All eyes are on Niantic as they continue to tease a massive update to Pokemon GO. The update, branded as Rediscover GO, is set to roll out slowly throughout the next month. Players have some guesses about what the announced changes will entail, but Niantic has largely kept the exact details of this latest Pokemon GO update a surprise.
When Does the New Pokemon GO Update Come Out?
The first wave of changes with the Discover GO update begins on April 17, 2024. Additional updates will follow throughout the month, with the last round on May 7, 2024.
What Changes to Expect with the Pokemon GO Update
Based on the announcement for the Rediscover GO update, we’ll learn the full specifics of each update as it launches.
Right now, the web page features four sections with a basic name and release date for the changes. A slightly longer trailer for the update has also been released, with a smidge more gameplay footage to give us a sense of what’s in store.
Rediscover Yourself – April 17 Pokemon GO Update
The first update to Pokemon GO will launch globally on April 17 and is branded “Rediscover Yourself.” All we officially know about this change so far is it will give players “new ways to personalize your avatar.”
It’s no secret that Niantic has been testing avatar changes, as some players got to preview the new avatars firsthand during testing. The brief gameplay glimpses in the new trailer suggest we’re getting some version of these new avatars with the update, hopefully with some changes based on player feedback from the initial tests.
Rediscover Your World – April 22 Pokemon GO Update
The next set of changes coming to Pokemon GO will arrive on April 22, aka Earth Day. This update will add “refreshed visuals” that are intended to more accurately reflect real-world surroundings.
Based on the trailer, this will likely include matching non-AR backgrounds to the geographical location, such as beach scenes when near the ocean. While it hasn’t been officially confirmed, this part of the update is likely related to the new catch backgrounds that some test users saw earlier this year.
Rediscover Kanto – April 22 Pokemon GO Update
Players didn’t ask, yet Niantic delivered. As part of the Earth Day update, we’ll get a chance to encounter Pokemon from the Kanto region in certain biomes.
We don’t yet know exactly what that means, but most likely, Pokemon will be spawning near real-world habitats that fit their types.
Rediscover Your Reality – May 7 Pokemon GO Update
This update centers on the GO Snapshot feature and will incorporate real-world AR into your photos. The app already allows for photos of Pokemon in AR mode, so we’ll have to see what the changes bring.
Niantic has already made changes to AR in the game with the introduction of AR+, and it’s likely this update will build on those.
For now, we’re waiting to see how these features work in-game. If tests are any indication, Pokemon GO may soon look quite different from the game we’ve known.
