Helping to celebrate the Pokemon franchise's 25th anniversary, Niantic has continued to keep Pokemon GO updated with new content throughout the year. In addition to special Sinnoh-focused events to correspond with the Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl releases, the hit mobile game has also brought about the return of Team Rocket leader Giovanni, added new Pokemon to the game like the style changing Furfrou, and just recently held a special collaboration event with muscian Ed Sheeran.
This past September saw the start of Season of Mischief, which brought along the Psychic/Ghost type Hoopa into Pokemon GO. Players also experienced a lengthy, season long quest with time gated steps while requiring tons of Pokemon catching, typically aligned with whatever seasonal event was happening such as Ghost types for Halloween. As the Season of Mischief draws to a close, Niantic has revealed the next season of content, which appears to draw heavily on the upcoming Switch game, Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
Starting on December 1, the Season of Heritage kicks off and has Professor Willow investigating a historical cave site with a huge door and a complex set of unlocking mechanisms. The season runs through February, so it's expected that answers to this mystery will be slowly rolled out over time, similarly to the lengthy seasonal Mischief quest. Of course, each month will feature a new seasonal bonus and timed research, encouraging players to continue logging in.
Players will also have monthly challenges, unlocking various items, Pokemon, and cosmetic items for hitting various milestones. In December, players who collect 120,000 stardust can unlock a Deino Hat for their avatar. However, certain milestones towards that goal also unlock Pokemon like Deino, XP bonuses, as well as items like fruit and Poke Balls. January and February also have XP and Catch challenges that unlock Goomy and Noibat hat items, though they appear to be Pokemon GO Tour pre-purchase bonus.
Naturally, there are already a number of events planned, the first of which is a Pokemon GO Community Day on December 18 that features all Pokemon previously showcased in 2021. Pokemon GO Tour: Johto begins on Feb 26, likely the last major event of the season which ends on March 1, 2022.
While the reveal doesn't specifically mention Pokemon Legends: Arceus, there appear to be more than a few clues that a tie in is happening. Not only do the dates between the game's release and this season of Pokemon GO overlap, but the logo also features similarities in terms of the writing style and large mountain in the background. The blurb also mentions that "we'll look to the past for answers that will help guide us into the future" which seems to reference the fact that Arceus is a prequel. Naturally, these clues have already got the community thinking about a potential cross over event with potential Hisuian Regional forms like Growlithe being added.
Pokemon GO is available now on Android and iOS devices.
Source: Pokemon GO