Avid Pokemon GO players have a lot to look forward to in July and the months to follow. Pokemon GO's July 2021 Community Day is introducing new Pokemon for players to catch, but more importantly, Pokemon GO will be gradually reintroducing fans to finding Pokemon while out and exploring the real world.

Undoubtedly, the pandemic changed how Pokemon GO players were able to enjoy the game. A lot of Pokemon GO focuses on outdoor exploration and interaction with other players, which had completely stopped during 2020. With many places around the world moving towards recovery in the latter half of 2021, Niantic is doing the same, starting with the announcement of new exploration bonuses for Pokemon GO.

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In a blog post, Niantic went into further detail on what to expect regarding the newer exploration bonuses. As expected, a lot of them focus on players going outside and playing with friends. Still, for safety reasons, Niantic is making the bonuses available in the U.S. and New Zealand first. Other regions and locations will have the bonuses made available for them over time as Niantic monitors the situation.

To start, the following bonuses are set to come into effect at the end of July and run until the end of the Season of Discovery on September 1, 2021. The good thing is that some of these bonuses may carry over into the following season, and better, newer bonuses to be added. Pokemon GO players can expect:

  • Up to two free Raid Passes per day from spinning Gym Photo Discs.
  • 10x bonus XP from spinning a PokeStop for the first time.
  • Guaranteed gifts when spinning PokeStops.
  • Increased effectiveness to Incense while moving.
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Adding to that, Niantic is also planning on removing and changing the following bonuses from last year. Players still have some time to enjoy them though, as these won't happen until after Pokemon GO Fest in July:

  • The Incense effectiveness increase is going back to standard levels while not moving, with the increase in effectiveness only activating while moving.
  • The number of gifts received from Buddy Pokemon is being reduced, as Niantic is encouraging trainers to play outside and receive supplies from spinning PokeStops.
  • PokeStop and Gym interaction distances are reverting back to standard levels, although they may be increased during future events and as part of certain features.

Finally, Niantic plans to keep the following bonuses as they are, making them standard parts of the game for the foreseeable future:

  • The incense duration will stay at 60 minutes.
  • There is no walking requirement for GO Battle League.
  • Trainers can challenge each other remotely using QR Codes, with the requirement to battle with friends remotely being lowered to 'Good Friends.'
  • The maximum number of Gifts that can be carried in the Item Bag at once will stay at 20.
  • Trainers can open 30 gifts per day, rather than 20 from before.
  • The first catch of the day still awards three times the Stardust and XP.

Pokemon GO is available on Android and iOS devices.

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Source: Pokemon GO