Given how tiny those Pikmin are, one can only hope this results in hundreds of people trundling around the local park on their hands and knees.

In a year where people have been encouraged to stay at home, you’d have thought Niantic’s blockbuster mobile game would be in dangerous waters, but some clever tinkering behind the scenes has helped Pokémon Go stay more relevant than ever before.

Pokémon Go developer Niantic is hopping onto the global awareness train, making several changes to the game and postponing the Abra Community Day until further notice because of the current Coronavirus pandemic.

Niantic Games is suing Global++, the organisation behind Pokemon Go’s most widely used cheat in an attempt to quell future violations of their intellectual property.

It’s a big year for Pokémon, as 2019 marks the debut of the first proper generational shift game in the franchise on the Nintendo Switch. While Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu may hold the honour of being the first sort of traditional RPG on that system and featuring familiar mechanics, it was still more of a gateway game that provided a taste of what a dedicated Pokémon could be on that platform before Pokémon Sword and Shield arrives. The year ahead, is about to get even bigger.

Pokémon Go players will be able to hop into a special event to help promote the flick, earning a bunch of new bonuses and cosmetics in the process.

Nothing ever seems like it’s off the cards for Pokémon GO, as much like the little pocket monsters we collect, Niantic is continually evolving the game to keep the player base interested. Finally, the long awaited and highly anticipated Trainer Battles mode has been realised. After a series of cryptic tweets that had the community buzzing, the official announcement came in last week. Trainers will now be able to put their Pokémon to the test against other trainers, the team leaders included.

Missed many Pokemon GO Community Days this year? Good news, because Niantic is giving you an extended chance to catch up on missed chances next weekend.