Pokemon GO Studio Teases Future Plans
Michael is a lifelong gamer whose first memories with video games come from being a four-year-old playing Sonic the Hedgehog on his brother's Sega Genesis and Pokemon Red on his Game Boy Color. He is a noted RPG buff whose lists some of his favorite franchises as Persona, Tales, and Fire Emblem.
Alongside his lifelong love for video games, Michael is a passionate fan of anime, hockey, and card games, particularly Yu-Gi-Oh. Michael has over 1,000 hours on Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel on Steam alone, peaking at Master 4. Michael is also a Level 1-certified judge for the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game.
Michael is also an avid hobby writer, regularly posting his fiction to his "lordtakuro" Twitter page. Michael has written a full novel, currently in the post-writing stage, and is in the process of writing his second.
Pokemon GO developer Scopely teased some of its plans for the future of the beloved mobile game, hinting at a greater focus on the out-of-game experience. Pokemon GO has been celebrating its tenth anniversary throughout 2026 with numerous major events.
Scopely has given Pokemon GO fans plenty of reason to be excited about the game throughout its tenth anniversary celebrations. The game kicked off its tenth birthday with the special All Out event, which made nearly every Pokemon included in the game able to be found in the wild. Pokemon GO's recent GO Fest 2026 also added one of the most highly-anticipated new Pokemon to the game as its major highlight, welcoming the debut of Mega Mewtwo X and Y in Pokemon GO. Now, Scopely is giving fans an idea of what's to come in the game's future.
Pokemon GO Teases Community-Focused Future Plans
Image via The Pokemon Company
Image via Niantic
Image via Niantic
Scopely Vice President of Product, Michael Steranka, recently spoke about the future of Pokemon GO during an interview with VGC. Steranka said that revamping Pokemon GO's Gym system will be a major focus for the developer, with Scopely intending to turn Gyms into a "gathering spot" where players can connect with each other. The interview suggested that the studio will be taking steps to improve the community aspects of the mobile game, hinting that "exploring the world" will be an "endless objective" for the mobile game. Steranka did not mention any specific changes coming to Pokemon GO during the interview.
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A greater focus on Pokemon GO's out-of-game experience will likely place more attention on co-op elements within the mobile game. Raids currently serve as one of the main forms of co-op content in Pokemon GO, allowing players to team up with others to battle and capture powerful Pokemon. The previously-mentioned Gym system serves as a collaborative effort between players, with fans picking one of Pokemon GO's three Teams and vying for control of different Gyms. Niantic also added the Party Play system to Pokemon GO in 2022, allowing up to four trainers to team up and clear special shared challenges.
Alongside the teased community updates, Pokemon GO has lots of exciting content in store for players throughout July. Pokemon GO will feature another popular Legendary Pokemon in its own event in late July, with the Ozone Ascent event giving players the chance to pick up Mega Rayquaza. Scopely is set to launch a special one-day event on July 21 as well, with Professor Willow's Birthday Research event adding a new costumed Pikachu variant wearing the Pokemon GO Professor's lab coat.
Pokemon GO's multitude of events has been just one part of a huge anniversary celebration for the Pokemon franchise. Game Freak and The Pokemon Company officially announced the franchise's next main-series games during the 30th anniversary Pokemon Day broadcast, revealing Pokemon Winds and Waves for 2027. The Pokemon TCG is also debuting its own special anniversary set in September, with 30th Celebration bringing everything from new rarities to reprints of classic cards. Pokemon fans should have plenty to look forward to throughout the rest of the beloved franchise's 30th birthday.
Source: Insider Gaming
