As a way to say 'thank you' to Pokemon GO fans that made it one of the biggest video games of 2016, Niantic is launching a double XP Thanksgiving event.

This past summer was huge for Niantic. What was once a relatively unknown mobile game developer became one of the most well-known studios overnight thanks to the massive success of Pokemon GO. Millions of people have played Pokemon GO since launch, netting Niantic $2 million daily, and at its peak, generating about half a billion in a single month. Niantic is thankful for the support Pokemon GO has received, and has announced an event to say "thank you" to fans this Thanksgiving season.

From November 23rd to November 30th, Pokemon GO players will earn double XP and double Stardust. This event will allow players to level up their in-game avatar and Pokemon at a much faster rate than usual. While this should entice some lapsed players to return to the game for the double XP event, it's doubtful that the upcoming Thanksgiving event will be as popular as the recent Halloween event.

That's because the Halloween event had a lot more to offer than just double XP. Not only were players earning XP at double the rate, but they were also getting twice the amount of candy, making it easier to evolve Pokemon. The Halloween event also saw an increase in the spawn rate for ghost-type Pokemon, so players trying to get their hands on rare Pokemon like Gengar had a much better chance at capturing some of the game's more-elusive creatures.

Niantic hasn't explicitly stated if spawn rates will be changed at all for the Thanksgiving event or not. There aren't really any first-generation Pokemon themed after the Thanksgiving holiday, but perhaps Niantic could increase the spawn rate of Flying-type Pokemon in general in honor of the, ironically, flight-less turkey.

For now, though, fans shouldn't expect anything more than double XP and Stardust. Since this Thanksgiving event has less rewards than the Halloween event, it will be interesting to see if Pokemon GO's revenue will increase like it did in October, or if players will wait for the possibility that the probable Christmas event will make it more worth their while.

Loyal Pokemon GO players will likely appreciate the Thanksgiving event even though it's not as substantial as the Halloween one. These events should help Niantic keep players from leaving the game, as well as convince some lapsed players to return to their Pokemon catching adventures. Of course, bigger updates like the addition of Pokemon trading and second-generation Pokemon should do an even better job of reigniting enthusiasm for the mobile game.

Pokemon GO is available now for iOS and Android mobile devices.

Source: Pokemon GO Live