Pokemon Go's buddy system is getting a big overhaul
Pokemon Go's upcoming Buddy Adventure update will introduce a new buddy system.
Pokemon Go is getting a new update that brings an entirely new buddy system to the game. The Buddy Adventure update, due out in the coming days, will essentially turn your buddy Pokemon into a pet.
You'll now be able to play with your buddy Pokemon in AR+ mode, and level up your friendship by taking care of it. Pokemon Go will also let players feed their Pokemon buddies treats and generally try to make them happy.
The mood of buddy Pokemon is important, because it affects how long you'll have to walk to earn buddy Candy, the number of hearts earned per action and more. This expands the more engaged your Pokemon buddy is, with four levels of affection that range from good to best.
The more you battle with your Pokemon, feed it, and play with it the more you'll climb those tiers. Here are the bonuses each of them confer:
- 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: Your buddy may help you out in Pokemon encounters. It can also bring you items that can help you in your 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. Pokemon that you’re Best Buddies with can get a CP boost in combat as long as they’re still assigned as your Buddy Pokémon.
Another great addition in this update is that swapping buddies will no longer reset Candy earn progress. Niantic is also planning to expand the feature further to allow players to meet their friends' buddy Pokemon in shared AR.
Head to the official site for the full announcement.