‘Pokemon GO’ Could Reportedly Introduce A Costly Feature Soon

KEY POINTS

"Pokemon GO" continues to be a successful game and among those with a massive playerbase
The augmented reality game might introduce a new feature soon that some players might not like
Several uncovered data point that a new feature could release in "Pokemon GO" soon

Following the release of the latest “Pokemon GO” update on the app stores, several players uncovered pieces of evidence pointing to the subscription service that could be added to the augmented reality game.

The information was shared by the datamining group PokeMiners. According to the group, while the subscription service could launch in “Pokemon GO” soon, there might be a grace period or free trial first before Niantic Labs would make it official. The latest data dump worries some fans since it is the most concrete claim that the subscription is coming and potentially soon.

Interestingly, the data miners uncovered data in “Pokemon GO” update 0.197.0 includes references to a free trial, grace period and some placeholders indicating the state of the players’ current subscription. These could be elements that would be featured in the release of the subscription service, although no actual details on the model were discovered.

Pokemon Go maker Niantic is moving ahead with a plan to make the world a giant game board mixing fantasy and reality — Pokemon Go maker Niantic continues to make changes to improve the game and make it enjoyable for everyone AFP / INA FASSBENDER

The data miners also shared that they have found some parts of an in-app purchase model for any potential subscription service. This includes expired, active, canceled and auto-renew details alongside the validation to activate a subscription. A new library has been added for in-app purchases too, which the data miners believe is related to the subscription service.

On Twitter, PokeMiners clarified some things after several fans reacted to the discovered details in “Pokemon GO.” According to the data miners, there is still a lot that they do not know about the codes. This includes what the subscription is for, how much it will cost, how long the auto-renew is in effect or indication of any existing feature locked behind the subscription.

We are seeing a lot of talk about the subscription service so we just wanted to take a moment to help explain what we do and don't know so far based on the APK. Hopefully, this helps to clarify a few things.

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— PokeMiners (@poke_miners) January 14, 2021

Based on the language in the code, it appears that it could be a recurring service. However, it is not clear at this time what this subscription is about or when it is coming to “Pokemon GO.” In the absence of official announcement from Niantic, fans should cautiously take this information with a pinch of salt.

“Pokemon GO” is the first augmented reality game introduced in the industry. The game was a phenomenal hit when it released in 2016 and continues to be among the games in the industry with a massive playerbase.