Since "Pokemon Go" launched early in July 2016, 80 percent of its paid users have stopped playing. "Pokemon Go" fans complained that the mobile game did not offer much aside from catching and upgrading Pokemon. John Hanke, Niantic Labs CEO, recently shared that there are several more features, characters and battles to look forward to in the near future.
VentureBeat reported that according to Hanke, they always planned for "Pokemon Go" to continue developing in the next several years. They are providing updates every two weeks after launching the main product, which are reportedly only a small portion of what they ultimately plan for the game. "Pokemon Go" is supposed to change and evolve substantially in the future. Hanke added that there are still several markets around the world where "Pokemon Go" has yet to launch, like Russia, Africa and China.
Hanke mentioned that more creatures will be coming to "Pokemon Go" to keep it fresh. The goal has always been to gradually introduce more Pokemon into the experience over time. There are a number of Pokemon that players are excited about, which will eventually be introduced in the game. "Pokemon Go" will also provide more features, capabilities and activities in the coming months, such as player battles, trading and legendary Pokemon.
BGR stated that player-versus-player battles in "Pokemon Go" may be the next step. Hanke said that battling in the game is one of their most frequently discussed topics. It will most likely arrive, although they have yet to set the official date. There will be more Pokemon coming via updates. In the meantime, the main challenge is to entice current "Pokemon Go" players to keep playing, as well as bring back those who lost their interest in the game.
The regular updates are a good sign that Niantic Labs is actively working to improve the game. Players should look forward to bigger changes in the coming weeks. Recently, Niantic introduced the Buddy System and provided some changes to Pokemon nests. The game creator also plans to provide more through bi-weekly updates. More updates and details to "Pokemon Go" are expected soon.
