As the summer weather keeps getting hotter and hotter, Pokemon GO fans who hibernated for the winter may be ever-more tempted to step outside and try to catch a few more Pokemon. Something that may help with this is the new Pokemon GO event announced by Niantic, which is focused on Fire-type and Ice-type Pokemon and begins today.

Niantic has now confirmed the start time of this Pokemon GO Fire and Ice special event, with it due to kick off at 1pm PDT today, June 13. This event, which has been created to celebrate the upcoming solstices in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, will then run through for a week, and will end at 1pm PDT on June 20. So, there's plenty of time for trainers to go out to make some additions to their roster.

Exactly what will happen as part of this event, though? Well, trainers should keep an eye out for an increased chance of coming across Charmander, Cyndaquil, Growlithe, Houndour, Ponyta, Swinub, Vulpix, and their Evolutions. As well as this, Pokemon GO players will also be more likely to find Sneasel, Magmar, Cloyster, and other Fire-type and Ice-type Pokemon.

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Alongside the increased chance of coming across a Fire- or Ice-type Pocket Monster, the event will also affect the game in other ways. Players will receive XP bonuses for catching Pokemon with Nice, Great, or Excellent Throws, and XP bonuses will be on the way for Curveballs and First Throws too. Those looking to hatch Eggs will also find that this is the perfect time to do so, thanks to further XP bonuses. Lucky Eggs will also be 50% off in the Pokemon GO shop.

News of this Fire and Ice event was initially discovered courtesy of a leak, but it wasn't long before Niantic was able to officially unveil its plans. The event follows on from a number of other hugely successful special events in Pokemon GO, such as the recent Rock-type event, while nearly 300 million Grass-type Pokemon were caught during the game's Worldwide Bloom event.

These events, and the regular updates for Pokemon GO in general, certainly seem to be helping the game maintain a decent following at the moment. Although the user base of the title has definitely dropped off from its peak, this hasn't stopped Pokemon GO from helping The Pokemon Company's profits reach $143 million. Let's see how the Fire and Ice event fares, and if further events pick up in future.

Pokemon GO is out now for iOS and Android devices. The Fire- and Ice-type event starts today at 1pm PDT through to 1pm PDT on June 20.

Source: Niantic