A new month is nearly upon us, which means Pokemon Go players will soon have a new batch of Field Research tasks to complete. Developer Niantic will be rolling out a new set of quests around the world beginning at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on July 1, and they'll give you a chance to encounter more Legendaries, as well as another Shiny Pokemon.

From July through the beginning of September, each Research Breakthrough you achieve in Pokemon Go will lead to a chance to catch one of the following Legendaries: Latios, Latias, Kyogre (which is available for a limited time right now in Raid Battles), or Groudon. Additionally, Spinda featuring a new spot pattern will be available through new Field Research tasks, and those lucky enough will be able to encounter a Shiny version.

As usual, you can acquire Field Research tasks by spinning the Photo Disc at Poke Stops. The first one you complete each day will reward you with a stamp; if you manage to collect seven stamps, you'll achieve a Research Breakthrough, which will then lead to an encounter with one of the aforementioned Legendaries. You can read more details on the official Pokemon Go website.

Before the new Field Research tasks arrive, Niantic is bringing a new Pokemon to EX Raids. Beginning June 23, players will be able to encounter the Speed Forme of the Mythical Pokemon Deoxys in EX Raids for the first time. Unlike standard Raid Battles, EX Raids are invite-only; you can only participate in one if you've receive an EX Raid Pass, and the only way to do that is if you've recently won a Raid at a qualifying Gym.

As previously mentioned, you don't need to wait for July's Field Research to find Kyogre. The Legendary Water Pokemon is available in standard Raid Battles again until June 27, when it'll be replaced by Groudon. Niantic is also bringing the Legendary dog Raikou back to Raids for a limited time. To reward players for completing enough Global Challenges during the recent Pokemon Go Fest event, Niantic is holding a Raikou Raid Day on Saturday, June 29, from 4-7 PM local time.

In other news, Niantic's Harry Potter mobile game, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, is now live in the US and UK. The title was slated to launch on June 21, but has arrived in both regions a day early. While its premise is very similar to Pokemon Go's, Wizards Unite also differs in a few notable ways. You can read more about the game in our hands-on impressions of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, as well as some Wizards Unite features we think Pokemon Go should take.

Trainers, it’s a slow day in the world of Pokemon GO, mostly because of the surprise launch of Wizards Unite in the US and UK, but another contributing factor is the end of GO Fest and a relatively silent week overall. However, a few changes have happened and they are noteworthy – especially for folks attending GO Fest Dortmund and for players who play Ingress alongside Pokemon GO.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is out in US and UK

Alas, the long awaited Harry Potter AR game is out and about, but currently only in New Zealand, Australia, US and UK. This form of staged release has become a norm for Niantic and Wizards Unite follows suite. We’re working hard on WU Hub to cover the game in-depth and to integrate a database within the website itself, so check it out when you have the time. Visit Wizards Unite Hub for more information 🧙

Overall, the release seems to be going smoothly, with no server issues and major bugs. It looks like Niantic is using everything they’ve learned from Pokemon GO to ensure a smooth launch for Wizards Unite.

Cranidos spawns at GO Fest Dortmund

Dortmund attendees are in luck, as Niantic announced that Cranidos will be a featured Pokemon in Dortmund! When evolved into Rampardos, Cranidos is crazy powerful, filling the role of a ROCK type Gengar – high DPS, but low survivability. We’re excited for everyone attending, as it’s expected that

Changes to Ingress Portal Nominations

Ingress Portals can now be submitted from as far as 25 KM away, which sounds quite strange on the face of it, but Niantic’s reasoning is that places with bad cell coverage can be quite extensive. In addition, you can now use previously taken photos while submitting a Portal Candidate, even if you’re not at the location of where the portal is being submitting to. Niantic warned players that this change will be well monitored and reverted if they observe a drop in Portal Candidate submission quality. The change is available for everyone with Ingres 2.25.

​The third annual Pokemon Go Fest took place in Chicago this past weekend, and as usual, developer Niantic held a series of Global Challenges during the event. As a reward for completing these challenges, the studio is making a variety of bonuses available in the game for a limited time, and it's also bringing the popular Legendary Raikou back to Raids for one day only.

From now until June 25, players will receive twice the usual amount of Candy for capturing and hatching Pokemon. On top of that, Pokemon Eggs will hatch at half the distance they normally require. You're also guaranteed to receive one Rare Candy each time you participate in a Raid.

Then, on Saturday, June 29, Niantic is holding a special Raikou Raid Day. On that day, the Legendary dog will reappear in Raid Battles from 4-7 PM local time, and you'll have a chance of encountering a Shiny Raikou. You'll also be able to receive up to five free Raid Passes during the event hours, which you'll need to participate in Raids. You can read more details about the Go Fest rewards on the official Pokemon Go website.

In the meantime, you'll have another chance to catch Kyogre. The Legendary Gen 3 Pokemon has returned to Raid Battles until June 27, and this time, you may encounter its Shiny form when challenging it. Kyogre marks the second of three Legendary Pokemon Niantic is bringing back to the game. The final one, Groudon, will appear from June 27 to July 10.

Niantic has two more Pokemon Go Fest events lined up this summer. The next one will take place in Dortmund, Germany, from July 4-7, with an event in Yokohama, Japan, following August 6-12. Even if you can't attend in-person, Niantic will hold Global Challenges during each event. Meanwhile, the game's next Community Day is scheduled for Sunday, July 21, although no further details have been announced yet.

​A new Legendary Pokemon has arrived in Pokemon Go. Following Cresselia's departure, the Legendary Water-type Kyogre is making an encore appearance in Raid Battles for the next few days--and this time, you'll have a chance to encounter its Shiny form.

Kyogre will appear in Raids from now until June 27. As before, you'll first need to team up with other players in-person and battle the Legendary Pokemon before you can have an opportunity to capture it. Kyogre is a pure Water-type, which makes it susceptible to Grass- and Electric-type Pokemon. Your best bet for success is to bring along monsters such as Roserade, Leafeon, Manectric, and Magnezone when challenging it.

Kyogre is the second of three Legendary Pokemon developer Niantic is bringing back to Go. After it leaves on June 27, its counterpart from Pokemon Ruby, Groudon, will take its place until July 10. Just as was the case with Kyogre and Cresselia, you'll also have a chance to encounter a Shiny Groudon when it returns to Raids. You can read more details on the official Pokemon Go website.

Kyogre's return comes on the heels of the annual Pokemon Go Fest, which took place in Chicago this past weekend. As a reward for completing enough Global Challenges during the event, Niantic is giving players twice the usual amount of Candy for capturing and hatching Pokemon until June 25. Eggs will also hatch at half of their normal distance until then, and you're guaranteed to earn one Rare Candy per Raid.

On top of those bonuses, Niantic is bringing one of the three Legendary dogs, Raikou, back for a special Raid day. The Legendary Electric-type will return to Raid Battles on Saturday, June 29, from 4-7 PM local time. During the event, you'll be able to receive up to five free Raid Passes from Gyms, and you may even encounter a Shiny Raikou.

​At this point, you know what you're getting from Pokémon Go Fest. It's become reliable, but in the right ways; if last year's event didn't confirm it, this third Go Fest has put to bed the question of whether Niantic can run fan gatherings without major network issues (as we saw with 2017's disastrous debut) while attendees will always walk away with an exclusive (for a while at least, anyway), never-before-seen Pokémon, plus a deluge of regional exclusives and Unown letters to take home.

Aside from a storm that temporarily evacuated the event on Saturday - an act of God even developer Niantic can't do much about, but still compensated players for - this past week's four-day event in Chicago ran smoothly. Between the eradication of queues to start playing (a lengthy wait for merchandise and PvP tournaments were another matter, mind) and plenty to keep people entertained on the day, it seems that everyone who attended walked away happy. What a difference a couple of years make.

Though at this point we know what we're getting from attending a Go Fest, this is not to say it isn't capable of trying new things. For example this year restrictions were lifted so you could easily trade Pokémon with strangers. Usually, you could only trade Pokémon with newcomers at a staggering cost, and do so once-per-day. Only by becoming in-game friends and interacting daily for weeks and months are these restrictions eased; it's a smart, well-balanced system, making those who want to shortcut their way to a complete Pokédex think twice about whether it's worth doing. But here, with those costs slashed and up to five trades possible, you could walk away with not only the rare Pokémon Niantic itself had on offer, but potentially much more thanks to fellow attendees.

Not only did the game encourage this through a bonus quest after receiving Jirachi, this year's exclusive Mythical catch, but the event space itself did too. A trading post was a constant hive of activity, with staff emceeing requests over megaphones, and handing out signs for attendees to scribble their requests on to be held aloft or stuffed on the outside of a backpack as they explored the park.

It was a simple, analogue approach but it worked; after an awkward double take and neck crane to glance at a speeding passerby's sign, I got talking to a pair from Toronto who, between the three of us, managed to finally complete the regional 'Lake Trio', a set of legendary Pokémon you could only get from visiting distant continents - or by trading with those who have. Despite the discount on the day, the costs were still eye-watering - a million Stardust, a currency that doesn't come easily - but within a matter of minutes, I managed to catch some of the most elusive creatures with surprising ease.

Throughout the day, a glance of a sign often led to an exchange of pleasantries and some friendly bartering, and even when a trade didn't go someone's way, there were acts of generosity to help another player in need - someone from Florida was happy to give me a regional exclusive Carnivine because it was 'like a pest' where they lived. One person's trash is another's treasure, and all that.

People weren't just out to complete their Pokédex, either, but collect their favourite shinies or get their hands on sets of Pokémon with legacy movesets you cannot get anymore, providing a surprising amount of flexibility in what trading could be, if given more of an opportunity to do so. These simple changes to trading, a feature not even advertised ahead of time, was easily the highlight of this year's Go Fest, and made this gathering of players from far-flung regions make more sense than ever before.

This drive to connect strangers was reflected in other parts of the event, too. PokéStops littered the park, and not only did these give out a steady supply of Poké Balls to keep you catching Pokémon throughout the day, but also provided bonus research tasks to add new friends, send gifts and challenge others to battle.

Whether by accident or design, their random distribution meant wherever you were in the park, there was someone in need of a helping hand to complete them. These encounters were often fleeting but fruitful, often leading to discussions of the biomes nearby and advice of which rare Pokémon could be found there, or even just simple small talk about where people travelled from and what shinies they were lucky enough to find that day. Like trading, it gave a greater purpose to having so many players all in one place.

Working with others like this was so positive that I hope Niantic doesn't stop there. Personally, I'd love to see it in other areas of the game; though Pokémon Go is the most complete, well-rounded and social as it's ever been, with monthly Community Days, themed events and coordinated raids keeping dedicated local communities going, it lacks the spark and surprise of encountering new players that the game had many years ago, and perhaps offering similar tasks to Go Fest - whether it's seeking out new players, or battling and trading under various circumstances - could help recapture that day-to-day.

But even if it doesn't - after all, it makes the most sense to do this at events, not to mention the opening up of trading becoming a genuine selling point to attend - next month's gathering in Dortmund looks to adopt the Chicago template, with ticket-only access and a likely similar research quest, and hopefully these other less advertised but perhaps more interesting ideas to encourage socialising as well. Two years on, and not only has Niantic worked out how to reliably put on a well-run event, but has given us more compelling reasons to attend one.

Cheat creator Global++ has shut down its operations after being sued in the United States. Pokémon Go creator Niantic accused the group of infringing its intellectual property rights and spoiling the gaming experience for legitimate players. Global++ websites and social media accounts are now offline.

Video gaming is huge business, generating billions for companies around the world. However, the way some people choose to play games doesn’t always sit well with entertainment companies.

In order to gain advantages over regular players, some resort to using cheats created by third parties. These provide access to skills and abilities unavailable in the regular versions of games. Development group Global++ provided such cheats for Pokémon Go and other titles but that drew the ire of San Francisco-based Niantic, the game’s original developer.

As first reported by Business Insider, on Friday Niantic filed a lawsuit in a California federal court against Global++, two individuals named as Ryan Hunt (aka ELLIOTROBOT) and Alen Hunter (aka IOS NOOB), plus 20 ‘John Does’.

Niantic’s complaint states that the only permissible way to play its augmented reality games (Pokémon Go, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and Ingress) is via its original apps installable on mobile devices.

These apps, which contain protected proprietary code, have permission to access Niantic’s servers. However, Niantic says that Global++ illegally copied its work.

​“Defendants hack Niantic’s apps to access and copy Niantic’s Client Code, then modify and adulterate the Client Code to create what they call ‘tweaks’—i.e., unauthorized, hacked versions of Niantic’s apps. Defendants then market their hacked apps under the titles Potter++ (or, in some cases, Unite++), PokeGo++, and Ingress++,” the complaint reads.

These cheats not only undermine the gaming experience for legitimate players, Niantic adds, they are also used by Global++ to “steal valuable and proprietary game-related information” which is then utilized for commercial purposes.

These cheating programs have been reportedly distributed to hundreds of thousands of users but when Niantic asked Global++ to stop its activities, the unincorporated entity allegedly ignored the US-based developer and continued as before.

Seeking an injunction from the court, Niantic’s complaint begins with alleged breaches of the Copyright Act, given that Global++ copied Niantic’s code in order to develop its cheats, and then distributed that infringing code to its users.

According to the company’s analysis, up to 99% of Niantic’s original code is used in Global++ cheat software.

Niantic further alleges breaches of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act due to Global++ and its users accessing Niantic’s servers “through unauthorized, hacked versions of Niantic’s apps.” According to the company, this illegal activity persisted even after Global++ was informed in writing that their access was unauthorized.

Finally, Niantic notes that since Global++ are Niantic account holders bound by the company’s Terms of Service, breaches of that agreement – including copying Niantic’s code and misappropriating its code for commercial purposes – are also evident.

With Niantic’s new Harry Potter game set for launch, the company is urgently seeking a preliminary injunction from the court to prevent Global++ from launching a new version of its Potter++ cheat within days “or possibly even hours” of that event. However, Global++ now appears to be more receptive to Niantic’s demands.

Following claims in the complaint that Niantic has spent more than $1 million over the past year attempting to deal with Global++ cheats, Global++ took to its official Discord channel to indicate that the show is now over.

“It is with great sadness that we will be shutting down indefinitely incompliance [sic] with our legal obligations,” the statement reads.

“It has been a fun ride with the entire community and we have made some unbelievable memories. We will hold close to our heart all of the people that we were able to introduce Pokemon to that for various reasons could not play the game. Take care all.”

At the time of writing, the Global++ website is down, its Discord channel is closed, its Twitter account and Facebook accounts are no more, and its Github.io address is returning errors.

If you're looking for some Pokemon Go cheats, then you've come to the right place... kind of. We're not some sort of Pokemon Go cheats black market dealer, but we've got the details on what Pokemon Go cheats exist and what they do, but be aware that you use them at your own risk. Cheats in Pokemon Go can get you banned very quickly, but they can also provide some sweet rewards and you'll be the envy of all your friends. Just don't tell them you've used any Pokemon Go cheats, and this way you can spot the telltale signs for when someone else has used cheats.

Warning: We do not recommend using any of these cheats because there is a strong risk you'll be banned and it's unfair for the millions of legitimate players around the world.

Pokemon Go cheats: Spoofing

Spoofing in Pokemon Go is making the game think you're in a different location to where you actually are. Since Pokemon Go is based on your real world position, you can spoof your location to move wherever you want and catch rare Pokemon, even if they've spawned thousands of miles away. Niantic have started to crack down on this, so do it at your own peril; we wouldn't recommend it!

Pokemon Go cheats: Botting

Botting is like spoofing but even worse, because it's essentially automatic spoofing. You don't get to choose which Pokemon the bot account catches, instead it will just roam around catching rare and powerful Pokemon all over the world. This is for the laziest players out there, and just like spoofing, you stand a very high chance of being banned if you do this. If you're still tempted, make a spare account and give it a go!

Pokemon Go cheats: Auto-IV checkers

The combat power of any Pokemon in Pokemon Go is dependent on their IV, which stands for Individual Values. A 100% IV Pokemon is the best possible, but there's no way of checking the exact IV without a third party program - all you can do is appraise your Pokemon through your team leader, which gives a vague answer at best. Manual IV checkers aren't banned, but they require you to check each and every single Pokemon you catch with a screenshot. Instead, some players opt to use automatic IV checkers but unfortunately, these are banned because they link directly to your account. It can save a lot of time, but is it worth it when you risk your account being banned?

Pokemon Go cheats: Multi-accounting
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This isn't technically cheating because it doesn't directly connect to the game, but Niantic still forbid it. Multi-accounting is as you'd expect; having multiple accounts on the go at once. Some will use accounts on different teams to clear gyms before quickly logging into their main accounts and filling the gyms up, while others will access the accounts of friends and family at the same time to fill up new gyms. Either way, it's banned, but not quite as harmful as some other cheats and exploits.

Pokemon Go cheats: Account sharing

​Just as you're not allowed to have multiple accounts on the go at once, you also can't share your account with other people so they can catch Pokemon in different places. This is hard for Niantic to detect as long as you don't use the account simultaneously and give it enough time before logging in when there's a long distance between the previous person, but make sure you're careful when doing it. Sometimes you've got a pal out in a different region and you just need that Relicanth or Corsola...

These are the main cheats and exploits available in Pokemon Go, but there's also plenty of tips and tricks you can use that are well within the rules. 

​Niantic's annual Pokemon Go Fest event is about to kick off in Chicago, and to celebrate the occasion, the developer is making a special Pokemon available for a limited time. Beginning tomorrow, June 13, the adorable Water-type Horsea will spawn around the world much more frequently than it normally does, and you'll also have your first chance to encounter a Shiny Horsea.

The increased Horsea spawns will only be available throughout the Pokemon Go Fest, which is scheduled to end this Sunday, June 16. However, the spawns won't be limited to the event venue; you'll have a chance to find more Horsea even if you can't attend Go Fest in-person. Any Shiny Horsea you catch will also retain its special coloration when it evolves, making this your first opportunity to add Shiny Seadra and Kingdra to your collection as well.

That isn't all that's going on during Pokemon Go Fest. As usual, Niantic will be holding Global Challenges throughout the event. These have players around the world making progress toward the same goals, and if those goals are achieved, Niantic will unlock special bonuses in the game, from additional Candy to the appearance of Shiny Entei, Raikou, and Suicune. You can see the full list of this year's Global Challenges on the official Pokemon Go website.

In other Pokemon Go news, this is your last chance to encounter Cresselia. The Legendary Psychic Pokemon will be available in Raid Battles until June 18, when it'll be replaced by Kyogre, the cover monster from Pokemon Sapphire. Kyogre will then be replaced by Groudon from June 27 to July 10. Not only do you have another chance to catch the rarely seen Legendaries, you may also encounter their Shiny versions.

Niantic’s Pokémon GO mobile app was an instant hit when it launched in the summer of 2016. Augmented reality-driven gameplay let players interact with familiar characters in an immersive way using the camera and screen on our phones. Unpredicted growth saw Niantic’s servers regularly struggle to keep up with the number of new players coming online around the world.

Those growing pains are now a thing of the past, and Niantic has added features like battling between players and in-game missions to keep players coming back. The feature that continues to keep me playing today is actually one designed to help you open the app less.

Niantic added Apple Health integration at the end of last year, tapping into the pedometer feature of the iPhone and Apple Watch. This allows steps tracked in the real world to turn into rewards in the game. Steps are tracked automatically in the background so you don’t need to have the game running to benefit from your activity.

Pokémon GO used movement through the real world as a major mechanic of gameplay since it launched, but keeping the game active on your phone (or buying a dedicated accessory band) was required. Even when the Apple Watch gained GPS and later cellular, my iPhone would tag along for a walk or run so the distance travelled could contribute toward hatching an egg or earning a candy in the game.

Niantic did try its hand at bringing the Pokémon GO experience to the Apple Watch with a recently discontinued workout app that logged outdoor walks with alert-based gameplay. The watch app served only as a companion to the required iPhone app, required starting and stopping sessions, and frequently crashed during workouts.

Relying on step data from Apple Health is a much better system. iPhones have tracked steps since the iPhone 5s so you don’t even need an Apple Watch to use the feature. I don’t always carry my iPhone with me so most of my step tracking is sourced from the watch.

The feature addition came at a great time for me at the end of last year. I enjoyed Pokémon GO long after the launch hype faded, but my progress in the game was slowing down without spending either a lot of money or a lot of time playing. Prior to the update, I finally deleted the game from my iPhone after deciding the level of dedication to progress was unhealthy.

Apple Health integration totally changed that for the better. I’ve left my iPhone behind and gone on walks primarily for the purpose of advancing some goal in the game. That’s a level of analog-digital balance that works well for me.

Since integrating Apple Health, Pokémon GO greets me with a summary of how many kilometers I’ve walked since the last time the game launched on my phone. That alone is a digital reward that helps the game continue to feel fun almost three years after debuting.

I can also go days between opening the app without being punished. There are in-game mechanics that encourage regular gameplay like weekly streaks, but you can also open the app at least once a week to collect rewards for walking throughout the week.

Pokémon GO encourages walking with weekly rewards earned from traveling 5, 25, and 50 kilometers per week — the higher the number, the larger the reward — and each reward includes a summary of how many steps you walked and how many calories that burned.

You can also earn candies in the game that help you evolve buddy Pokémon just by walking in the real world with or without the app running. This can be much faster (and much healthier) than evolving Pokémon by catching the same Pokémon over and over. Walking to evolve Pokémon also gives you more control since catching Pokémon in the wild is largely up to chance.

The other benefit that step tracking unlocks is hatching eggs in the game. Pokémon GO includes 2, 5, 7, and 10 kilometer eggs that hatch Pokémon in the game by walking a specific distance. Niantic includes a single incubator for hatching one egg at a time for free. You can also earn additional incubators that expire after a few uses for free or purchase limited-use incubators for real money.

Pokémon GO can notify you when your buddy Pokémon earns a candy or an egg hatches. If your buddy Pokémon earns enough candy to evolve, you can swap out which Pokémon earns candy from your steps. You also need to launch the app to change which egg is being incubated, but Apple Health integration generally means you can launch the app way less and still progress through the game.

​The launch hype may have died down, but Pokémon GO continues to be a fun experience on my iPhone. That’s largely because Niantic has allowed players to leave the iPhone behind and actually disconnect in the real world while still making progress through the game with the Apple Watch.

There’s still probably an opportunity for a well-featured Apple Watch experience for Pokémon GO that doesn’t require the iPhone, but Apple Health integration and the Apple Watch has hit a sweet spot for me with Pokémon GO that keeps me playing today … one step at a time.

Pokemon Go will be redoing yesterday's Community Day in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa due to severe issues that affected the event. Yesterday, Pokemon Go held its monthly Community Day, this time focused on the Normal-type Pokemon Slakoth. While the event was supposed to feature Slakoth spawning in mass quantities between the hours of 3 PM and 6 PM, players in Europe and Africa reported that Slakoth became increasingly rare after the first 15-20 minutes of the event. As time progressed, spawns returned to "normal," which in most cases didn't include Slakoth at all. The issues seemed to be tied to the Weather feature of the game going down, which impacted which Pokemon spawned during the game.

Many players were hoping for an acknowledgement of the issues and perhaps an extension of the event, but Niantic was frustratingly slow to respond to complaints. Although the Weather function was fixed by the time Community Day came to the United States, most European and African players claimed that their Community Day plans were ruined because of the issues.

Late yesterday, Pokemon Go finally acknowledged the issues and promised that plans were being made to bring back Slakoth to the EMEA area for those affected by the issues.

No dates were announced, but players can at least be assured that they'll still have a chance to grab a Slakoth and its Shiny variant later this summer.