As promised, Pokemon Go’s first monthly dev diary is out, and it’s not quite what many players expected. Niantic had originally told gamers that October would see it “begin publishing a developer diary every other month to share the latest priorities, events, and features for the game.” But this dev diary is promotional; it largely rehashes the behind-the-scenes of its ongoing Community Day events, and it sidesteps player frustration over the many missteps the studio has made since July, ranging from pushing people outside during COVID to unleashing a new AR recording feature on a player population with serious trust concerns over the use of its data.
Niantic Director of Product Marketing Michael Steranka did answer a few common questions about Community Day, such why the company limits the event’s duration (increased chance to running into people and allowing for stronger buffs without breaking the game). Steranka also addressed how players want dates further in advance, so the team has promised that new Go seasons will also announce those dates in the rollout notes, giving players three months of CD dates in advance. To that end, Niantic has set November 21st, December 18th, and December 19th up for the next events. Steranka also dropped hints that the November pokemon, “Pokemon X,” will be an electric type originally found in the Sinnoh region, strongly hinting that it’ll be Shinx. Plan ahead accordingly, trainers.
10/22 Update:Â That was fast! Shinx has been confirmed for the November Community Day.
