‘Pokemon Go’: Is an Update Required to Get the New Pokemon?

(Niantic)

‘Pokemon Go’ is available for iOS and Android devices. (Niantic)

Several new Pokemon are being added to Pokemon Go starting today, December 12th.

These Pokemon are now live, with some players around the world already getting their hands on Igglybuff, Pichu and Togepi. If you haven’t been able to get one for yourself, it’s not because you have to wait for an update to hit the app store; no app update is required before getting the new Pokemon.

You’ll notice, in fact, that when you start the game now, even without having updated the app, you will see a brand new loading screen depicting Pikachu and Snorlax holding up a bunch of Christmas lights. If you see this graphic, that confirms you are playing the new version of the game, and you now have every opportunity to get some of the new creatures.

The new Pokemon are only available through hatching eggs, and it’s also important to note that these eggs must be new. When you obtain an egg, its output is immediately determined; it isn’t determined when you actually hatch it. For that reason, any eggs you came upon before the new Pokemon were released can’t possibly contain any of the new Pokemon. But any eggs you come upon from this afternoon onward may have the new Pokemon.

A new update was just released for Pokemon Go a few days ago, with that presumably making some of Monday’s changes possible. In addition to the added Pokemon, there is also now a limited edition Christmas Pikachu out in the wild. It will be wearing a Santa hat, and you can catch it from now until December 29th. During that time, Pikachu spawns will increase so that everyone has a chance to get their hands on one.

So far, all of the new Pokemon confirmed to be added to the game are baby Pokemon, although Niantic says that more will be coming in the next few months.