'Pokémon Go' Update Adds More Gen 3 Creatures, New Dynamic Weather System

Video game developer Niantic has revealed that “Pokémon Go” will receive a series of updates that will bring some big changes to the game. Niantic has also confirmed that more generation 3 Pokémon will be added to the game and that the game will be able to adapt to real-life weather conditions.

“Starting later this week, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, and several more Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region in the ‘Pokémon Ruby’ and ‘Pokémon Sapphire’ video games will start appearing in ‘Pokémon GO’ for the first time ever—with even more to be discovered over the next several weeks,” The Pokémon Go Team said in a blog post.

Niantic began adding gen 3 creatures in “Pokémon Go” during its Halloween event that players were able to catch, train and or battle. Neither Niantic nor The Pokémon Company revealed the full list of newly available creatures, but Swablu, Wailord, Salamence and Feebas were mentioned, according to GameSpot.

The biggest change that will be arriving to “Pokémon Go” is the new dynamic weather system. With this new feature, the in-game map will reflect the real-life weather conditions. For example, if someone is playing “Pokémon Go” in a rainy area, it will also be raining on the in-game map. The addition of the dynamic weather system isn’t just a gimmick either as it also affects how players discover, catch and interact with Pokémon.

“In addition to the in-game map being updated with cool new weather visuals, weather near you will impact Pokémon in a variety of ways. For example, you’ll find your odds of discovering Mudkip splashing around will greatly improve on rainy days, as certain Pokémon types will be more commonly found during various weather conditions,” The Pokémon Go team said.

“Additionally, attacks of certain types will be more effective during some weather conditions, so a Charizard’s Fire Spin will perform better on sunny days, for example. Rain or shine, winter or spring, your gameplay experience will remain fresh, making your time outdoors even more exciting.”

Niantic confirmed to TechCrunch that the new dynamic weather system will have an effect on spawning Pokémon. For example, a water Pokémon that spawns during a rainy day will have a higher CP (Combat Power) than usual. Also, a Pokémon that spawns because of the weather will also grant players with more stardust.

For “Pokémon Go” players who may be living in areas that don’t experience specific weather patterns, they won’t have to worry either. Pokémon that are brought about by their preferred weather will still appear everywhere, it will simply be a lot less common. So it’s still possible to find and catch ice type Pokémon even if players are living in warm areas.

The inclusion of the new dynamic weather system along with the new gen 3 Pokémon isn’t a coincidence either. Gen 3 Pokémon were first introduced in “Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire,” the very first games in the franchise to feature changing weather conditions in-game.