Pokémon GO buries us in an avalanche of announcements including new way to trade globally

Pokémon GO has come out swinging for the end of the year and hit us with the one two three of newsworthy releases. Sadly, one of them is a band-aid over an axe-wound type of situation, and one makes my purple and gold heart weep, but let’s dive in. 

For my sins, I am a fan of the Minnesota Vikings NFL team, which is why I am sad Niantic chose instead to team with the Arizona Cardinals. On December 21st at 10:00, Pokémon GO fans can head to the Great Lawn for special giveaways, as well as additional PokeStops and Gyms throughout the whole stadium. 

There will also be multiple chances to catch a Pikachu with an event-themed card, and I think they missed a trick there. It is the Cardinals against the Falcons, two birds. Surely something like a Talonflame or, better yet, the Baile Style Oricorio would be more appropriate. A bird at the very least. Still, go Vikes.

Moving on to disappointment, Niantic has announced a way to trade long distances: Remote Trades. Before you applaud, there is the mother of all catches. You need to be “Forever Friends," the rank above Best Friends, or in other words, you won’t be trading with a new friend anytime soon. You will need to battle together or send Gifts to grind those points.

After that, you need to mark the Pokémon you are willing to trade with the Remote Trade tag. You can view what your friend is willing to trade and select up to three. Unless that Pokémon was previously traded, fused, Shadow, Mythical, caught in the last 30 days, and a whole other list of restrictions. Still, a step forward. 

Finally, we look ahead to Pokémon GO Fest 2026. It is the tenth anniversary, so you can be sure they will be big. There are three current events set: Tokyo at Bay Area between May 29th and June 1st, Chicago at Grant Park from June 5th to June 7th, and Copenhagen at Fælledparken starting June 12th until June 14th. Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global will also be announced around March next year.

Pokémon Go is available to download from the App Store and Google Play.