“On June 30th, we’ll shut down the Pokemon GO field test. Your app will not be playable any more and we’ll delete all gameplay data to prepare for the official launch. Stay tuned to our social channels for more information.”There have been signs that testing was coming to an end globally, but nothing official had been announced until now. While the game will no longer be playable, the data collected and the feedback from testers will be invaluable to the development of the final product, which many believe will be available some time in late July.
This has become the assumed release date following the events of the Pokemon GO presentation at E3 2016. During the presentation, the GO+, a wearable companion device that allows access to the game without having to pull out a smartphone, was announced to be released before the end of July. This prompted the presenters to suggest the game proper should also be released at that time, which most will surely agree with.
While this by no means guarantees a July release date, it would make sense to release the game before or around the same time as the companion piece, otherwise it would presumably be useless. Now comes the announcement that beta testing is finished at the end of June and it all seems more than coincidental.
The email went on to acknowledge the hard work of testers, thanking them for their feedback. As part of that thank you, a postscript message was included that reveals a special show of gratitude will be given to them through their Pokemon Go app.
“As a gesture of thanks, you’ll find a screen popping up in your Pokemon Go app very soon. Be sure to screenshot it for yourself! Oh, and keep this confidential.”What this gesture entails is a mystery, but if testers are being asked to screenshot it then it may be something that needs to be saved for a later date. As far as keeping it confidential, there is virtually no chance. Testers were asked to keep everything confidential when they became testers, but that did not stop some from uploading full gameplay videos to the internet. Of course, if this thank you is a code of sort for a special gift down the line, then testers may be more inclined to keep silent. If it is not, then by asking testers to take a screenshot the Pokemon Go development team has all but guaranteed those pictures will be featured in a story on this website in the near future.
Stay tuned for that story and other news on Pokemon Go as it develops in the coming month. For the full email sent to testers, follow the source link below.
Pokemon GO is expected to release some time in July, 2016 for iOS and Android.