Niantic's augmented reality game Pokemon GO will be running a special winter holiday event where players will get increased chances at acquiring the newest Pokemon according to a news post on the game's official website.
The event will begin on the morning of December 25, 2016 and end around the afternoon of January 3, 2017. Though no specific times have been stated, Niantic cited Pacific Standard Time as their point of reference. Players will have just under ten days to take advantage of the winter holiday event and get their hands on some of the newest Pokemon added to the game.
A few temporary changes to the game's mechanics will be happening for the duration of the event. Pokestops will award one single-use incubator each day after you spin it for the first time. Incubators are used to hatch eggs in the game which lead to random Pokemon depending on the class of the egg. All players have a single infinite-use incubator, and temporary incubators with three uses can be purchase in the in-game store. Going hand in hand with these free single use incubators is an increased chance to find eggs which hatch Pokemon that have been recently added to the game such as Togepi and Pichu. Additionally, the limited edition "Special Pikachu" with festive hats will be sticking around for the duration of the event.
A second event will take place from the afternoon of December 30, 2016 through the afternoon of January 8, 2017. The original starter Pokemon (Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle) as well as their evolutions will be more frequently encountered in the wild. A buff to lure modules will also be in effect - they will last for 60 minutes instead of 30 minutes during this second event.
Both events will be running simultaneously for a few days: Friday. December 30, 2016, through Tuesday, January 3, 2016. If you don't want to spend all week running around trying to catch new Pokemon, then that would be the ideal time to go out and brave the winter weather.
What do you think of the holiday event that Niantic has come up with for the holidays? Will it get you to go out and play a little more Pokemon GO despite the frigid temperatures in some areas? Have you already caught any of the newer Pokemon? Let us know in the comments below!