Next 'Pokémon Go' Update: Trading and battling may arrive in 2017, Niantic CEO reveals

Impact
By Xavier Harding

The Pokémon Go Gen 2 update reignited interest in the game, but the primary Pokémon experience on mobile continues to lack core components of the series' main games on Nintendo handhelds. Pokémon Go may finally have Pichu and Togepi tucked inside, but players are still unable to trade and battle. However, these long overdue additions may finally be on their way.

Next Pokémon Go Update: Trading and one-on-one battling could come this year

In an earlier interview with Waypoint, Niantic CEO John Hanke said that the two sought after additions of trading and battling would be added soon. Then, at this Mobile World Congress, Hanke revealed "three major new releases for Pokémon Go mapped out for this year," according to Pokémon Go Informer.

The addition of trading and facing off against friends was not specifically laid out by Hanke during his recent talk. However, in the scope of Pokémon games, few updates are as major as the addition of being able to fight and exchange Pokémon with friends. 

Next Pokémon Go Update: What other features could be coming?

Pokémon Company/Pokémon Go

Trading and battling would be monumental inclusions for Pokémon Go, but we could see other big additions head to the game too. The Legendary Pokémon, for example, still have not showed up, despite being a core part of the main games. But before Zapdos, Mewtwo and other legendaries head to the mobile app, we may see changes come to the gym battling system.

We won't know for sure until the updates make their way to Pokémon Go throughout 2017. 

Check out more Pokémon Go coverage  

If you're booting up the game for the first time in a while to get ready for Gen 2, be sure to check out Mic's guides on how to get stardust, how to determine how long it will take you to reach level 40, the kind of Pokémon you get from 10-kilometer eggs, how to create new PokéStops, how to maximize your chances of catching Pokémon and how PokéStops distribute Pokémon eggs. Also check out how to catch Gen 2 baby Pokémon, our analysis of post-balance update Chansey and Rhydon and everything you need to know about finding the long-awaited Pokémon Ditto.