Mega evolutions are coming to Pokémon Go

By Giovanni Colantonio August 26, 2020

Pokémon Go is getting a mega upgrade. Mega evolutions, a popular feature from Pokémon X and Y, will hit Niantic’s mobile game on August 27.

Mega evolutions allow players to temporarily transform certain Pokémon into a powerful, alternate form. Trainers will need to collect a new material called Mega Energy, which is gained by completing Mega Raid Battles, to evolve a Pokémon. More energy is rewarded depending on how fast players complete the event. Niantic will remove two- and four-star raid battles from the pool to increase the focus on mega battles with Venusaur, Blastoise, and Charizard raids being the first to go live this week.

Max Energy is Pokémon-specific in the same way candy is, meaning that players will need to fight Mega Blastoise to collect Blastoise Max Energy.

Only four Pokémon will support mega evolutions when it arrives on Thursday: Charizard, Blastoise, Venasaur, and Beedrill. Charizard will be able to evolve into both its X and Y forms, and players can choose which one they want when evolving. A new Mega Pokédex will track how many forms players have discovered. As with Stardust, Pokémon’s evolution will require less energy after the first transformation.

Much like in Pokémon X and Y, only one creature on a player’s roster can mega evolve at a time. Once a second Pokémon is evolved, the first will lose the effect. Shadow and clone Pokémon cannot mega evolve.

Players can use the souped-up Pokémon in the game’s most competitive events, such as gyms, trainer battles, and raids. When using a mega evolved Pokémon in a raid battle, all other Pokémon in the battle receive an attack boost. Pokémon that are the same type as a mega evolved monster will get an even bigger power increase in the battle. Megas can be set as a buddy Pokémon, but cannot be left to defend a gym.

A host of new events and special research tasks based around the mechanic will also come in September. The first will take place between September 1 and 7, focusing on mega raids. Later events will focus on battles and the game’s buddy feature.

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Giovanni Colantonio

Section Editor, Gaming

Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…

Gaming

Pokémon Presents February 2023: how to watch and what to expect

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet protagonist holding glowing Poke Ball

Pokémon Day 2023 is nearly upon us, and it will bring another Pokémon Presents showcase full of exciting announcements regarding the long-running series. As Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were quite successful despite technical problems, a lot of fans are curious to learn what's next, both for those individual titles and the franchise as a whole.
Pokémon fans who want to learn about the series' future should certainly tune into this presentation. If you're wondering how to watch it and what kinds of announcements to expect for the first Pokémon Presents of 2023, we've rounded up all of that information here for you.
When is the February 2023 Pokémon Presents?
This Pokémon Presents showcase will start at 6 a.m. PT on February 27, which is Pokémon Day, as well as the 27th anniversary of the series. The Pokémon Company says the presentation will last "around 20 minutes."
How to watch
The February 27 Pokémon Presents will be officially live-streamed on the main Pokémon YouTube Channel. We'll embed the live stream below ahead of the presentation. Other sites and Pokémon-themed content creators will likely be co-streaming the event as well.
https://twitter.com/Pokemon/status/1628032454295531522
What to expect
Unfortunately, The Pokémon Company was light on giving any real hints as to what we'll see during this Nintendo Direct-like presentation. But if this showcase falls in line with previous Pokémon Presents live streams, then we can expect it to give us an overview of all the big Pokémon titles coming out this year. Currently, we don't know if any brand-new Pokémon games are launching in 2023; if there aren't, then hopefully we'll see some DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Some leaks may have also spoiled some of the Pokémon Presents' surprises. Leakers have found data for more new Pokémon forms that could potentially come to Scarlet and Violet via updates. Meanwhile, fans found mention of Spike Chunsoft in the new Pokémon Together website's source code, so it seems likely that a new Pokémon Mystery Dungeon from that developer is coming soon. Regardless of what's actually announced, February 27 is shaping up to be a really exciting day for Pokémon fans.

Gaming

NBA All-World aims to replicate Pokémon Go’s success starting today

A player walks around their neighborhood's map in NBA All-World.

Niantic launched NBA All-World, its basketball-themed, location-based mobile game, on iOS and Android today. Ahead of this release, Digital Trends attended a presentation to learn more about how the sports AR title works.
If you've played any of Niantic's games before, many elements of NBA All-World will feel quite familiar. The mobile game tracks players' location and encourages them to explore. While doing so, players will find Drop Zones that grant them new gear. Niantic says Drop Zones will often be placed near real-world counterparts, so players can find money near a bank or shoes near a shoe store.
There will also be Player Encounters, where they can face off against current NBA athletes. Niantic tells Digital Trends that classic athletes aren't currently in the game, but feels that idea "is a good one."

In Player Encounters, users face off against athletes in one of four minigames: 3-Point Shootout, Beat the Clock, Around the World, and First-to-Five. While they feature some impressive and realistic animation for a mobile game, Niantic says these minigames only use simple swipe controls because the studio wanted to make something that is easy to play while someone is walking around their neighborhood. If a user wins a Player Encounter, they can recruit that athlete to their team, customize them with items found at Drop Zones, and upgrade them by playing with them. Players can also challenge players they already recruited again to earn more currency.
The title also includes "Rule the Court" neighborhood leaderboards, many of which are placed at real-world basketball courts, where players can compete for the highest score. Currently, there are no player-versus-player elements in NBA All-World, although Niantic understands players like competitive modes in their sports games and may add them in the future. In fact, many features are still in the pipeline for post-launch updates, including Niantic's trademark AR support. Early in the second quarter of 2023, Niantic plans on adding AR support to NBA All-World to enhance the loot drops from Drop Zones to make it look like they're happening in the real world.
One thing that will be in the game at launch is microtransactions, which Niantic says will be similar to the ones available in its other games and allow players to increase their athletes' stats with Offense, Defense, and Fitness boosts.
Despite the undeniable success of Pokémon Go, Niantic has never been able to completely replicate its success with games like Harry Potter: Wizards Unite or Pikmin Bloom. However, the studio seems confident that basketball has the global mass appeal to make NBA All-World another massive hit for the company. The early footage we saw of the game does leave us optimistic for NBA All-World's prospects, but we'll ultimately have to wait and see if the game will make it past its rookie season.
NBA All-World is available now for iOS and Android.

Gaming

The best Pokémon Scarlet and Violet mods

Three shiny Pokémon by a picnic.

It's no secret that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet launched in a technically messy state. Many are willing to look past the flaws in performance, graphics, and quality of life features, however, others took it upon themselves to fix or improve aspects of the game that the developers can't or won't. While modding is typically associated with PC games, it is possible to do it on your Nintendo Switch. There are limitations, and they may come with some risks, but these mods can certainly make your journey through Paldea more enjoyable. Don't expect a 4K, 60 fps enhancement here, but these are the best Pokémon Scarlet and Violet mods out there.
How to mod Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Modding on your Nintendo Switch isn't as easy as it is on PC, but as long as you follow a few simple steps, anyone can do it. The basics of it simply ask you to download the Trinity Mod Loader tool, download the mod(s) you want and add them to the tool, and then apply the mod to your Switch.

Be aware that mods can result in you getting banned by Nintendo, so it is recommended that you play offline while using them. Even then, you do so at your own risk.