Pokémon Go for iOS Gains New Pokémon, Including Special Edition Holiday Pikachu - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Pokémon Go for iOS Gains New Pokémon, Including Special Edition Holiday Pikachu

by

Popular augmented reality app Pokémon Go was today updated to add brand new Pokémon, introducing Togepi, Pichu, and other select Pokémon that were originally found in Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver.

The new Pokémon can only be found in eggs, which can be obtained from PokéStops. Eggs are hatched by walking a set distance with the iPhone. Niantic and The Pokémon Company are keeping some of the new Pokémon a secret, and have only announced Togepi and Pichu.


From December 12 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time to December 29 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time, Pokémon Go players have a chance to catch a special holiday-themed Pikachu, who is wearing a festive hat for the holiday season. Niantic says the new Pikachu will "appear in large quantities.
"

"Fans around the world fell in love with Pokémon GO for the opportunity to encounter Pokémon--beloved pop-culture and gaming icons for 20 years--in the real world. Matched with the innovative technology and development of the mobile game by Niantic, hundreds of millions of players have filled their Pokédexes with over 100 available Pokémon in Pokémon GO while exploring the world around them," said J.C. Smith, senior director of consumer marketing at The Pokémon Company International. "The opportunity to hatch select Pokémon originally discovered in the Johto region is just the beginning of how more Pokémon will be added to the game for Trainers to continue their Pokémon GO adventures."

Niantic has also established partnerships with companies like Sprint, which will see 10,500 Sprint, Boost Mobile, and Sprint at RadioShack locations turned into PokéStops and Gyms.

Pokémon Go can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

ccrunner_tj Avatar
127 months ago
What about the Apple Watch app? I've been looking forward to that!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
itsmilo Avatar
127 months ago
w pokemon? you will wait forever. You can buy their bracelet thingy though.
They announced it at the iPhone keynote for winter 16
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
127 months ago
POKEMON GO IS DEAD!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
127 months ago
In addition to the Sprint / Star Bucks deal, it appears that in the Asian market Niantec has struck a deal with Japanese company AEON. There is a brand new pokestop in my area (Hanoi / Vietnam) with their logo on it.

pokemon go gains new pokemon image

Anyone else is upset that since a few updates ago the app lowers the audio volume of iTunes? I now have to bring a separate audio player with me when I go for walks, collecting balls :)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WRChris Avatar
127 months ago
That's kind of like asking if people still play ice hockey in the cold. If they enjoy it, they will endure the cold weather. I still play in cold temps but I use my car so it's no hardship for me ;-)
Don't brag about playing in the car. Niantic thinks they are traffic cops and can decide when and how I play my own games. Niantic killed this game plain and simple. With every "update", they just took something away. Took them 3 months to show me which Pokémon are at pokestops.
[doublepost=1481580855][/doublepost]Replace NIANTIC with GAMEFREAK and the numbers will slowly return
[doublepost=1481581160][/doublepost]
They announced it at the iPhone keynote for winter 16
Yeah it's coming with the beats x and airpods this winter
[doublepost=1481581536][/doublepost]
When is it decided which pokemon is in an egg? Are the eggs I have now guaranteed not to have Pichu, Togepi, or anyone else new in them, so I should just discard them, or should I go ahead and hatch them?

I suspect it randomly decides which pokemon was in the egg at the time it hatches, but maybe I'm wrong...

Also, this is a poor time of year to update an app like this. I would have held back updates until the spring... I'm not interested in walking around in the snow with my phone out.
It doesn't snow everywhere, the game wasn't designed for you alone anyway.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
127 months ago
When is it decided which pokemon is in an egg? Are the eggs I have now guaranteed not to have Pichu, Togepi, or anyone else new in them, so I should just discard them, or should I go ahead and hatch them?

I suspect it randomly decides which pokemon was in the egg at the time it hatches, but maybe I'm wrong...

Also, this is a poor time of year to update an app like this. I would have held back updates until the spring... I'm not interested in walking around in the snow with my phone out.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors