Gyms Going Offline In Preparation For New Events And Updates Coming To Pokémon Go

If you’re still playing Pokémon Go, life is about to get more interesting. The game is approaching its one-year anniversary, and Niantic and The Pokémon Company are marking the milestone with new in-game and live events, as well as a new update.

First off, a Solstice Event starts June 13, giving XP bonuses for players who can hurl their Pokéballs accurately, and increasing the odds of catching fire- and ice-type Pokémon. Lucky Eggs are will also be cheaper in the shop, in case you need to stock up. 

The bigger news is that a new update is coming after the Solstice Event, “focused on collaborative group gameplay features that will get you playing Pokémon Go in fun new ways,” according to the dev team. Gyms will be temporarily disabled before the update – which doesn’t have a release date – goes live.

Trainers who live in or near Chicago may want to keep their calendar open on July 22. The first-ever live Pokémon event is being held there in Grant Park, featuring “a ton of exciting festivities.” Tickets for that go on sale starting June 19 at 10 a.m. Pacific.

[Source: Pokémon Go]

Our Take
I’m curious to learn more about this Chicago event. How much are they going to charge to attend something like that? And if there are special Pokémon or other incentives, couldn’t you lurk outside the gate and access it via GPS anyway?