5 themes Niantic could explore for the next Pokemon GO season
With December just around the corner, Pokemon GO's current Max Out season is nearing its end. However, there has been no word of what Niantic intends to do next with the popular mobile game. The title is known for its seasonal content waves, typically revolving around a theme or region, like Max Out tackling Galar and its Dynamax mechanic.
What comes next for Pokemon GO? Here are five ideas that could work as new content seasons for Niantic's mobile game.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer
5 potential themes Niantic might use for Pokemon GO's next season
1) Season of Ages
Paradox Pokemon are the latest Legendary variants to come to the franchise, and many players are eagerly awaiting their introduction in Pokemon GO. With this in mind, the next season could be themed around the far future and ancient past. This would also give Niantic a reason to make fossil Pocket Monsters a little easier to come by.
Paradox Pokemon are creatures native to different eras in the world's history, with Scarlet's set being from prehistory and Violet's originating from a dystopian future where organic life has been replaced with advanced machinery. This event could also be a great way to introduce more Paldean creatures in the game.
2) Season of Bug Fixes
Pokemon GO has many bugs and glitches. As such, Niantic could take some time away from making new content to fix and optimize the game.
Although this might seem like an unusual idea to some, prioritizing game fixes over new content is quite common in the modern gaming market. For example, Rainbow Six Siege implemented Operation Health, where resources were allocated to addressing the game's numerous issues rather than adding new features.
Considering the persistent bugs in Niantic's mobile title despite its age, a three-month period dedicated to continuous patches might be just what the game needs.
Also check: Pokemon GO Evolution Calculator
3) Frozen Festival
With the next season set to commence in December, it is likely that Niantic will choose a theme appropriate for the winter months. Since Pokemon GO has traditionally featured a holiday-themed event, it would be intriguing to see what the developer could achieve with a three-month duration rather than just a couple of weeks.
A winter-themed season could also provide new players the opportunity to catch some of the more powerful Ice-type Pokemon in the game, such as Baxcalibur, Galarian Darmanitan, and Mamoswine. Additionally, newer Ice-type creatures like Iron Bundle and Chien-Pao could be introduced during this period.
4) Pokemon GO Z
Niantic has been cautious about incorporating certain franchise mechanics into Pokemon GO's Battle League, but Z-Moves could be a perfect candidate for testing these waters.
Introduced in the seventh generation, Z-Moves serve as a one-time power-up for any move in the game. Similar to Max Out, Niantic could design an entire season around this gimmick. Although it might be challenging to implement given the mobile title's real-time combat system, Z-Moves could add an element of risk and reward to battles.
Like charged attacks, Z-Moves might require players to complete a short minigame to charge up their power. The move could also only be executed upon achieving a perfect score in the minigame.
5) Prismatic Panic
Terastallization, the newest battle mechanic in the Pokemon franchise, has become one of the most influential elements in the metagame. This feature allows players to change their Pocket Monster's type.
Similar to Dynamax Pokemon, Tera Pokemon are typically found in raids in the main series. They should transition naturally into Pokemon GO, where raids were initially introduced.
Max Battles were not well-received at launch due to the requirement for players to have other Max Pokemon to participate, which excluded many strong raiders. Tera Raids could have less stringent regulations, encouraging more players to join the battles.
Also check: Pokemon GO CP calculator
For more information on the game, check out the articles below:
- Ditto disguises
- Sierra counters
- Cliff counters
- Arlo counters
- Giovanni counters
- Team GO Rocket Grunts