There is good news for all the Pokémon Go fans out there. Niantic took to Twitter to announce that the company has completed rolling out a new AR feature that lets all Pokémon Go players accompany a Pokémon throughout the journey as they play the game.
Dubbed Buddy Adventure, this feature essentially makes it possible to live your childhood dream of walking around the city with a friendly Pokémon.
UPDATE: Good news, Trainers! Buddy Adventure has completed rolling out! It is now live for Trainers level 2 and above. Have fun on your future #PokemonGOBuddy adventures! pic.twitter.com/HkPcsDD9Lv
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) December 18, 2019
With this new feature, you can feed your Pokémon with berries in AR mode from the new buddy profile page. In doing so, your Buddy level increases. For those wondering what Buddy level is, it is a measure of your bonding with the Pokemon.
There are various Buddy levels like Good Buddy, Great Buddy, Ultra Buddy, and Best Buddy in the game. Below are the perks of various buddy levels, according to the company’s recent blog post.
Good Buddy: Your buddy can join you on your map view! You’ll also see how your buddy feels on the buddy profile page.
Great Buddy: Having a hard time catching a Pokémon? Your buddy may help you out in Pokémon encounters! It can also bring you items that can help you in your Pokémon GO journey.
Ultra Buddy: Your buddy will help you explore the world around you by letting you know about interesting places nearby! Your buddy will also bring you Souvenirs, which you can keep track of on the buddy profile page.
Best Buddy: Become Best Buddies, and your buddy will sport a Best Buddy Ribbon to show off to everyone just how close you two are! Pokémon that you’re Best Buddies with can get a CP boost in combat as long as they’re still assigned as your Buddy Pokémon.
You also get some exciting perks when you reach high affection levels measured in hearts with your Buddy Pokémon. These perks include bonus hearts, a 50% reduction in the distance it takes for your buddy to find Candy, and 2x hearts per action. To increase affection and boost your buddy’s mood, you can walk along, feed, and take snapshots of your buddy.
It is worth noting that swapping your Buddy Pokémon does not reset your current progress towards earning Candy. If you’re not seeing this new feature, make sure your phone has the latest version of the game installed. Try out Pokémon Go Buddy Adventure and let us know your experience in the comments.
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