Niantic
Niantic business and news from across the web.
Pokémon Road to RGX 2026 RevealedThe Pokémon Road to RGX event is taking place through June 5, offering players a chance to compete in tournaments at Fire & Ice Games for entry into the RGX 2026 Pokémon Tournament. Winners of specific age divisions at each event will receive free entry into the RGX and Pokémon TCG tournament on June 20. The article also mentions upcoming releases and events for The Red Cathedral, IGN Live 2026, Neon Inferno, Pokémon GO, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, and Far Far West.
Friend Link Updates Coming to Monster Hunter NowMonster Hunter Now is updating its Friend Link system to no longer consume tokens when a hunt begins, instead consuming them only upon successful monster slaying or repelling. A new Friend Link Special Quest event, featuring art by Ryosuke Takeuchi, will encourage players to hunt together remotely and will run until May 24.
Summer Game Fest Live Show 2026 Tickets Now Available on TicketmasterTickets for the Summer Game Fest Live Show 2026, scheduled for June 5 at the Dolby Theatre, are now available on Ticketmaster. The two-hour event will feature new game announcements, surprise guests, and updates from the team behind The Game Awards. The article also briefly mentions upcoming updates for Monster Hunter Now, the release of Genshin Impact Version Luna VII, the reveal of Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, collaborations for Subway Surfers and Angry Birds 2, and trailers for LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight and ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies.
Double Nightclub Bonuses This Week in GTA OnlineThis week in Grand Theft Auto Online, players can earn double daily income from their Nightclubs and benefit from doubled warehouse stock production speeds. Additionally, there are discounts on Nightclub properties and upgrades, along with various other bonus opportunities and vehicle discounts.- Grayson Wendell Fire & Ice RGX 2026 Guest of HonorProfessional programmer Grayson Wendell, a veteran of the game industry since 2007, will be a Guest of Honor at Fire & Ice RGX 2026. Wendell has worked at companies like id Software, EA, and Activision on titles such as Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile. He will also host a panel on N64 reverse engineering and randomizers at the event.
Pokemon Go: Choose Your Path Timed Research Rewards And BonusesPokemon Go is offering a new Timed Research quest called "Choose Your Path" which is available until May 11. Players must select one of three paths: Explore, Catch, or Battle, with each path offering different tasks and a unique bonus upon completion. The rewards include items like Poke Balls, Golden Razz Berries, and Rare Candies, with bonuses affecting XP gains from PokeStops, catching Pokemon, or completing Raids.- MMO Week in Review: Guild Wars in your pocketArenaNet announced a mobile port of Guild Wars Reforged with cross-progression, coinciding with the game's 21st anniversary. This week also saw Final Fantasy XIV patch 7.5, Pearl Abyss selling EVE Online studio CCP Games to its management, and Star Wars The Old Republic revealing the planet Ryloth for its 8.0 update.
- Pokemon Go 10th Anniversary tickets are free – but at the price of some negative updatesPokemon Go's upcoming 10th Anniversary Go Fest is free to participate in, but players are advised to be cautious due to recent negative updates and operational changes. Concerns include the handling of Mega Energy for split evolutions like Mega Mewtwo X and Y, the potential for exclusive moves to become unobtainable via Elite TMs, and changes to Mega Raids that may require higher player counts. The sunsetting of the game Peridot also contributes to player concerns about Niantic's stability.
- Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y Coming to Pokémon GOMega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y are set to debut in Pokémon GO during Pokémon GO Fest 2026. Trainers can earn Mega Energy by defeating these powerful Pokémon in Super Mega Raid Battles or by completing Timed Research. Special bonuses will be available for attendees of the in-person events in Chicago, Copenhagen, and Tokyo, offering early access to Mega Evolution for Mewtwo.
Mega Mewtwo's Pokémon Go debut finally announced and Go Fest Global is free for all playersMega Mewtwo X and Y will debut in Pokémon Go during the annual Go Fest event on July 11-12, which will be free for all players globally. This includes access to Special Research and increased shiny Pokémon spawns. Mega Mewtwo will appear in Super Mega Raids, requiring many players due to their power, and will necessitate separate Mega Energy types for X and Y, with Mega Levels tracked individually.- Niantic is already sunsetting its 2023 mobile MMOARG PeridotNiantic is shutting down its 2023 mobile MMOARG Peridot, with in-app purchases disabled immediately and the game being removed from app stores on May 14, 2026, followed by server closure on August 31, 2026. The company cited the high technical demands and investment required for an always-on AR experience as reasons for the closure, while stating the franchise will continue on other platforms like Meta Quest 3 and AR wearables.
- Kevin Afghani Fire & Ice RGX 2026 Guest of HonorVoice actor Kevin Afghani, known for his work as the current voice of Mario and Luigi, will be a Guest of Honor at Fire & Ice RGX 2026. The event will take place at the Roebbelen Center in Roseville, CA, from June 20-21. Afghani has also lent his voice to games like Genshin Impact and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Monster Hunter Now Spring Festival 2026 Beginning April 27Capcom and Niantic's Monster Hunter Now is launching its Spring Festival event on April 27, featuring special Hunt-a-thon points with only Elder Dragon Interceptions. Players can use Friend Link to take on Namielle and forge exclusive defense weapons, including the Rose Assault light bowgun. The event is split into two parts, running from April 27 to May 10.- Pokémon Go Fans Upset After New Snake Goes Extinct in Many CountriesPlayers of Pokémon Go are expressing dissatisfaction following the introduction of a new creature that has become unavailable in numerous countries due to a recent change by developer Niantic. This has led to criticism from the game's fanbase regarding the creature's limited accessibility.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin Ranks #1 on PlayStation’s F2P Charts for March 2026Netmarble's anime open-world RPG, The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin, ranked first on the PlayStation Store's free-to-play charts for March 2026 across major regions including the US, Canada, EU, and Asia. The game also performed well on PC via Steam, reaching the global Top Sellers chart, and is available on mobile platforms.- ‘Lesson learned’: Pokémon GO fans call foul after Disguised Form Mimikyu hoodie hits shop post-eventPlayers of Pokémon GO are expressing frustration after Niantic added the Disguised Mimikyu hoodie cosmetic to the in-game Style Store for purchase with PokéCoins. Many players who bought the event's deluxe pass believed this item was exclusive to the pass's reward track, leading to accusations of 'scummy' practices and a feeling of wasted money.
New Pokemon Go Update May Have An Item That Catches Pokemon For YouA new in-game item called the Explorer Gadget may be coming to Pokemon Go, allowing players to automatically throw Poke Balls and spin Pokestops. This device would eliminate the need for external accessories like the Go Plus. It is speculated that the item will be monetized by the developer, though details on pricing or subscription models remain unknown.
Top 12 Most Expensive Video Game Buyouts Of All TimeThis article lists the top 12 most expensive video game buyouts, with Microsoft's $75.4 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard topping the list. Other major deals include EA's $55 billion sale to an investor consortium and Take-Two's $12.7 billion purchase of Zynga. The analysis highlights trends of industry consolidation and significant investment from entities like Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.- MMO Week in Review: EverQuest celebrates 27 years and a lawsuit settlement in its favorEverQuest celebrated its 27th anniversary with a lawsuit settlement that favors Daybreak Game Company, keeping emulators offline. This week also saw layoffs at Amazon for Lost Ark developers, Facebook scaling back VR metaverse ambitions, and discussions around various MMORPG updates and industry trends.
- Saudi-backed Savvy Games acquires mobile developer Moonton for $6 billionSaudi-backed Savvy Games has acquired Chinese mobile developer Moonton for $6 billion, strengthening its position in the mobile gaming and esports markets. Moonton is known for its popular MOBA game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, which boasts over 110 million monthly active players. This acquisition is part of Savvy Games' broader strategy to invest heavily in the gaming industry.