When it first released in 2016, Pokemon GO made a monumental impact on the gaming world, managing to bring in both Pokemon fans and newcomers alike. While it may not hold the same unfathomable popularity as it did back then, Pokemon GO is still enjoyed by millions across the globe today. This is in no small part due to Niantic's consistent stream of updates to the game that have added new Pokemon, new Research Stories, more social features, and a slew of other mechanics and quality of life improvements.
Despite having a rather turbulent last few years due to the pandemic, with isolation rendering the game unplayable for a while, Pokemon GO has managed to retain its loyal player base, and is rewarding fans with a whole range of new content in 2022. Though the latter half of the year hasn't been discussed by the developers yet, the next few months of 2022 have just been detailed in a roadmap, and there's some pretty exciting updates for fans of Gen 7 Pokemon.
Pokemon GO's Season of Alola
Starting on March 1, Pokemon GO will introduce its new Season of Alola, based on the Alolan Pokemon variations first introduced in Pokemon Sun and Moon. A bunch of new Gen 7 Pokemon will be added to the game, including the fan-favorite starters Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio, along with other beloved monsters like Incineroar, Primarina, and Toucannon.
Some new raids will also be added with this Alolan Season update. The One-Star Raids include Bellsprout, Phanpy, Rockruff, Electrike, and Snubbull. The Three-Star Raids include Nidoqueen, Wigglytuff, Alolan Raichu, and Alolan Graveler. The Five-Star Raid starts with Tapu Koko, and changes to Therian Tornadus on March 15. The Mega Raid begins with Mega Venusaur, with Mega Lopunny taking over on March 15, and Mega Charizard Y closing out the month on March 22.
During the first week of the new Season, players can also find Pikipek and Yungoos by completing some new Field Research Tasks. A Festival of Colors celebration event will also take place on March 15, along with a Lush Jungle event that hits the game on March 22. There should be plenty of new content in this update to keep Pokemon GO fans invested for at least a little while longer.
Pokemon GO's March Community Day
Beginning in January 2018, Pokemon GO has held a Community Day event every month or so, that aims to bring the player-base together to achieve one shared goal. In the recently announced roadmap, Niantic has confirmed that March's Community Day event will begin on March 13.
March's Community Day will feature both Sandshrew, and its Alolan variation, meaning that spawn rates will be much higher for these Pokemon. This limited-time event also brings a plethora of bonuses to the game, such as increased Lure Module and Incense duration, and 1/4 Egg Hatch Distance.
Some free goodies are also up for grabs, such as a free bundle of 30 Ultra Balls, and event-themed stickers and gifts. A Community Day Box that gives players 30 more Ultra Balls, four Lucky Eggs, three Super Incubators, and one Elite Charged TM will also be available, though it will cost 1280 PokeCoins. A Community Day Special Research Story, called "Gritty and Glacial," will also be available to purchase during the event.
Players will also be able to unlock some exclusive attack moves for their Sandslash Pokemon if they're evolved during the event. If a regular Sandshrew is evolved, then the Sandslash will learn Night Slash, but if the Alolan variation is evolved during the event, then the Alolan Sandslash will learn Shadow Slash.