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
126 months ago
What about the Apple Watch app? I've been looking forward to that!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
itsmilo Avatar
126 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)
126 months ago
POKEMON GO IS DEAD!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
126 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
126 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
126 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

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Thursday July 30, 2026 6:12 am PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. Labor Day is September 7 this year. The last time the holiday fell on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the last time Labor Day was on September 7 in a normal year was in ...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Twelve Changes Coming to Apple's Next Flagship

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:43 am PDT by
We're less than two months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a dramatic change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year,...

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors