Pokémon GO has really been reviving its early hype lately, and it’s not about to let that momentum slip away. Buckle up, trainers, the Psychic Spectacular kicks off today.
There’s no doubt that the blockbuster app has had a turbulent history. Some players were turned away shortly after launch, by the glitches, crashes and bugs that plagued the whole thing (think Grand Theft Auto Online, with less car chases and more pidgeys) and the questionable tracking. Others simply dropped out as the months passed by, the whole thing getting a little samey.
The more dedicated fans, needless to say, have been getting their GO on for over two years now. They’ve had their gripes about Niantic’s mismanagement (last July’s big celebration of the game, Pokémon GO fest, was an unmitigated disaster), sure, but there’s no denying that they’re working hard to be better of late.
It’s always great to see developers and publishers step up, even if it often does take them far too darn long to do so. The most important thing is that they do get there, and that’s exactly what we’ve been seeing. With the addition of the social features that we’ve been clamouring for since the launch, along with other timed events and features, the app has been more popular than ever. As we reported last month, GO has seen a huge spike in activity lately (a 35%increase in active usage since May).
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Regardless, though, it’s vital not to get complacent. Especially in this industry; you know how understanding and sympathetic gamers tend to be when companies drop the ball or start resting on their laurels. As such, Niantic are keeping a steady stream of content coming. As we speak, Suicune is now available via research tasks, and the new Psychic Spectacular event kicks off today.
According to Nintendo Life, this is a celebration of Psychic-type Pokémon. Eager players have already noticed Mewtwo appearing in regular raids (it was previously EX raid exclusive), and that’s what we’re referencing here. From 1pm PDT today until the same time on October 14, there will be additional field research tasks themed around Psychic-types. They’ll also appear more often in the wild.
The biggest news, for fans of shiny Pokémon, is that a rare shiny Drowzee variant will have a chance to spawn during this period. Drowzee has always been ten-a-penny (remember when Hypnos were defending every gym ever during the early days?), but now we’ve got a reason to look out for them again.
Only until October 14, though, so you’d better get out there and start catching ‘em all.