Pokemon Go turns 5: 5 interesting facts that you might not know about the game

Niantic is celebrating Pokemon Go’s five-year anniversary with an in-game celebration event. To recall, the augmented reality (AR) game was launched back in 2016. The event features a Flying Pikachu with a 5 shaped balloon, Darumaka and more. The event will last till July 15, while providing players with a chance to catch a Flying Pikachu, a Shiny Darumaka and more. Apart from that, players also get to experience a host of new features and changes during the celebration event.

This event brings in higher chances for players to encounter and capture Flying Pikachu with a 5 shaped balloon, Darumaka, Shiny Darumaka, Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie in the wild and one-star raids. Apart from this, players will be receiving daily bonus Field Research tasks, which will lead to encounters with multiple Pokemon including Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Charmander, Squirtle, Torchic, Mudkip, Snivy, Tepig and more.

Players can also find a huge number of Pokeballs and Rare Candy during the event. Opening a Mystery Box during the celebration could end up with an encounter with a Shiny Meltan.

The fifth-anniversary event has also brought back Jump-Start Special Research, which was a major part of the fourth anniversary. Players can also acquire fifth-anniversary gift stickers by opening gifts and spinning PokeStops. The game is allowing Glacial, Magnetic, Mossy and Rainy Lure modules to last for one hour till the end of the event.

As a bonus, here we will also be sharing five things that you might find interesting about Niantic’s Pokemon Go.

It was started as a joke in 2014

Google back in 2014 as an April Fool’s Day prank released a video teasing a new feature for Google Maps, which would allow users to explore the world and find wild Pokemon inside of the app. This is the concept that then Niantic and Nintendo took up to develop, what we know as Pokemon Go. Neither Nintendo nor Niantic admits this, but the similarities between what Google had stated and Pokemon Go.

Pokemon Go now has over 600 Pokemon

Pokemon Go initially started with 150 first-generation Pokemon. Since then multiple new Pokemon from later generations have been added to the game, bumping the number to over 600 Pokemon, which the players can catch and add to their Pokedex.

Thank Ingress users for Pokestops

Pokestops are a big part of Pokemon Go, but have you ever imagined how Niantic got data for all of those and how did it know where to place them. Most of you would say it was random, but no. Niantic used data from its other AR game, Ingress. Ingress was made by Niantic back when it was a part of Google. Basically, Niantic changed Ingress’s portals and turned them into Pokestops. Some portals have even been converted into gyms.

Gen 7 Pokemon coming soon

Niantic in a recent tweet announcing the fifth anniversary also hinted at the addition of some new Pokemon to the game. In the post, players can notice several Gen-7 Pokemon including Rowlet, Litten and Popplio, all of which are from Pokemon: Sun & Moon.

We’re excited to debut this year’s Pokémon GO illustration celebrating our #PokemonGO5YearAnniversary! What an amazing milestone that we’re glad to share with all of you today! pic.twitter.com/80hV5QNE4G

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) July 6, 2021

Pokemon Go fest

Niantic is currently also hosting an online Pokemon Go fest, with select regions getting an in-person festival on July 17. The new event will add a new mythical Pokemon to a user’s Pokedex and will also allow players to encounter Pikachu Rock Star or Pikachu Pop Star.