To keep players informed with the development, Niantic has released a new set of Dev Diaries for December in Pokémon GO. This set of notes will focus on the people from the Pokémon GO development team and their views and insights on the Season of Heritage. Pokémon GO heads into the second year of seasons, as this set of diaries will look closely in designing a season, crafting a logo for it. This opportunity will also present players a look into how future seasons will shape up, reflecting how past seasons have been made.
Pokémon GO: Designing a Season
While designing a season, Dan Thomas shares that seasons are optimized after taking the best bits from previous seasons. This is done to make sure that each season feels distinct and likable to Pokémon GO trainers.
We found building from a central theme to be a really fruitful approach, so that’s something we want to continue to do in the Season of Heritage and beyond, This Season will take Trainers through events that draw inspiration from several iconic locations in the world of Pokémon, to really dig into the concept of ‘heritage.’ For example, our first major event of the Season was inspired by Dragonspiral Tower—the oldest tower in the Unova region seen in Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version!
Dan Thomas, Game Design
A season-long Special Research story was tried out for the first time, during the Season of Mischief, which helped in the Season’s Hoopa-focused narrative. The goal for the Season of Heritage is to create an experience that celebrates parts of the Pokémon world that many Trainers may look back on fondly, while also introducing new Trainers to these celebrated locales. The dev team continues to refine the Season model, granting players meaningful challenges while playing the game.
Pokémon GO: Creating a story for seasons
By using a common narrative thread in the game and marketing, the Pokémon GO team could connect some of the in-game events occurring during the Season. It is necessary to continue storytelling across different forms of media, to let the Trainers get excited about the new season.
Various in-game events will be tied and eventually transformed into a focal point of the upcoming Pokémon GO Tour: Johto! The Johto region is home to unique locations like Ecruteak City and the Ruins of Alph that are steeped in history and mystique. Players must follow the threads woven by the Dev Team around this concept of heritage, as the story builds up to its climax!
Pokémon GO The Season of Heritage: Future of Seasons
The developers are also using seasons as set points to evaluate and reevaluate the elements of Pokémon Go. This is to ensure the game is constantly improving. This includes remote-play focused content like increased Incense effectiveness while stationary, increased Remote Raid damage, and more which are constantly being talked about in regards to balancing in-person promotion and providing players ways to play while remaining safe.
Our team is extremely excited to continue refining the concept of Seasons in Pokémon GO as we move into 2022! Over the next year, we want our Seasonal themes and storylines to act as the focal point for our in-game events, social content, and more. Our goal will be to make you truly feel like Seasons bring about unique, meaningful shifts in Pokémon GO.
Michael Steranka, Live Game Director
The team is constantly working hard to make improvements and provide timely updates for each situation. Fasten the seat belts for more fun experiences in 2022 and years to come!
Are you excited for the new Season of Heritage coming in Pokémon GO? Let us know in the comments section below!
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