The days of ignoring prompts to install the latest version of Pokemon GO are over, as Niantic has officially forced players to download the mobile title's newest update -- a move that has heightened excitement for the new Pokemon set to be introduced to the game. Alongside the forced patch, Pokemon GO developers also refreshed the GAME_MASTER file, which holds code, statistics, and other essential data that the game requires to function correctly. Within the updated file are a handful of surprises, the most prominent of which is the information related to a new team-based feature.

The so-called "Battle Teams" appear to be teams of Pokemon that players can set ahead of time for use in Raids and Gym Battles. This feature is something that fans have long been hoping will be added to the game since it will save time and override the existing auto-picking function that is generally quite flawed as it stands.

Players should note, however, that the notifications found in the GAME_MASTER file specify that Pokemon on Battle Teams will be cleared out if they are added to a gym. In order to get the most out of the possible new Pokemon GO feature, players will likely do well to keep their Battle Team offense-only.

pokemon go update battle teams

In addition to the Battle Teams tease, there is information that suggests Pokemon GO will do more to avoid EX Raid cancelations moving forward. These raids are currently the only way players can battle and capture Mewtwo, and they are only accessible through invitation. So when Pokemon GO recently canceled an EX Raid without notifying players in advance, controversy kicked up in the community. The GAME_MASTER file findings hints that Pokemon GO will hand out free items to those who receive invitations to canceled EX Raids, and will let players know if their EX Raid is canceled.

The GAME_MASTER file also included two lines of code linked to Generation 3 Pokemon, the first referencing a new badge for players that catch them from the Hoenn region and another that relates to a notification that displays how much distance a player needs to travel with a Pokemon in order to evolve it. While the latter could simply be a player-focused tweak, it seems more likely that it's a hint that the "Friendship" element on Pokemon GO will be extremely important when hatching Generation 3 Pokemon.

pokemon go update battle teams

Pokemon GO recently released its new update, which contained a ton of code connected to Generation 3 Pokemon, indicating that players will be able to get their hands on Banette, Dusclops, Duskull, Sableye, and Shuppet when the game's upcoming Halloween event kicks off. Suffice to say, there's a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks.

Pokemon GO is available now on Android and iOS devices.