Pokémon GO update brings catch bonuses, new gym training system, and more

Last week, Niantic announced a handful of new changes that would soon be headed to Pokemon Go. According to them, they were tweaking the game’s gym system, making it easier for new players to get in and train up gyms, as well as catch rate bonuses based on the type of Pokemon you’ve caught the most. Unfortunately, there was no word on exactly when the update would begin rolling out, leaving us to guess its arrival.

Announced today, the update is now rolling out as version 0.41.2 for Android users (1.11.2 on iOS) and it not only brings improvements to the game’s gym system and catch rate bonuses — but a few other welcomed changes as well. Here’s the full changelog from the development team:

• Catch Bonus: Trainers can earn a catch bonus for a Pokémon type as they catch more of a specific type.
• Updated Gym Training: Trainers can now bring six Pokémon to battle at friendly Gyms. The CP of the Pokémon you are battling may be temporarily adjusted lower for your training session.
• Egg & Incubator Screens: These will periodically update the distance walked without the Trainer needing to close and reopen the screen.
• Fixed several audio issues.
• Decreased the evolution animation time.
• Minor fixes

After checking it the new changes for myself, Catch Bonuses are applied retroactively, but cap out at +3 (bronze, silver, and gold), although the exact value of the bonus hasn’t been revealed. When catching a Pokemon, your type bonus will appear just above the ‘mon letting you see which ones are being applied (two if it’s a dual-type). It doesn’t sound like it’s going to make catch rates jump to 100%, but any little bit helps and it’s something that Pokemon Go Plus users — who only get 1 chance to catch a Pokemon — are sure to appreciate.

With smaller — but still very welcomed — changes like decreased animation times for evolutions and the improved egg incubator screen, it’s obvious that Niantic is listening. It’s not the Nearby system Niantic is still testing in San Francisco, but baby steps are better than nothing. You can either wait for the update to hit the Google Play Store or download from APKMirror for manual installation.