Pokemon GO may not be as popular as it was when it initially launched in early July, but Niantic Labs’ latest creation is still one of the most played games by Android device owners. Because of that, it’s not surprising that the San Francisco-based studio is working hard to keep delivering a constant stream of content updates for its augmented reality (AR) mobile game. While Pokemon GO may be a casual game, it’s still susceptible to the danger of players getting bored with it, which is why its developers are doing everything they can to keep them interested.
In-game events and improved mechanics aside, one of the most obvious additions to Pokemon GO that would certainly reignite player interest is new pocket monsters to catch. Earlier this month, a breakdown of the latest Pokemon GO APK revealed that Niantic has actually already included references to all second generation Pokemon in the game’s code. As the said references still weren’t connected to any in-game moves, it was evident that there’s still some way to go until we get to catch the likes of Pichu and Umbreon in Pokemon GO. More specifically, we need another client-side update before we can enjoy an expanded Pokemon pool. Luckily, the latest rumors suggest one such update is coming as early as next month.
Namely, a Reddit user claiming to be a Starbucks employee posted a picture of an alleged internal memo from the coffee company earlier this week. The picture which you can see below suggests that the coffee shop chain will be starting a new Pokemon marketing campaign on December 7 which will coincide with the “launch of Pokemon Version 2.” Presuming that this memo is legit, there’s still no way of knowing that the “Version 2” refers to the second generation of pocket monsters in Pokemon GO, though it’s hard to imagine any other possibility.
Of course, questioning the legitimacy of this picture also isn’t outrageous as it contains numerous typos of the word “Pokemon” which it spells as “Pokeman, ” and there’s no proof that the document is actually an internal memo from Starbucks. In any case, take this with a grain of salt but also don’t be entirely surprised if Niantic announces the second generation Pokemon GO update in the coming weeks.