Image via Niantic

Pokémon Go dataminers uncover Pokémon contests, potentially making Pokémon size matter

Pokémon statistics outside of battling could begin to yield useful rewards.

The Pokémon Go datamining group, Pokeminers, has been hard at work going through the latest APK, which seemed to be full of errors that hopefully won’t come over when Niantic officially releases the update. It’s not all bugs though. One of the biggest changes the team uncovered from the latest update is Pokémon contests. This activity rewards Pokémon with notable ribbons from the main series, which could make a Pokémon’s height and size matter rather than just being a notification after you catch it.

Recommended Videos

The team did not uncover how this system would work, but they have a general outline, leaving plenty to infer, given how previous systems work in Pokémon Go.

Related: Pokémon Go’s Crackling Voltage event brings Giovanni’s next shadow legendary Pokémon, and fans are hesitantly excited

Again, we don’t know exactly how all of this will work, but based on the code, there are going to be multiple types of Pokémon contests. These contests might occur daily, every few days, or only appear once during a season. Each contest will have distinct guidelines that players need to meet, meaning having a wide variety of Pokémon will be good to win multiple contests. A player can only submit one Pokémon per contest, but it looks like someone can simultaneously participate in several contests, which appear at PokéStops or Gyms.

A Pokémon contest will remain for a set amount before a winner is announced. Supposedly, when you leave a Pokémon at that contest, another player has to come in and submit one of their Pokémon in an attempt to beat your Pokémon’s stats. These are not traditional battles, focusing instead on appearance stats, such as size and weight. The winner of the contest will earn multiple rewards.

These could be fun, engaging activities for Pokémon Go players to participate in outside the traditional battles. We do not have an official comment or announcement from Niantic about Pokémon contests, so take everything here with a hefty grain of salt. If it all comes together, we’ll have something fun to look forward to in the next few months.


Gamepur is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Zack Palm
Zack Palm
Zack Palm is the Senior Writer of Gamepur and has spent over five years covering video games, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Oregon State University. He spends his free time biking, running tabletop campaigns, and listening to heavy metal. His primary game beats are Pokémon Go, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and any newly released title, and he finds it difficult to pull away from any Star Wars game.