Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Welcome to Scopely Explore

It is known that since last year, Pokémon Go and a few other games under the Niantic Games banner were put up for sale, and the buyer is Scopely, a games company with a somewhat different history of its own. The games then entered a transition period with the new "suitor", and now the "apex" of that transition period is at hand with the games finally shedding their former Niantic (Games) branding for one under the Scopely name. This post serves to discuss that new branding, and in particular to how it applies for Pokémon Go.

The new branding is called Scopely Explore, which is certainly a nod to how its games make people go out in the real world; it also harmoniously agrees with the Niantic Spatial branding in cadence for games that didn't go to Scopely (as Ingress). Now, Scopely has a "folded S" logo; this also becomes reflected in the Explore branding, where the letter X becomes (or more appropriately, resembles) a folded paper crane. The spirit of the branding then appears to be quite appropriately placed, especially with Pokémon (Go) as a concern.

Speaking of which, the Pokémon Go web site has replaced mentions of Niantic Games on its web site with Scopely Explore, particularly on its Community page that I highlighted along with the standards for its leaders. The game too has replaced the old Niantic logo on its splash screen with the Scopely Explore logo, but this has been made smaller to make way for the game's 10th anniversary logo... which also marks the first time ever that the game's logo is present on that very screen, something that never happened with Niantic.

Even with this change, the Pokémon Go team - as well as their objectives of delivering a great experience - are to stay the same, at least as elucidated by the transition news update. Still, it cannot be doubted that a lot of changes and happenings have occurred within that time, many great and others not so great in terms of both execution and perception. The challenge for the team now, and based on what has transpired, is to prove that the above can happen even with them being "under new management" - yet again, as I had mentioned.

Now, that new management has fully revealed its guise, perhaps with somewhat appropriate timing, given that this is a big anniversary year for both Pokémon in general and Pokémon Go itself. With the core idea ("explore") embedded in the title of that new management entity, it is hoped that they won't stray too far off that idea; yet in some ways, "stray" is indeed what some explorers (and Pokémon Trainers) may need to do to achieve some of their objectives, and  Scopely Explore will have to weigh that in for the good of Pokémon Go.

Three years ago: The (Master) Magnet Man
Six years ago: More on Remote Raids
Seven years ago: The Switch Lite
Eight years ago: Mew @ Everywhere
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Tuesday, July 14, 2026

On Freedom, Equality, and Brotherhood

Today is... well, actually, a special day in a certain part of the world. But it's not that relevant to me, aside from someone who shares their birthday with the day, whom I mentioned way back when I started this blog (see below, nine years ago). Yet there's something to be said about the special day, so I've decided to make a one-off post about it and certainly bring Pokémon to the table alongside the special day in question.

Now, said special day is very much linked to three aspects (or perhaps they could also be said to be "qualities"). All three of them are mentioned in the title of this post and will become a part of the discussion shortly. In this case, I've also put them in a more "diverse" form, since the "parallel" form is best reserved for those with direct links to them... and I don't. The only direct link I have is with Pokémon, and that becomes the secondary "core" of the discussion.

For those aspects or "qualities", the first is or should be familiar to those who are able to pursue their good and best life objectives without being restrained - except where it might be needed, certainly. Pokémon Trainers have a lot of freedom in their world to pursue their objectives under a similar state of affairs. What is clear is that regardless, freedom is valued and there is benefit in it for the people, which then can extend to those linked to Pokémon.

As for equality, there is a beauty (and necessity) in being able to regard fellow people in equal stature in all relevant social situations. That has to be the way for Pokémon Trainers as well, and that is in fact the case before and after they meet for battle. Outside of battling, social situations in both the real and Pokémon worlds are quite varied, and they also warrant equal stature for the people involved in them - as well as Pokémon species when relevant.

Brotherhood, the last aspect, is surely one that many people in general will be able to relate to. It would warrant maintaining good linkages... especially when Pokémon battles come into the light with all their tensions before and after. Indeed, tensions always arise whether it's the real or Pokémon world, so having the prerogative to keep good relationships is something that is quite worth it, and Pokémon has a lot of that going on as well beyond all the battles.

If the above is of any indication, the three aspects or "qualities" are actually quite universal - even for Pokémon - aside from its relation to that certain part of the world, which becomes relevant today. It will likely be the only time I'll address the particularly special day and its related specifics, but the relevance will remain somehow as I continue to address Pokémon matters on this day and further beyond that.

Six years ago: Miss You, Brandon
Seven years ago: Cosplay: COSTHNIFEST
Eight years ago: Spending on Pokémon
Nine years ago: A Pokémon Forum Persona
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Monday, July 13, 2026

Cosplay: MCP Coshow

Me: OK, Go Fest is a wrap (for now), so it's time to deal with something we skipped over.

Goh: Well, it was a character thing, of course. Like this and this?

Me: Yeah.

Ash: It's neat that it happened after Go Fest... or I think that made its way a bit into this one.

Goh: Looking at the schedule, I'd say that's true.

Ash: But I got there just after things really got going, so I didn't miss much.

Pikachu: Pika pika. ["Good thing."]

Goh: OK... and I'm sure Bocchi Noizu was involved somehow.

Ash: Yeah! They brought their usual games, and some people won big prizes. They say it never happened before.

Goh: Well, that's the big difference, isn't it? Just like Mewtwo for Go Fest.

Me: I'm sure it is. 

Ash: I think we got it.

Goh: Then there must have been the usual entertainment if they're involved.

Ash: You bet! A singer, a dancer, and a dance group.

Pikachu: Pika... pika pika. ["Yeah... the usual."]

Goh: And then there was you, and other characters. A character parade, right? 

Ash: Right! Our friend sent me with the Kanto-Johto outfit.

Me: Obviously because of the Go Fest thing.

Goh: Makes sense. But you know, people see you quite often with it, in it. Don't you think you ought to have made it different?

Ash: I did! That's what a character friend of us tells me to do.

Me: And how'd that happen?

Ash: I Mega Evolved Mewtwo into its X form in front of everyone! 

Goh: Wow!!

Pikachu: Pika chu!! ["Awesome!!"]

Me: And I know you did great with that, because you got...

Ash: Bocchi Noizu favorite! 

Goh: That's pretty nice. 

Ash: But it was a little tiring too. I think our friend...

Me: Um, well... [clears throat] 

Goh: [to Me] Maybe you could try to take it a little easier?

Me: Let me see what I can do. [to all] Anyway, this was a show and a half.

Ash: It was really a show! But... a half?

Pikachu: Pika chu? ["Really?"]

Me: Well, I think I might need to find another one-half somewhere else.

Goh: Like I just said.

Ash: And don't stress yourself out.

Me: I won't. (Although, sometimes Pokémon things can be that way...)

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Sunday, July 12, 2026

Pokémon Go Fest 2026 (Global), Day 2

Now it's Day 2 of this grand annual event for Pokémon Go, and as I've said previously, I hadn't quite explained all of it. The rest of the explanations are then in order for today, along with the similarities and differences as I had noted - which are expected, but they're also highly so for this year. It's a lot to take in, deal with, and write about... and sometimes it may present a problem with other problems I've got going. But I carry on, and Go Fest carries on.

Like yesterday, there is Mega-Evolved Mewtwo to raid, this time in its Y form. Something that I didn't mention yesterday is that there is a special move for it when caught from the raids: today is Psystrike (a Charged move) while yesterday was Counter (a Fast move), befitting their dominant types. They also may have special backgrounds when they are caught, as well as Mega levels already unlocked. Regardless, today it still takes the same number of Trainers (10) to take its shield and itself down. Type features and habitats for Pokémon in the wild and other raids continue, but with new ones (Earthforged Domain - Steel, Ground, Normal; Verdant Anomaly - Poison, Bug, Grass; Twilight Battlefield - Dark, Fairy, Fighting) to make it an all-inclusive event that is worthy of its current status as a major annual one.

Understandably, there are still other niceties and aspects for this edition. Both Incense and Lure Modules are extended for catching purposes, and so is Party Play. Global Challenges also take place each hour (as with past years) to keep Trainers in the loop - and reward them after they're complete, furthermore later on after Go Fest. For raids, everyone gets nine free passes each day to start so they can get some raid effort in without payment. Trades also get the benefit of more Special Trades and discounts for them, much like Community Day with similar incentives for getting people together, if raids aren't already an incentive. Finally, there are also greater Shiny chances for different Pokémon, even if it's still, well... a chance.

What makes a difference for this year's edition, even with some sameness as in previous years, is that the event is essentially free with no paid ticket for itself as a whole - aside from buying the necessities for raids (premium and/or remote passes) and the Deluxe track of the Go Pass, again to be detailed later. The reason, certainly, is this year's big Pokémon anniversary, for which everyone - even in Pokémon Go - has to be able to enjoy things to the fullest, without cost if need be. That's something that every Pokémon fan should be able to appreciate, however they belong in the realm of Pokémon Go and ecosystem of Pokémon as a whole.

Evidently, that applies to me, as for this day, I chose to deal with things with the faraway community for reasons of solidarity and general enjoyment. Again, things mostly focused on raiding for Mewtwo, but I did capture other Pokémon and complete other tasks in between all the raids - and try my luck on another giveaway that I also missed this time. It was still a better day than without, and after getting all the pickings from this day and the previous day, now I have a lot of things to work with for my purposes... as well as interested others.

Years have passed for Pokémon in general and Pokémon Go in particular, and they can and do have special merriment when they are warranted, like for their decadal anniversaries (of which this year is one for them). With that, the current Pokémon Go Fest is rightly and truly a spectacle to look into and fight it out, just like Mewtwo and its Mega Evolution forms.

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Saturday, July 11, 2026

Pokémon Go Fest 2026 (Global), Day 1

The time has come to explain about the Global edition of Pokémon Go Fest, which as I've previewed will take place today and tomorrow. It also will deal with how I took care of things today, but that's for later. Right now, I can also say that a lot of the gameplay aspects will be quite similar as they will be quite different, so I'm going to run with that theme over these two days. Then, there's the theme of "all aces awakening" as previewed, and that also needs to be dealt with to see how it actually manifests.

So, the true "ace" boss of this year is that supreme Psychic-type Legendary Pokémon, which would be the one and only Mewtwo. It becomes even more of an "ace" in that this year's festivities - first in the earlier regional editions for select Trainers and now in the Global edition for everyone - serves as a debut of its Mega Evolution forms, both X and Y. Today for the Global edition, there is the X form awaiting in Super Mega Raid format that requires at least 10 Trainers with Mega-Evolved Pokémon to break its shield and become real "aces".

As for other "ace" bosses, they are also present in raids, being Legendary and certain Mythical Pokémon of various types, along with a selection of regular Mega raids. In fact, they're structured according to type and habitats as with past editions of Go Fest: today, there are three such habitats with type representations (Stormfire Peaks - Ice, Electric, Fire; Astral Tides - Ghost, Psychic, Water; Dragonflight Summit - Dragon, Flying, Rock) spanning an hour for each represented type, which explains why the event hours for this edition are from 10 AM to 7 PM. Tomorrow will be similar in many ways regarding this, but I'm getting ahead of myself; there will be more on this and other similarities and differences when that day comes.

Outside of raids, during each hour for each type, Pokémon of those types appear, which can be caught to elevate the rank of the Go Pass from its accompanying event (to be detailed later) by hourly tasks. There are also the Kanto first partners with Pikachu visors, as well as Pikachu with team caps, the latter also found by photo bombs and through the Go Pass. By activating Incense, Unown of all forms can also appear and be caught, as well as the regional species of Bouffalant and Tropius; the latter two also appear in 10 km Eggs along with a few other strong and rare species. They become additional "aces" for collection and other purposes.

Research is always involved, certainly. Field tasks reward niceties for Mewtwo (extra Mega Energy) and a few encounters with other Pokémon, while a Timed set is dedicated to pursuing Mewtwo and one of its Mega-Evolved forms; a Special set, meanwhile, is dedicated to the pursuit of Zeraora, a Mythical Pokémon from Alola, which also makes its debut alongside the Mega Evolution of Mewtwo as the above. It's not a "Masterwork" set unlike most other Mythical Pokémon that debut in this manner, but it still does take some effort to complete - although as always, since it's not Timed, there is a lot more freedom to complete it.

For my case today, I spent the morning mostly raiding for Mewtwo; in the gaps between the raids, I also took care of Research tasks as per the above, knowing that it's also better to get them done and keep me stimulated. This took place locally - as much as it pains me - in part for other goings-on that took place after the raids and more; for that I also sent someone near and dear to me, if only to make things right.

Me: Isn't that right?

Ash: I love the Kanto theme of this one! And Mewtwo too.

Goh: I do too. OK, so you've got Ash, so there must definitely be something.

Ash: Uh-huh, and it's all the same, but it's always great!

Pikachu: Pika! ["Yup!"]

Goh: I'll betcha we'll all deal with this after Go Fest ends.

Me: Sure. It's a big thing, especially now.

It can be said that this edition of Pokémon Go is the biggest and most important yet, and I've actually yet to cover all of its points. Fortunately, as with every year, this one is a two-day event, and the rest of the points - along with more (and evident) similarities and differences - will be covered along with a note of my experience. This first day is only the start of the true "awakening", and things will surely rise after.

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Friday, July 10, 2026

(Re)visiting Community Ambassador Standards

Having discussed some problems that Trainers may have that may cause them to drop playing Pokémon Go, it becomes apparent that the social aspect is very important for the game. It is rightfully important, especially with the establishment of communities and the Community Ambassadors who lead them. With that, it seems pertinent to go over and discuss the standards for what a Community Ambassador should be, according to the game; it could very well serve as a reminder for current and would-be Community Ambassadors for the game. The information is based on the Community page on the official site, making it authoritative.

The game looks for people who have passion (certainly in part for Pokémon) in order to bring people together day in and day out. It's certainly a lot of hard work to do that, and the work is harder knowing that it's also just as easy to alienate certain people based on what's happening in a community. Since people are all different - in the same way that Pokémon species are - diversity becomes an important aspect, and the game wants a representation that is as broad as possible among all kinds of identifiers; that is as noble as collecting Pokémon of all kinds.

Perhaps the most important standards are professionalism and positivity. Being professional means having good character as well as good behavior when dealing with others - which would mean being open to their views and what they have to say. Being positive is requisite for a great community that one can stand to be with and allowing feedback, even critical ones, to come through without being repressed by threat or violence - making it essential for those in a community to "look on the bright side" for all sides of things involving Pokémon Go.

Not far behind, then, would be the standards of safety and integrity. The physical and digital spaces have to be family-friendly and allow people 13 years and up to join publicly, with no threats to security of presence and/or well-being - which is in line with the general principle for Pokémon itself. Integrity means not using certain tools or approaches that make playing Pokémon Go seem unfair, but also not bringing them up in discussion so that others aren't tempted to use them. Community Ambassadors then would need to moderate in this regard.

With all of that explained, Community Ambassadors are the key to keeping things going in their communities as well as those who play Pokémon Go. Any fault with them, their relations, and their communities then would lie in the above standards not being met for themselves as well as how they deal with the game and others. The standards may then be regarded as critical in solving and/or preventing problems for people who continue to play Pokémon Go.

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Thursday, July 9, 2026

Letting Go of Pokémon Go?

Some years ago, I wrote about the elements that keep me attracted to play Pokémon Go, and those elements I can still say to remain true to this very day. This time, however, I want to "flip the script" a little bit: I want to talk about elements that deter some players from playing said game (or more precisely, warrant them to let go of playing if they already are). It's a situation that would be regrettable, so for this discussion, I'd like to buffer that up a little bit with some possible solutions or alternatives to mitigate them.

Many players (Trainers) whom I've met and know to have played the game but no longer have said that other responsibilities - Pokémon or otherwise - have gotten in their way of playing the game. And that's understandable, since many of the things in the game do take time and effort to develop and they might not be able to devote that. At the same time, it also seems fair to say that they don't have to devote all of that right away, and they can sneak in time and effort whenever possible, allowing them to still play.

Then, it may be that the people they play with have become "pushy" or toxic in their play behaviors, for which I surmise that a lot of those playing right now share the same sentiment, whether or not they've actually let go of playing the game. The obvious way of mitigating this is to find new people to play with or to play alone sometimes, even if either or both of these may not be viable at times due to the way that the game is dependent on social relations. At least, feelings are allowed to heal within that time.

Yet other players (Trainers) find themselves - or are themselves set - in rural areas with fewer people who may or may not play the game, and traveling to more populated areas may or may not be an option. It may actually be worth it to take one or several days off in this case, as is using Campfire and Wayfarer to try to develop the playability of the area - "build it and they will come", as a certain imaginative work would suggest. If things do develop, it might just be possible to continue play on a more regular basis.

Certainly, there could be many more reasons that players (Trainers) let go of playing Pokémon Go beyond and in addition to the ones I've explained above. The point is that it is apparent that many factors can and do cause them to let go of Pokémon Go, even with all the value that it has for enjoying Pokémon. It's just something that players have to understand for others and themselves, and then to be able to mitigate that with whatever they can muster in order to keep them immersed in the game and not out of it.

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