How Pokemon GO Got Daily Free Boxes And "Guaranteed" Encounters

Today we're taking a peek at a note delivered by Niantic about the near-future of Pokemon GO. In this note, the folks at Niantic responsible for keeping Pokemon GO popping suggested that they'd be testing two new updates. "In our continued efforts to adapt Pokemon GO's gameplay to individual settings," said the note, "we're excited to announce that we'll be testing two updates: daily guaranteed Pokemon encounters and Daily Free Boxes."

This set of updates will be delivered to "a limited group of Trainers" at first. For "daily guaranteed Pokemon encounters" Niantic suggested that Professor Willow will pop up and give some users a "special visit" with news of a new sort of Incense.

With this new special kind of Incense, users will get at least one special Pokemon encounter per day. This Pokemon encounter "attracts a Pokemon to you once a day that'll appear only for you." Users should "be sure to check the game every day to see what Pokemon will appear!"

The other bit is "Free Boxes in the shop." This is also a "small number of Trainers" sort of deal. In Pokemon GO, you may get a notification "if you're part of this test." We do not yet know how people get selected to be a part of the test, but it most certainly IS happening very soon.

"To claim your Daily Free Box, simply go to the shop and claim the box in the Free section," wrote a Niantic representative. "The box will contain different items each time, so be sure to claim your Daily Free Box every day to see what items you get!"

Cross your fingers you're amongst the first to see these features – and stick around as we learn when the feature will expand beyond the confines of the lucky first few.

These changes are due largely to player feedback from Pokemon GO Trainers that spoke with Niantic about the way they play. These features are also coming to the game because Niantic needs to continue to innovate as the world changes – especially since they're introducing Pokemon into the game faster than Nintendo, The Pokemon Company / Game Freak crews are releasing new versions of the main Pokemon game series. There can never be too many Pokemon!