Deino to Level 50 where it will finally evolve into a Zweilous. 14 grueling levels later, and you'll have yourself a Hydreigon.

When battling, it's rare to see a Hydreigon used, and when trainers do, it can be a remarkably tricky battle. This Pokémon hits hard and has excellent defense -- consider adding one to your team, next time!

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Pokemon Go's Psychic Spectacular Event Now Live

Pokemon Go developer Niantic has had to cancel a number of this month's events due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but the Psychic Spectacular is going on as planned. The event is now underway, and it makes it easier to find Psychic Pokemon--and a new Shiny--for a limited time.

Until 10 PM local time on March 30, Psychic-type monsters such as Wobbuffet, Girafarig, Bronzor, and others will appear more frequently in the wild. You'll also have your first chance to find a Shiny Baltoy, as well as two new Gen 5 Psychic Pokemon: Solosis and Gothita. The former will be more common during the day, while the latter will appear at night.

In addition to the increased wild spawn rates, you'll be able to get special event-related Field Research tasks from PokeStops. You're also more likely to hatch the following Psychic Pokemon from 2 km eggs throughout the event:

Abra

Drowzee

Ralts

Spoink

Baltoy

Wynaut

Beldum

Gothita

In other Pokemon Go news, Niantic is soon rolling out a handy new feature for the game called Today View. This tab will be located in the same menu as your Field Research and Special Research tasks, and it will display ongoing and upcoming in-game events and personal stats such as your daily streaks, making it easier to keep track of everything that's happening in the game.

Landorus, the third and final member of the Forces of Nature trio, is also coming to the game soon. The Legendary Pokemon is slated to invade Raids beginning March 31, although it remains to be seen if the COVID-19 pandemic will affect Niantic's plans. Another Legendary, Lugia, was supposed to return to the game for a special Raid event earlier this month, but Niantic had to cancel that. Instead, Cobalion will remain in the game a little longer as a Go Battle League reward.

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40 special paint jobs airlines have put on planes to advertise Pokemon, call attention to special causes, and generate nostalgia

A recent trend in special liveries has been airlines using them to publically thank their employees, as seen with this Virgin Atlantic Airways' Airbus A340-600,...

A Virgin Atlantic employee-themed Airbus A340-600. EQRoy / Shutterstock.com

And a Delta Air Lines Airbus A321 featuring the names of every employee, both token of their respective airline's appreciation for their workers.

A Delta Air Lines employee-themed Airbus A321. Delta Air Lines

Sports is also a larger focus for some airline when creating special liveries with this Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i celebrating Germany's World Cup championship...

Lufthansa's soccer-themed Boeing 747-8i aircraft. EQRoy / Shutterstock.com

JetBlue Airways is one of the leaders in sports-themed special livery thanks to its association with teams in New York and Boston including the New York Jets...

JetBlue Airways' New York Jets special livery Airbus A320. Eliyahu Yosef Parypa / Shutterstock.com

And Boston Red Sox.

JetBlue Airways' Boston Red Sox special livery Airbus A320. Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock.com

JetBlue's hometown of New York is also a big inspiration for its special liveries, including this "I Heart New York" livery...

JetBlue Airways' "I Heart New York" special livery Airbus A320. Eliyahu Yosef Parypa / Shutterstock.com

And New York City Fire Department livery found on its Airbus A320s.

JetBlue Airways' New York City Fire Department special livery Airbus A320. Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com

Southwest Airlines similarly uses special liveries to pay tribute to the states where it has a large presence or bases, including Florida...

Southwest Airlines' "Florida One" aircraft. Eliyahu Yosef Parypa / Shutterstock.com

Tennessee...

Southwest Airlines' "Tennessee One" aircraft. Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com

Illinois...

Southwest Airlines' "Illinois One" aircraft. Markus Schmal / Shutterstock.com

Maryland...

Southwest Airlines' "Maryland One" aircraft. QualityHD / Shutterstock.com

And Arizona, among others.

Southwest Airlines' "Arizona One" aircraft. Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com

American Airlines, on the other hand, uses most of its special liveries to pay tribute to the precursor airlines that eventually formed the present-day American, a trend started with US Airways. Some heritage liveries include Piedmont Airlines...

An American Airlines Airbus A319 painted in Piedmont Airlines heritage livery. Angel DiBilio / Shutterstock.com

Trans World Airlines...

An American Airlines Airbus A319 painted in Trans World Airlines heritage livery. Carlos Yudica / Shutterstock.com

Air Cal...

An American Airlines Airbus A319 painted in Air Cal heritage livery. EQRoy / Shutterstock.com

PSA Airlines...

An American Airlines Airbus A319 painted in PSA Airlines heritage livery. Carlos Yudica / Shutterstock.com

And Reno Air. The colorful paint jobs honor American's heritage while giving travelers a glimpse back into aviation's history.

An American Airlines Airbus A319 painted in Reno Air heritage livery. Carlos Yudica / Shutterstock.com

And former American Airlines Boeing 777-200.

American Airlines' former breast cancer awareness aircraft. Angel DiBilio / Shutterstock.com

British Airways in 2019 repainted four aircraft in liveries that the airline once wore, as well as the liveries of its predecessors. The paints included the Negus livery which British Airways wore from 1974-1984...

A British Airways Boeing 747 painted in a heritage livery. Carlos Yudica / Shutterstock.com

Source: British Airways

And the Landor livery sported between 1984 and 1997.

A British Airways Boeing 747 painted in a heritage livery. Benthemouse / Shutterstock.com

British Airways also painted two aircraft in liveries worn by predecessors including the British Overseas Airways Corporation...

A British Airways Boeing 747 painted in a heritage livery. Benthemouse / Shutterstock.com

And British European Airways.

A British Airways Airbus A320 painted in a heritage livery. Brookgardener / Shutterstock.com

Retro is a common theme for special liveries with airlines wanting to showcase former paints on newer planes, as seen by airlines such as Scandinavian Airlines...

A Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A320 painted in a heritage livery. Bjoern Wylezich / Shutterstock.com

Lufthansa...

A Lufthansa Airbus A321 painted in a heritage livery. Soos Jozsef / Shutterstock.com

And LOT Polish Airlines.

A LOT Polish Airlines Embraer E190 painted in a heritage livery. Soos Jozsef / Shutterstock.com

JetBlue even has a 1960's-inspired retro-themed plane, even though the airline formed in the early 2000s and has never worn this livery.

A JetBlue Airways Airbus A320 painted in a fictional heritage livery. EQRoy / Shutterstock.com

And LATAM Boeing 777-300ER.

An LATAM Boeing 777-300ER painted in a Star Wars-themed livery. Benthemouse / Shutterstock.com

All Nippon Airways also once had a Boeing 747 covered head to toe in Pokeman branding.

An All Nippon Airways painted in a Pokemon-themed livery. viper-zero / Shutterstock.com

And the Northern Lights. As the island nation's flag carrier, it's one of Icelandair's missions to bring tourism to Iceland and the liveries help accomplish that.

An Icelandair special livery Boeing 757 aircraft. Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com

Icelandair recently unveiled its latest special livery, aptly named "flag." The livery was created to support the Icelandic national soccer team that secured a spot in the most recent World Cup, with the interior carpet designed as a soccer pitch.

An Icelandair special livery Boeing 757 aircraft. Sergey Ginak / Shutterstock.com

Airline alliances have their own special liveries, worn by all the member carriers as seen with this China Southern Airlines Airbus A330 representing the SkyTeam alliance...

A China Southern Airlines Airbus A330 in a SkyTeam alliance livery. Thiago B Trevisan / Shutterstock.com

All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner representing the Star Alliance...

An ANA Boeing 787 Dreamliner in a Star Alliance livery. CaptTann / Shutterstock.com

And Japan Airlines Boing 777 representing the Oneworld alliance.

A Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300ER in a Oneworld alliance livery. viper-zero / Shutterstock.com

New aircraft are also an opportunity for special liveries, with Portugal's HiFly dedicating its new Airbus A380 to saving the coral reefs...

HiFly's Airbus A380 aircraft, the first secondhand Airbus A380. VanderWolf Images / Shutterstock.com

And ANA's Airbus A380s each featuring a sea turtle design in different colors.

All Nippon Airways' FLYING HONY Airbus A380s. viper-zero / Shutterstock.com

Other special liveries can empower unrepresented groups, with United Airlines offering up two of its planes as canvasses in a contest aimed at highlighting female artists.

One of United Airlines' "Her Art Here" Boeing 757-200s. Benson Truong / Shutterstock.com

'Pokémon Go' Raid Update: Metagross Highlights Psychic Heavy Update

The Psychic Spectacular event in Pokémon Go has begun, and it ushers in a brand-new wave of Raid Bosses for players to battle and catch.

Similar to the Psychic-type Pokémon appearing more frequently in the wild and in Eggs, these particular Pokémon have populated Raids, including the popular and powerful Metagross.

This guide explains what the new Raid Bosses in Pokémon Go are as well as how to take down Metagross and Cobalion, who still occupies the Legendary Raid.

POKEMON GO COBALION AND METAGROSS COUNTERS

As was true when Cobalion returned to Pokémon Go, Fighting and Fire-type Pokémon are the best to bring into battle against Cobalion. Pokémon using Ground-type attacks will also do well against Cobalion.

Being a Fighting and Steel-type Pokémon makes Cobalion resistant to the following attacks so avoid using them: Normal, Rock, Bug, Ice, Grass, Poison, Dragon, Dark and Steel.

Bring all or some of these Pokémon into battles against Cobalion to take it down easier:

Darmanitan with Fire Fang and Overheat

Conkeldurr with Counter and Dynamic Punch

Chandelure with Fire Spin and Overheat

Blaziken with Counter and Blast Burn

Moltres with Fire Spin and Overheat

Machamp with Counter and Dynamic Punch

Entei with Fire Fang and Overheat

Metagross, on the other hand is a Psychic and Steel-type Pokémon, which makes it weak to Fire, Ground, Ghost and Dark-type attacks. Its Steel typing makes it resistant to a lot of moves including: Ice, Normal, Flying, Fairy, Poison, Grass, Psychic, Rock, Steel and Dragon. Avoid bringing Pokémon that know those moves.

If you want to have an easier time taking down Metagross, you may want to consider using these Pokémon with the listed attacks:

Moltres with Fire Spin and Overheat

Gengar with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball

Entei with Fire Fang and Overheat

Charizard with Fire Spin and Blast Burn

Groudon with Mud Shot and Earthquake

Tyranitar with Bite and Crunch

Houndoom with Fire Fang and Foul Play

POKEMON GO RAID UPDATE

As stated before, all Raids, aside from Cobalion, are filled with Psychic-type Pokémon. The Psychic Spectacular event introduces Shiny Baltoy into the game, and players will have another shot aside from Eggs and in the Wild.

Baltoy and its evolution Claydol can be found in Level 1 and 3 Raids. If you're looking to Shiny hunt for these new forms, you should be on the lookout for those Raids.

The aforementioned Metagross is the only Level 4 Pokémon in Raids during this event, so you'll be guaranteed to find it.

Here's the latest Raid Update in Pokémon Go:

Level 1

Spoink

Abra

Slowpoke

Baltoy

Meditite

Level 2

Exeggutor

Girafarig

Kirlia

Level 3

Alolan Raichu

Jynx

Espeon

Claydol

Level 4

Level 5

What do you think of the new Raid Bosses in Pokémon Go? Which Pokémon are you taking into battle against Metagross? Let us know in the comments section.

Sensor Tower: Pokémon Go revenues increase as coronavirus lockdowns spread

Pokémon Go saw global player spending reach $23 million during the week of March 16, according to mobile market researcher Sensor Tower. That is up 66.7% from the previous week.

Niantic's mobile hit has players walking around the real world and catching Pokémon. Considering the recent issuing of shelter-in-place orders across the world in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, you'd maybe expect a game that requires you to go outside to take a hit in popularity.

But the opposite is happening for Pokémon Go. That is in part because Niantic recently made some changes to that game that increased monster spawn rates, meaning it's easier to see Pokémon while staying inside your house.

Above: Pokémon Go weekly revenue.

Image Credit: Sensor Tower

Also, people who have been sent home from work have an abundance of extra time on their hands, and mobile games like Pokémon Go could be a good way to distract themselves. And many people can still go on walks, making Pokémon Go an especially attractive activity.

Most of that $23 million came from the U.S., where players spent $7.8 million on the game. That's about 34% of the week's total.

Nintendo Switch getting new Pokémon Sword and Shield expansions in 2020

Nintendo Switch fans will have plenty to play in 2020. 

Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET

Nintendo Switch fans have plenty to look forward to in 2020. After Microsoft and Sony detailed their respective next-gen consoles -- the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 -- earlier this month, Nintendo on Thursday unveiled a host of new games and updates coming to its current system in 2020. 

Among the highlights: big new expansions to Pokemon Sword and Shield, new fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the arrival of several classic franchises on the Switch, including Borderlands, XCOM and BioShock. 

Coming days after the release of one of Nintendo's most anticipated games of the year, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the news was announced during a nearly 29-minute Nintendo Direct Mini video posted on YouTube. 

Details on the games vary. The first of the Pokemon expansions called The Isle of Armor will launch by the "end of June" for $30, with a press release accompanying the Direct stating that a second expansion called The Crown Tundra set to be "revealed in the future."

As part of the first expansion "trainers can gather at a new dojo for Pokemon Battles to master their skills" as well as acquire "legendary Pokemon Kubfu from the master, Mustard."

The 2K Games including XCOM 2, Borderlands Legendary Collection (which includes the original Borderlands, Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel) and the BioShock games will arrive on May 29. 

The new Super Smash Bros. character, however, was simply teased to be coming from robot fighter Arms as part of the game's Fighters Pass Vol. 2, with Nintendo not providing details on exactly who the mysterious new fighter will be. That detail, and the release of the fighter, will arrive in June. 

As for Animal Crossin g, fans of the game will be able to take part in a new Bunny Day egg hunt in April. 

Read more: How to bring the Animal Crossing island life to your own home

Pokemon Go keeps changing as players are encouraged to stay home

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Niantic is continuing to update Pokemon Go as health and government officials encourage, and in some states order, people to stay inside amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

In several new blog posts, Niantic detailed a number of updates affecting the way Pokemon Go is played. First and foremost, Lugia Raid Week and Raid Hour have been canceled indefinitely. No replacement dates have been provided.

Pokemon Go is getting continual updates to "make gameplay more accessible and enjoyable at this time." Niantic says the following changes will stay in place "until further notice."

Your first Pokemon catch of the day now earns you 3-times more Stardust and XP than usual. You can now open up to 30 Gifts per day and carry up to 20 Gifts in your inventory at any one time. Likewise, Gifts are more likely to contain Pokeballs now.

Then there are the 1-Pokecoin bundles, which rotate weekly and are available in the shop as one-time purchases. The contents of the bundles change every week, but right now you can get one that has 100 Pokeballs. You have until Monday, March 30 to grab that bundle, at which point a different bundle will take its place.

Finally, the Pokemon Go interface has been updated with a new tab called Today View. The handy new tool allows you to quickly keep tabs on ongoing events, your Pokemon's stats in gyms, your daily PokeStop Spin and Daily Pokemon Catch Streaks, and upcoming events.

Niantic is far from the only company taking action against the potential impact of the coronavirus, which is continuing to spread globally at an alarming rate. For instance, here's every movie releasing early due to the threat of coronavirus keeping everyone inside.

Feel free to distract yourself from the news with our complete Pokemon timeline, which sorts the games chronologically.

Pokemon Sword & Shield: Gigantamax Snorlax, Machamp, And Gengar Leaving Today

Pokemon Sword and Shield's latest Max Raid events are coming to an end very soon. The events are scheduled to wrap up today, March 25, at 4:59 PM PT / 7:59 PM ET, making this your last chance to catch some rare Gigantamax and version-exclusive Pokemon.

There are two concurrent Max Raid events going on now, the first of which features Gigantamax Snorlax, Machamp, and Gengar. All three of those Pokemon are currently appearing in Max Raid dens in both games. Since Gigantamax Pokemon are normally incredibly hard to find, this is a good chance to catch to catch them before their spawn rates return to normal.

On top of that, developer Game Freak recently kicked off a second Max Raid event that makes a handful of version-exclusive Pokemon available in the opposite game. Galarian Corsola, Ponyta, Oranguru, and female Indeedee are appearing in Max Raids in Pokemon Sword, while Galarian Farfetch'd, Darumaka, Passimian, and male Indeedee are appearing in Shield. This event likewise ends on March 25.

Time is also running out to claim some freebies in Sword and Shield. Until the end of the month, you can download 20 free Battle Points and a free Bottle Cap--good for Hyper Training one of your Pokemon's stats--via Mystery Gift. You can also claim three free TR94s, which can teach a Pokemon the Ground-type attack High Horsepower. You can see all the free gifts available now for Pokemon Sword and Shield here.

In other Pokemon news, Nintendo recently released an update for Sword and Shield that "fixed several issues," including one that would cause the game to crash if you received a hacked Pokemon through Surprise Trade. Sword and Shield have two big expansions on the way this year: Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra. The first arrives this June, while the second will follow sometime in fall.

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77-year-old fined for playing Pokemon Go amid Spain's coronavirus lockdown

Maybe now isn't the best time to Go.

Niantic For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website.

The coronavirus pandemic is most lethal to the elderly and the virus' spread throughout Spain is the second most deadly in the world. So it's not surprising that police in Madrid, enforcing the city's lockdown measures, arrested a 77-year-old on Sunday for being out and about in the city, reports TeleMadrid. The septuagenarian's reason leaving his home? Having to catch 'em all, obviously.

Madrid police on tweeted a photo on Monday of the 77-year-old's ticket. The man was arrested at 1:30 p.m. for "hunting Pokemon," presumably in Pokemon Go, a mobile game that requires you to walk out in the real world to catch virtual Pokemon. Hunting for Pokemon in the streets, the tweet noted, was strictly prohibited. 

On Wednesday Spain's death toll, after reporting 738 new fatalities from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, exceeded China's to become the second highest in the world. The country, with a popul ation of 46 million, has suffered 3,434 deaths, more than the 3,285 deaths China has reported. Italy's death toll stands at 6,820. 

Spanish officials announced a national lockdown of two weeks on March 14. Residents can leave the house to go to work, medical centers, banks, supermarkets and pharmacies. On Sunday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he wants the lockdown to extend to April 11, pending parliamentary approval. 

Spain's enthusiastic Pokemon hunter isn't the only one to break lockdown for new digital critters. A 31-year-old in Italy was fined by police last week for playing Pokemon Go in public with his daughter, reports Italy's Leggo. "I have to hunt Pokemon," the man reportedly told police.

Niantic, the developer behind Pokemon Go, has encouraged players to stay at home. It's tweaked the game so that Pokemon spawn more frequently, so players don't need to go outside to find them. Incense, an in-game purchase which increases Pokemon spawn rates, has been discounted 99% and now lasts twice as long. Raid events, which see hundreds of players coordinate to defeat and catch powerful Pokemon, have been canceled. 

Here’s how ‘Pokemon Go’ is adjusting to the coronavirus pandemic

Pokemon Go has received several major updates to make it easier to play without leaving home as many of us are stuck inside until the coronavirus pandemic is under control.

Some of the changes to Pokemon Go include extra XP, the ability to carry more gifts, and cheap bundles.

Be sure to check Pokemon Go every week for a new 1 PokeCoin bundle in the shop.

Visit BGR's homepage for more stories.

There are obviously more pressing concerns right now than catching Pokemon on our phones, but as we all settle into our new quarantine realities for the next several weeks or even months, any distraction is a welcome one. That's why we thought it would be a good idea to see how Pokemon Go developer Niantic is tweaking its game to account for the fact that no one is going outside and walking around for the foreseeable future.

Reports about Niantic "prioritizing updates to Pokemon Go features and experiences that can be enjoyed in individual settings" began popping up earlier this month, and on Monday, the developer revealed some of the changes that are being made to make the game easier to play from the comfort of your home.

According to the official Pokemon Go website, these changes are being made to the game until further notice:

3x Stardust and XP for your first Pokémon catch of the day: Be sure to activate a Star Piece and Lucky Egg to maximize your rewards.

Changes to Gifts: The number of Gifts you can open daily will now increase to 30, and the number of Gifts you can carry in your inventory will increase to 20. Gifts will also contain more Poké Balls.

Rotating 1 PokéCoin bundles in the shop: New 1 PokéCoin bundles will be available in the shop each week as one-time purchases. The contents of these bundles change weekly. Right now, a 1 PokéCoin bundle is available for you that contains the following: Poké Balls x 100.

The 100 Poke Ball bundle and a 30 Incense bundle will be available in the shop until Monday, March 30th at 1:00 PM PDT / 4:00 PM EDT. At that time, a new 1 PokeCoin bundle will take their place.

In addition to all the changes listed above, Niantic increased the number of habitats on the map so that monsters are more likely to spawn close by so that trainers don't have to travel to find them, boosted incense to last an hour, made eggs hatch twice as fast, and upgraded PokeStops so that they drop gifts more often.

Pokemon Go might not be as popular now as it was in the summer of 2016 when it first launched, but there are plenty of people all over the world who still log on every day to catch Pokemon, take control of gyms, and join their friends to battle in raids. It's nice to know that they won't have to put themselves at risk to keep playing.

Image Source: Niantic

Jacob started covering video games and technology in college as a hobby, but it quickly became clear to him that this was what he wanted to do for a living. He currently resides in New York writing for BGR. His previously published work can be found on TechHive, VentureBeat and Game Rant.

Pokemon Go Cancels Lugia Raid Event Due to Coronavirus

Pokemon Go has cancelled this week's Lugia Raid event due to ongoing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, which was to feature the appearance of Lugia knowing its exclusive move Aeroblast, has been cancelled due to ongoing efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19. There is no news whether the event will be rescheduled, but Pokemon Go will be extending the length that Cobalion, the game's current Legendary Raid Boss, through March 31st. Cobalion can also be encountered by reaching a Rank 4 or higher in GO Battle League and earning an encounter by winning either two or four battles, depending on whether you go for the free prize track or the premium prize track.

The event cancellation makes sense as many states and countries currently have some form of "stay at home" orders in place, which limits the reasons why people can leave their house. Although many of Pokemon Go's gyms are located near "essential" locations like grocery stores or banks, Pokemon Go developers likely wanted to help limit social gatherings of 10 people or more, especially with a popular Legendary Pokemon with an exclusive move on the line. Since some people can't help themselves when it comes to Pokemon Go, the developers likely wanted to be extremely cautious with the event.

Pokemon Go has continued to shift its gameplay to help players cope with social distancing and long hours in the house. Yesterday, Pokemon Go announced that it would have weekly in-shop deals offering basic supplies like PokeBalls for 1 PokeCoin. The game has also added Legendary Pokemon as rewards for GO Battle League play, which currently has no walking requirements. Pokemon Go has also cancelled events like Community Day and its live Safari Zone events to limit the potential spread of COVID-19.

Pokemon Go has not announced whether the Lugia Raid event will be rescheduled, but it is moving forward with its next Legendary Pokemon addition - Landorus - on March 31st. We'll keep you informed of any other changes to Pokemon Go due to ongoing health concerns.

Did you know ComicBook.com has a Pokemon podcast? That's right folks, A Wild Podcast Has Appeared is available every Thursday bringing you the best breakdowns of the week's biggest news from Jim Viscardi, Megan Peters & Christian Hoffer. Catch the newest episode right here or subscribe on iTunes today!

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.

Pokémon GO Offering Easier Access to Items for Limited Time

The last couple of weeks have been stressful on everyone. Now, with many places being shutdown and gamers having to stay indoors, Pokémon GO players are struggling. Today, it was announced that help is on the way for a limited time.

Starting now and ending on March 30, you will receive a little boost if you can't make it to a PokéStop. An offer of 100 PokéBalls can be yours in exchange for just one coin. Hopefully you've earned some from gyms and can take advantage of this deal. Also, the deals will be rotating out and replaced with something new just to keep things fresh. An increase of experience and daily gifts has also been made.

This is great news for players who would have a hard time getting items without being near PokéStops or gyms. Read the full announcement on the official website.

'Pokémon Go' Genesect Special Research Event: Start Time, Tasks & What You Need to Know

The next special research event in Pokémon Go is about to begin and features the Mythical Pokémon, Genesect.

This powerful Bug and Steel-type Pokémon has mysterious origins but has one of the most unique attacks in all of Pokémon. However, unlike past events that feature Mythical Pokémon, Genesect can only be obtained via a special item purchased by trainers for a limited time.

Similar to the Regigigas event in 2019, trainers who purchase this item will get an early attempt at catching Genesect. The special pass costs $7.99, but Niantic assures trainers the tasks needed to complete it can be done from the safety of their homes during this trying time.

Here's all the information you need to know about the Genesect event including when it starts, ends and what in-game bonuses you can take advantage of.

POKEMON GO GENESECT SPECIAL RESEARCH EVENT START TIME

The Pokémon Go Genesect event begins Friday, March 20 at 8 a.m. local time and ends Thursday, March 26 at 10 p.m. local time.

POKEMON GO GENESECT RESEARCH EVENT TASKS

Update: Here's the official tasks for the Genesect event:

Battle another trainer five times

Catch 25 Normal-type Pokemon

Give your Buddy 1 Treat

Power up Pokemon 5 Times

Catch 25 Fire-type Pokemon

Send 3 Gifts to friends

Transfer 3 Pokemon

Catch 25 Water-type Pokemon

Hatch an Egg

Make 3 Great Throws in a Row

Catch 25 Electric-type Pokemon

Play with your Buddy

Battle a Team Leader 3 Times

Catch 25 Ice-type Pokemon

Take 3 Snapshots of Genesect

There are special research tasks going on as well. The reward encounters are always either Scyther, Shieldon, Skarmory or Nincada.

Catch 10 Pokemon

Make 2 Great Throws in a Row

Make 5 Nice Throws

Take snapshots of Genesect

Spin Pokestops

Trade a Pokemon with a Friend

The actual tasks needed to catch Genesect in Pokémon Go remain unknown. The latest update of Pokémon Go had the tasks, which were found by dataminers. The incomplete strings are listed below.

Catch (?) Pokémon

Trade a Pokémon with a friend

Make (?) Great Throws in a Row

Make (?) Nice Throws

Spin (?) PokeStops

Take a Snapshot with Genesect

However, a Niantic rep informed Newsweek that the research tasks have shifted to make it so trainers can complete them on their own. They will include the following tasks:

Catch Pokémon of various types

Play with your Buddy

Power up Pokémon

Battle another Trainer (this includes GO Battle League)

Hatch Eggs

SHINY NINCADA AND IN-GAME BONUSES

As for in-game bonuses, Normal, Fire, Water, Electric, and Ice-type Pokémon will be appearing more frequently in the wild.

Nincada, the Ground and Bug-type Pokémon will be hatching more often from 5km Eggs and its Shiny form will make its debut in Pokémon Go. Karrablast and Shelmet will also hatch more often from 5km Eggs.

The Raids will shift to feature more Steel and Bug-type Pokémon. We will update this section with the Raid Bosses when the event goes live.

Trainers will also enjoy double the catch and hatch stardust to help them power up their Pokémon.

What do you think of the upcoming Genesect event? Let us know in the comments section.

'Pokemon Go' Player Charged For Violating COVID-19 Lockdown

KEY POINTS

Italy has outnumbered China in terms of COVID-19 deaths

The country is currently implementing stricter rules

A "Pokemon Go" player was recently charged for playing the game outside and for violating the current COVID-19 guidelines imposed by the country

The absence of vaccines for the deadly pandemic COVID-19, triggered almost all countries all over the world to embrace the draconian method of locking down its borders. This is one way to flatten the curve and to starve the novel coronavirus from finding hosts and spreading the infection. But, for the love of the game, a "Pokemon Go" player was charged for ignoring the COVID-19 restriction.

Italy now has the most number of deaths caused by the COVID-19, and it is enforcing stricter guidelines to prevent the spread of infection beginning Mar. 09, 2020. Comicbook recently reported that a 31-year old "Pokemon Go" player was recently charged for violating the country's lockdown rules. He was caught playing the augmented reality game outside of his house in Italy.

During the lockdown, residents are restricted from leaving their homes and are only allowed to do so for specific reasons like purchasing necessities. Despite the danger of contracting the novel coronavirus, authorities fined over 43,000 people caught violating the country's rules.  Leggo, an Italian news outlet revealed that the 31-year old "Pokemon Go" player is a resident of San Fermo and was playing the augmented reality game with his daughter when he was intercepted by the authority.

Pokemon Go maker Niantic continues to make changes to improve the game and make it enjoyable for everyone Photo: AFP / INA FASSBENDER

"Pokemon Go" earned its popularity because it is the first game to allow players to go outside, travel places, and personally interact with other players in an actual real-world setting. It offers exciting features like Raid Battles that encourage players to go out and play together. But, the current COVID-19 pandemic just makes it difficult for players to do the things that they enjoy doing in the augmented reality game.

Niantic recently postponed several in-game events in "Pokemon Go" to encourage players to home quarantine or self-isolate. Moreover, the game developer made some changes to the game like making incense more affordable, so "Pokemon Go" players could lure pocket monsters to their location. Pokemon Eggs are now easier to hatch, which could now be accomplished by just making a few footsteps.

The COVID-19 pandemic has, by far, changed the way we do our day to day activities, and Italy is not an isolated case. Most countries practice total lockdown to prevent the spread of infection. "Pokemon Go" players might find it hard these days to enjoy the popular augmented reality game, but the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus far outweighs the joy of playing the game.

'Pokémon Sword and Shield' Version Exclusive Raid Event: Start Time & What You Need to Know

Max Raid Battles in the Pokémon Sword and Shield Wild Area have shifted once again to include Version Exclusives to help trainers fill out their Pokedex.

For one week, rare Pokémon will begin popping up in Raid Dens across Wild Areas of the Galar region. This is the perfect time for trainers to catch Pokémon that aren't native to their versions.

This shift in the Max Raids will happen while the current Gigantamax Gengar and Machamp event is still underway, so there is plenty for Sword and Shield players to do for the time being.

If you want to learn everything about the new Max Raid event, including when it starts and ends, continue reading.

POKEMON SWORD AND SHIELD VERSION EXCLUSIVE RAID TIMES

Pokémon trainers can enjoy these new Max Raid battles until Wednesday, March 25 at 7:59 p.m. EDT.

HOW TO FIND VERSION EXCLUSIVE RAIDS AND JOIN ONLINE

The first thing you'll want to do is update your Wild Area News. To do so, access the menu (X) and select Mystery Gift. After that, trainers should select "Get the Wild Area News" and then connect to the internet if they haven't done so already.

While exploring the Wild Area, trainers should search the dens with the red beams of light coming out of them. The silhouette of a Pokémon will appear to show what is found inside.

Some rare Pokémon, like the Shelmet and Karrablast lines as well as Pincurchin, will begin appearing in Max Raids. However, the biggest part of this event is the version exclusives.

Those playing Pokémon Sword will be able to find the following in Raids:

Galarian Corsola

Galarian Ponyta

Mandibuzz

Oranguru

Indeedee (male)

Those playing Pokémon Shield will find the following in Raids:

Galarian Farfetch'd

Galarian Darumaka

Braviary

Passimian

Indeedee (female)

Players can also gain access to the Pokémon not found in their game through the title's online features. To join other people's Raid Battle, players must connect to the internet. You can learn more about that process in our Sword and Shield online guide.

Also, trainers will receive rare items for completing certain Max Raids. This includes the four Fossils that can be used to revive the four Fossil Pokémon. Check out Serebii's comprehensive list of Pokémon and items found in the current Max Raid Battles of Sword and Shield.

Pokémon Sword and Shield are available now for Nintendo Switch.

What do you think of the latest Max Raid event? Let us know in the comments section.

Pokemon Go Is Adding Landorus Soon

March has brought a ton of Legendary Pokemon to Pokemon Go, and now one more is set to arrive before the month officially wraps up. Niantic has announced that Landorus, the third and final member of the Forces of Nature trio from Pokemon Black and White, will appear in Pokemon Go beginning March 31.

Until April 21, you'll be able to encounter Landorus around the world in five-star Raids. That isn't the only way you'll be able to catch the Legendary, however; Landorus will also be available as a Go Battle League reward for a limited time. You can read more about the Legendary on the official Pokemon Go website.

In the meantime, another Gen 5 Legendary, Cobalion, is available in Go again as part of a limited-time Raid event, which is set to end March 23. The Legendary Lugia will also return for its own Raid event from March 24-31. Each of those two Pokemon has a special event-exclusive move this time around, and you may encounter their Shiny forms.

Genesect is also making its debut in Pokemon Go this month. The Mythical Pokemon will be available through a Special Research story event called A Drive to Investigate. You need to purchase a virtual ticket to participate in this event, but you'll also have a chance to encounter Genesect in EX Raids beginning in April.

Pokemon Go's Cobalion and Lugia Raid events have been extended, but a few other events planned for this month--including March's Community Day and the Safari Zone events in St. Louis, Liverpool, and Philadelphia--have been postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Those who purchased Safari Zone tickets can request refunds, but if you decide to keep them, you'll still be able to encounter special Pokemon and Field Research tasks during the originally scheduled event hours.

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REPORT: Pokemon Events To Shut Down For 2 Months Amid Coronavirus Crisis

KEY POINTS

Both Pokemon video and trading card games  will be canceled for at least two months

The Pokemon World Championships in August could be affected by the suspension

The CDC has recommended to cancel events of 50-plus or more

Pokemon fans certainly do not want to catch them all, especially if it is the coronavirus that has been sweeping the globe and halting life as people know it.

In a rather unsurprising development, The Pokemon Company has canceled all Play! Pokemon events due to the increasing threat of the coronavirus -- also known as COVID-19. The postponement is initially set for two months, but the possibility of an extended hiatus is high.

According to a report by Game Rant, both Pokemon video and trading card game tournaments are affected, which could have major implications for ranking championships.

To note, players will be unable to earn ranking points during the suspension. Championship points are used for the ranking in large championship tournaments, but the ranking system will be severely crippled given the lack of events.

It is also worth noting that the Pokemon World Championships are slated from August 14 to 16, which now raises questions about how it will push through and how it will determine those who will qualify for the event given the situation.

The Play! Pokemon program has various events, such as Pokémon League, Pokémon TCG Prerelease Tournaments, Championship Series, League Challenge, League Cup, Premier Challenge, Midseason Showdown and Regional and International Championships.

However, given that the coronavirus continues to spread and affect various businesses and communities, it will not be surprising if more of the company's competitions will be suspended or canceled altogether.

COVID-19 has undoubtedly had a massive impact on the gaming and e-sports industry. In fact, Pokemon Go recently made changes in its game to allow people to play even in self-quarantine or at the comforts of their own home.

On the side of e-Sports, Americas Pro League and World League for PUBG mobile have been postponed and will be rescheduled to a later date.

Meanwhile, the newly created Flashpoint for Counter-strike will be moved to online matches just to push through with the games.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently recommend not holding events with 50 or more people for the next eight weeks in order to stop the coronavirus spread. While organizations continue to find feasible solutions for this, cancelation and rescheduling of events are unavoidable.

Pokemon tournaments are set to be canceled in lieu of the coronavirus crisis. Photo: Kamil S/Unsplash

‘A Drive To Investigate’: The 3 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Ticket To Pokémon GO’s Genesect Event

Pokemon GO

Credit: Niantic

It’s time for another global ticketed event here in Pokémon GO, even if the timing could be...better. The particular real-world proposition of Pokémon GO has necessarily been disrupted by the spreading coronavirus, and now Niantic is having to adjust its unique gameplay to keep people from going outside and congregate in groupsâ€"two of the major things that the game is designed to do on a normal day. These adjustments certainly apply to the upcoming “A Drive to Investigate” event, so here’s what you need to know about it.

It’s a special research event for the mythical Pokémon Genesect, like “A Colossal Discovery”: The basic format here is the same as the earlier event for Regigigas. You buy a ticket to an event, but that takes place everywhere: what it gets you is access to a special research quest chain that eventually gets you the mythical creature. In this case, it also gets you a shot at Durant, which is a boon to anyone living in Heatmoor territory.

It’s been adjusted so that you can play it solo, and likely from your couch: Niantic has retooled the event in response to the coronavirus crisis, and that means you won’t need to meet up with anyone else for raids. We’ll have to wait until we can see the actual quest steps to confirm this, but hopefully this combined with recent changes to incense means that you’ll be able to complete it without going outside at all. Polygon is reporting that tasks include:

Catch Pokémon of various types

Play with your Buddy

Power up Pokémon

Battle another Trainer (this includes Go Battle Leauge)

Hatch Eggs

Adventure sync makes it easier to hatch eggs inside your house, so if this is really the list, it should be compatible with in-home playing.

You have a week to claim/complete:If your schedule has been completely thrown by kids staying home from school or some other coronavirus-related disruption, don’t worry. You need to log into the game sometime between March 20 and March 26 to get the task, and it doesn’t seem like it will take long to complete. With A Colossal Discovery also let us complete slightly altered tasks after the initial window, so we’ll likely see something similar here.

Genesect will also be coming to EX Raids, so we’ve theoretically got a chance to get it sometime in the future, when EX Raids are a viable life choice again.

Pokémon GO is compromised by coronavirus but not impossible to play. If you do choose to go outside, remember to remain 6 feet away from anyone else on the street. You should, however, stay at home as much as possible.

Pokémon Go: A Drive to Investigate Special Research guide (Genesect)

© Image: The Pokémon Company

A new Special Research Task set, "A Drive to Investigate," will be live in Pokémon Go from March 20 at 8 a.m. until March 23 at 10 p.m. in your local time. You'll only see it if you've purchased a ticket from the in-game shop for $7.99.

Completing the quest steps will reward Genesect, the man-made Mythical Pokémon. There's also a hat and backpack, as well as Super Incubators and Raid Passes, obtainable by completing this line of quests.

Due to the spread of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, the tasks were changed to all be completable from home. You'll still have to catch tons of Pokémon throughout the weekend and hatch eggs to complete the tasks. The Pokémon types you'll have to catch for the event will have boosted spawn rates throughout the weekend, and Pokémon spawns in general have been increased so people can play from home.

Genesect will be available from EX raids after this event, so even if you miss out on this event, you'll be able to nab it.

Step 1

Battle another trainer five times (1,000 Stardust)

Catch 25 normal-type Pokémon (Three Rare Candy)

Give your Buddy one treat (Trubbish encounter)

Reward: Five premium raid passes, Pinsir encounter, Genesect Cap

Step 2

Power up five Pokémon (1,000 Stardust)

Catch 25 fire-type Pokémon (Three Rare Candy)

Send three gifts to friends (Karrablast encounter)

Reward: Three Charge TMs, Skarmory encounter, Three Super Incubators

Step 3

Transfer three Pokémon (1,000 Stardust)

Catch 25 water-type Pokémon (Three Rare Candy)

Hatch an egg (Shelmet encounter)

Reward: Three Incense, Scizor encounter, Genesect bag

Step 4

Make three great throws (1,000 Stardust)

Catch 25 electric-type Pokémon (Three Rare Candy)

Play with your buddy (Kabuto encounter)

Reward: Three Fast TMs, Genesect encounter, Glacial Lure

Step 5

Battle a team leader three times (1,000 Stardust)

Catch 25 ice-type Pokémon (Three Rare Candy)

Take three snapshots of Genesect (Durant encounter)

Reward: One Poffin, 10 Genesect candy, three Star Pieces

If this is your first special research quest, there should be four more to complete:

Go Solo? Pokemon Go Event Will Allow Players To Play Alone Amid Coronavirus

KEY POINTS

Niantic will allow players to solo its upcoming special research story event

The Genesect Special Research event is scheduled on March 20 and will run until March 26

To join the special research, however, a player must purchase a ticket worth US $7.99

With the coronavirus sweeping the world and forcing people to stay indoors and away from each other, Pokemon Go creator Niantic is adjusting.

According to Polygon, Niantic is making changes to its upcoming special research story event that involves the mythical Pokemon Genesect. With health authorities recommending practicing social distance in lieu of the coronavirus pandemic, the latest Pokemon event will now allow players to do the research tasks solo.

The new tasks in the special research event will now include catching different types of Pokemons; playing with your buddy; powering up a Pokemon; fighting another trainer; and hatching eggs.

Moreover, while it is not specifically stated, the challenges are expected to be done in the comforts of one's home given the current situation the world is facing. After all, a lot of players are in quarantine or in self-isolation in order to avoid contracting the infectious disease.

Event Details And How To Join

The Genesect Special Research event is scheduled for March 20 and will run until March 26. While other Pokemon events like Raid Hour have been canceled, the upcoming challenge has not been postponed due to the changes made.

The Pokemon Company and Niantic detailed the full scope of the event in an update on March 9.

As per the update, some key features of the Genesect task include the appearance of normal, fire, water, electric, and ice-type Pokemons. Moreover, one-star to four-star raid battles will feature various Bug or Steel-type Pokemons.

It is also possible to encounter Scyther, Skarmory, Nincada and Shieldon once exclusive field research tasks have been completed.

Players who will join the event will also earn exclusive items and perks.

To join the special research, however, a player must purchase a ticket worth US $7.99.

Coronavirus Pandemic

According to the latest statistics, there are already over 198,000 cases of coronavirus registered Pokemon Go maker Niantic continues to make changes to improve the game and make it enjoyable for everyone Photo: AFP / INA FASSBENDER all over the world. More than 7,900 deaths have also been recorded.

Due to the recent developments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended canceling events with 50-plus more people for at least eight weeks.

Additionally, aside from social distancing, everyone was advised to practice proper hygiene and wash hands regularly.

In response to the coronavirus scare, Pokemon Go also made an update recently to make it easier to play at home.

‘Pokémon GO’ Pokémon Spotlight Hour 2/17: What Is It?

Pokemon Anime

Credit: The Pokemon Company

Pokémon GO has implemented various measures to make its “get outside” oriented gameplay a little more oriented to staying inside, but it’s a tricky balancing act. It requires total re-orienting how the game works, and some of the systems don’t port over to stationary play as well as we might like. At least we’ve got the GO Battle League, which was already a huge boon to playing this thing at home. Regardless, Niantic is for the time being continuing to roll out mini-events even as larger ones get postponed, and one of those is the weekly Pokemon spotlight hour, happening tonight from 6:00-7:00 PM local time.

The official Twitter account posted about this this morning with a somewhat misleading teaser:

The reason this is somewhat misleading is that it seems to indicate that the spotlight hour is going to focus on a single Pokémon, like we saw last month, or at least that’s how I interpret the whole question mark in a circle sort of thing. But we’ve already got a preview of the event from the other side of the world, and it’s the same as we’ve had all month: increased spawns of all Pokemon and increased shiny chance. So don’t go looking for anything in particular, but do use your incense and try to get as much as you can at home.

I would strongly recommend going out to play this thing, especially in populated areas. In some places, playing outside will be illegal. If it is legal and you do go outside, try to maintain distance from other people on the street. Usually you can tell a Raid because of the people gathering around to play, but if you must raid try to access it from as far away as possible and join in with other people on the periphery, far away.

Right now, the most pressing problem that Pokémon GO has is Pokéball availability: it was a good move to make this game playable indoors, but it’s a lot harder when Pokéballs still only come from Pokéstops, and those are outside. If we had some sort of reliable, non-paid way to get them at home, we could really play without leaving the house.

‘Pokémon GO’ Postpones All Safari Zones Due To Coronavirus, Offers Bonuses For Keeping Tickets

Pokemon GO

Niantic

Due to coronavirus, Pokémon GO is now postponing its largest meet-ups of the year extending all the way into May. That would be its trio of Safari Zones, and the ones that were planned in St. Louis (that was supposed to be next weekend), Liverpool and Philadelphia have been postponed indefinitely with more information to come about when they might be rescheduled. But like everything else, no one seems comfortable thinking about events possibly returning any time before this fall, and even that could prove to not be long enough, depending on how this pandemic unfolds.

So what’s happening with people who already bought tickets for the event? There are a few options here.

You can request a refund of your tickets through the in-app support system. You have until March 25 to do so for St. Louis, April 15 for Liverpool and May 6 for Philadelphia, around when those events were about to start.

If you don’t request a refund, you will be able to automatically attend the rescheduled event, whenever that might end up being, but Niantic is not giving a timetable for that now for the reasons I just mentioned.

There are also bonuses to keeping your ticket intact, as it seems Niantic is trying to minimize refunds if they can. Here’s what they’re saying about all three event ticket holders:

“As an added bonus for those who retain their tickets, we will activate the Safari Zone Pokémon encounters and Special Research globally during the original scheduled event hours (in your local time zone) so that you can still enjoy the event from wherever you are in the world. Only ticket holders will be able to experience this bonus event.”

Pokemon GO

Niantic

So, you will be able to get the Safari Zone Pokémon spawns and research even if you’re not going to the event and staying wherever you are. Not bad. This is in addition to a second, real event coming later.

Past that, for Liverpool and Philadelphia, if you bought the City Explorer Pass, it will still work that weekend for a few of the bonuses like incense and lure duration and reduced egg hatch distance. Other stuff like exclusive research and the explorer raid won’t work until the new event is scheduled.

Pokémon GO faces a unique challenge during this pandemic as a game that wants you to be outside playing with other people which is core to the experience, and totally antithetical to a pandemic situation. They’re doing the best they can, but obviously cancelling these big meetups was going to be inevitable. Stay tuned for more details about further changes to the game.

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Pokémon Go’s next special event is changing so players can do it solo

© Image: Niantic/The Pokémon Company

While Pokémon Go special events, like a planned Safari Zone and the Abra Community Day, have been postponed or canceled, developer Niantic is going ahead with this weekend's Special Research story event based on the mythical Pokémon Genesect. In response to the spread of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, however, Niantic is making changes to that event so players can complete the required research tasks on their own — and likely from the comfort of their own homes.

Niantic has made a series of changes to the Genesect event that will let Pokémon Go players complete the required Special Research tasks solo. Those new tasks will include the following challenges:

Catch Pokémon of various types

Play with your Buddy

Power up Pokémon

Battle another Trainer (this includes Go Battle Leauge)

Hatch Eggs

The Genesect Special Research story event will run from Friday, March 20 at 8 a.m. through Thursday, March 26 at 10 p.m. To take part in the Genesect Special Research story event, Pokémon Go players need to purchase a ticket to the event. That item costs $7.99 and grants access to the "A Drive to Investigate!" story event, as well as cosmetic and in-game consumable items: five Premium Battle Passes, three Super Incubators, three Charged TMs, three Fast TMs, three Incense, three Star Pieces, one Poffin, 15 Rare Candies, and one Glacial Lure.

Previous Special Research story events that have required paid access have involved tasks that require players to compete in raids or hunt down certain Pokémon.

Niantic recently made other changes to Pokémon Go to adapt to the coronavirus and players quarantining themselves. Those changes include heavily discounted Incense (so players can lure Pokémon to their location), as well as an increase in habitats, more gifts from PokéStops, and halved Egg-hatching distances, so players don't have to venture too far from home.

Pokémon Go’s latest event avoids coronavirus by allowing you to play from home

Pokémon Go's latest event lets players game from home, a smart move among encouragement to practice social distancing to avoid spreading the coronavirus.

A new special research story event titled "A Drive to Investigate!" starts begins Friday, March 20, at 8 a.m. and lasts through 10 p.m. local time on Thursday, March 26. Players can access the event from any location as long as they have a ticket. It also adds Genesect, the mythical bug- and steel-type Pokémon first introduced in the series' fifth generation.

Developer Niantic extended the event to make it "playable for as many trainers globally as possible." Players that purchase a ticket can complete tasks to get a chance to catch Genesect, which left a trail of damage behind that Professor Willow picked up on. The ticket is redeemable anywhere, so players can play from home or wherever they can experience the new mission.

Beyond research, a Genesect-themed weekend event will last from March 20 through 10 p.m. local time on March 23. Pokémon Go players can find normal-, fire-, water-, electric-, and ice-type Pokémon more often, and Jigglypuff, Magnemite, Marill, Houndour, and Snorunt are extra common during the event.

For trainers who are still able to walk around their neighborhoods, Nincada eggs are available to hatch by walking five kilometers, and Karrablast and Shelmet eggs will appear more frequently. Additionally, one- to four-star Raid Battles will feature bug- and steel-type Pokémon mirroring Genesect's types.

To receive access to the special event, players just have to launch Pokémon Go during the event's time period. Players can buy a ticket in the in-game shop for $8 but cannot purchase it with PokéCoins. Players will also receive bonuses such as exclusive Genesect-themed avatar items, five premium battle passes, three super incubators, three charged TMs, three fast TMs, three incense, three star pieces, one poffin, 15 rare candies, and a glacial lure. In addition, trainers will also receive an encounter with Scyther, Skarmory, Nincada, Shieldon, and Durant, the last of which is normally only available in the eastern hemisphere.

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Due to coronavirus, Pokémon Go just got easier to play inside

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Due to coronavirus, Pokémon Go just got easier to play inside New, 2 comments

Don't go outside to catch 'em all

By Megan Farokhmanesh@Megan_Nicolett Mar 13, 2020, 11:02am EDT Share this story

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James Bareham / The Verge

Pokémon Go creator Niantic is doing its part to keep players inside with temporary tweaks to the game that will make it easier to play without leaving home. The developer told Polygon that the team is prioritizing updates for features that make it easier to play in "individual settings" due to the novel coronavirus. "While we've made these updates based on the current global health situation, we also encourage players to make decisions on where to go and what to do that are in the best interest of their health and the health of their communities," a spokesperson said.

In order to curb rising cases of the novel coronavirus, which is now classified as a pandemic, health officials are asking people to remain at home, or at least six feet away from other people, wherever possible. Pokémon Go, on the other hand, is meant to be a social experience that requires players to go outside to seek out specific locations. Niantic's updates include increasing habitats and pokéstops that drop gifts at a higher frequency. The developer is also offering incense packs, which ramp up spawns, at a 99 percent discount and increasing the effectiveness of incubators to hatch eggs twice as fast.

Updates are already in effect and will last until further notice. They aren't guaranteed to keep anyone inside, of course, but perhaps it'll help players with cabin fever who are trying to keep busy. Seriously, stay home.

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Even Pokémon GO is impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak as Niantic Labs tweaks social AR games

(Niantic Labs Image)

Niantic Labs announced via Twitter on Thursday afternoon that, in response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 outbreak, it would be making adjustments to its popular augmented-reality mobile game Pokémon GO.

"We're putting our focus on expanding features and experiences in our games," Niantic wrote in the tweet, "that can be enjoyed in an individual setting and that also encourage exploration!"

Healthcare officials have recommended social distancing to help limit the COVID-19 outbreak.

As of Thursday, and extending until "further notice," the changes include a one-time purchase where players can purchase 30 sticks of Incense, an otherwise rare and expensive item that makes more Pokémon appear in AR around you for an hour, for 1 PokéCoin.

Incubators will now also work twice as quickly, allowing you to hatch new Pokémon twice as often, and PokéStops will drop Gifts more often. Niantic also says that wild Pokémon's habitats have increased, and players can expect to find more Pokémon in the wild.

The thrust of the changes is to make it easier to find Pokémon in GO's augmented reality without having to go quite so far from home, particularly by using the Incense to entice Pokémon to come find you.

In addition, both the Harry Potter: Wizards Unite Community Day and the Pokémon GO Abra Community Day events for March have been postponed. Niantic typically holds Community Days in both games every month, which come hand in hand with a high number of in-game bonuses, as an encouragement to get players together and send them hunting for rare finds.

Niantic Labs was founded as a startup within Google in 2010. Several members of the team had worked on Keyhole, the interactive map project that was eventually acquired and turned into Google Earth. Niantic's goal was to use its experience with maps and mobile development to create new kinds of social games, such as 2012's Ingress.

Niantic subsequently went independent from Alphabet in 2015, using funding from Google, Nintendo, and the Pokémon Company Group. It announced in the same year that it was working on Pokémon Go, and launched it in 2016. Three years later, Pokémon Go had racked up over a billion global downloads worldwide, over $3 billion in revenue, and millions of active users. It had also led to numerous incidents of players acting recklessly in attempts to catch new Pokemon for their collections, including several dozen traffic accidents, according to one study.

How 'Pokémon Go' and 'Harry Potter' preparing for period of reduced mobility

New updates to location-based mobile games "Pokémon Go" and "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" mean that players don't have to go as far and wide in order to keep up their progression.

In apparent recognition of coronavirus-related inactivity, "Pokémon Go" developer Niantic has initiated a handful of changes to its popular location-tracking app.

The adjustments come as schools, colleges, workplaces and governing bodies encourage residents to stay in place, suppressing the COVID-19 virus's transmission rate.

For example, as a location-based Android and iOS app, "Pokémon Go" is halving the distance players need to walk in order to successfully incubate a virtual egg.

In other words, players shouldn't have to endanger themselves or their neighbors.

Additionally, PokéStops will drop Gifts more frequently -- so players can visit the same ones more often, reducing their daily geographical coverage -- while Pokémon habitats are being increased, and more Pok� �mon will appear in the wild, Niantic said in a March 12 announcement.

Players can also make a one-off purchase of 30 Incense, a virtual item that attracts Pokémon to a single player, in exchange for a single PokéCoin (25 Incense usually cost 1,250 PokéCoins).

PokéCoins themselves are normally bought for $0.99 USD for 100, but single coins are earned each time a Pokémon returns from a Gym location.

With Incense's active time being increased from 30 minutes to 1 hour, and its effect applying to single players, the adjustment rewards social distancing, in keeping with WHO coronavirus guidelines.

In addition, a worldwide meet-up event, Abra Community Day, was originally scheduled for March 15 but is now being postponed.

"Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" has also postponed its March Community Day. Both events had already been postponed in Japan, South Korea and Italy.

Perhaps controversially for some, then, two sets of upcoming "Pokémon Go" Special Raid Event weekends, in which groups of up to 20 players congregate in an attempt to defeat a Legendary-tier Raid Boss, have not been cancelled outright but will instead last a full week rather than four days.

Therefore, Cobalion will be available to challenge from March 17 to 23 (instead of March 20 to 23) and Lugia will be made available from March 24 to March 31 (instead of March 27 to 30).

'Pokémon Go' Makes In-Game Changes Due to Coronavirus Abra Community Day Postponed

It's a whole new world. As fears over the growing coronavirus pandemic spread across the globe, Niantic and the Pokémon Go team have taken precautions to limit players' need to gather in large areas, including postponing Abra Community Day.

Niantic posted this statement on its social media accounts regarding the virus and how it plans to adjust the mobile game's features.

"The safety of our global player community is our top priority. COVID-19 is challenging us and the world to adjust. We're putting our focus on expanding features and experiences in our games that can be enjoyed in an individual setting and that also encourage exploration!"

The first safety measure to activate in Pokémon Go is postponing the Abra Community Day that was scheduled for Sunday, March 15.

Community Days are one of Pokémon Go's biggest in-game events, debuting new Shiny Pokémon and giving competitive players an exclusive move to use in battles, among other bonuses.

The date for the new Abra Community Day has not been announced.

In the meantime, Niantic has made the following changes to Pokémon Go to allow for trainers to get the most out of the mobile game without having the need to go outside too often.

A one-time purchase bundle of 30 Incense for 1 PokéCoin. Incense will also last for one hour.

1/2 Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed into Incubators during this time period

PokéStops will now drop Gifts more frequently

Pokémon habitats will increase and more Pokémon will be appearing in the wild

Pokémon Go also announced that the Cobalion and Lugia special Raid weekends, which brings the Shiny forms of both Legendaries into the game will be extended to give trainers more time to battle and catch them.

Cobalion will now appear in Raids from Tuesday, March 17 at 4 p.m. EDT to Monday, March 23 at 4 p.m. EDT. Lugia will appear starting Tuesday, March 24 at 4 p.m. EDT to Monday, March 31 at 4 p.m. EDT.

The first season of the Pokémon Go Battle League is still scheduled to begin on Friday, March 13. When asked whether the coronavirus would affect the launch, Matthew Slemon, Product Manager for Pokémon Go told Newsweek that they don't anticipate it.

"For now we see this as a unique situation. We don't see the coronavirus affecting the launch," Slemon said. "But if we feel the situation gets important enough, we hope players don't feel the need to risk their personal health, because Pokémon Go is a game about being healthy. For now, the countries that are most affected have special settings set up so that they feel they have things to do without feeling the risk."

Pokemon Go is changing to keep players safe amidst Coronavirus outbreak

© Provided by GamesRadar null

Niantic has made several changes to Pokemon Go to ensure the health and safety of players, including the postponement of the Abra Community Day.

In a new blog post, Niantic detailed a number of updates to Pokemon Go, notably without mention of the novel Coronavirus. But in a statement to Polygon, the company said the updates are "based on the current global health situation," and advised players to "make decisions on where to go and what to do that are in the best interest of their health and the health of their communities."

In an effort to encourage Pokemon Go players to enjoy the game "in individual settings," the following updates have been implemented and will remain in place "until further notice:" 

A 30-pack of Incense, which increases the frequency of monster spawns, is on sale for a single PokeCoin. Likewise, Incense now remains active for an hour. Incubators will now require half the usual steps to hatch Eggs, and PokeStops are dropping Gifts more frequently to reduce the amount of time players need to spend waiting. Finally, Pokemon habitats are increasing to make it easier for trainers to catch Pokemon closer to home, and more Pokemon are appearing in the WIld for the same reason.

Niantic is far from the only company taking action against the potential impact of the coronavirus, which is continuing to spread globally at an alarming rate. In the last 24 hours alone, COVID19 has led to delays to Fast and Furious 9, A Quiet Place 2, and three different Disney movies.

Feel free to distract yourself from the news with our complete Pokemon timeline, which sorts the games chronologically.

Pokemon Sword And Shield: New Mythical Pokemon Zarude Officially Revealed

As teased, The Pokemon Company has revealed a new Mythical Pokemon for Sword and Shield as part of its recent Pokemon Day celebration. The new Pokemon is called Zarude, and it'll play a major role in the upcoming Pokemon movie, Coco, which premieres in Japan later this year.

Zarude is known as the Rogue Monkey Pokemon. It's a Dark/Grass-type with the Ability Leaf Guard, which prevents it from being inflicted by status conditions when the weather on the battlefield is sunny. According to the Pokemon website, Zarude is able to grow vines from its wrists, neck, and feet, and can use these to battle or treat wounds thanks to the vines' healing properties.

Few other details have been revealed about Zarude thus far, but the official Pokemon website confirms that you won't be able to obtain it in Sword and Shield through normal gameplay, which suggests it will be released as part of a special distribution or event. The Pokemon Company teases that "more information [is] coming soon."

In other Pokemon news, a few freebies are still available for Sword and Shield, including free Bottle Caps, which you can use to Hyper Train a Pokemon and raise one of its base stats. Time is running out to grab some of them, though, so you'll need to act fast if you haven't already claimed them.

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