A rather large update was released for Pokémon GO today that Niantic is calling the GO Beyond update, and to celebrate its release, the 12 Days of Friendship event has started to kick off the update. The GO Beyond update will have lasting effects on the future of Pokémon GO, but the 12 Days of Friendship event won't last long.
The GO Beyond update changes a lot of the core values of Pokémon GO starting with the trainer level cap. For the first time since the game's release in 2016, the level cap for trainers is being raised from 40 to 50. Niantic is also taking a page from the Animal Crossing handbook and adding seasons to Pokémon GO. Players can expect a new season to roll around every three months. And following the introduction of Mega Evolutions, Pokémon from the Kalos region will make their way into Pokémon GO. Kalos is the region in which Pokémon: X & Y take place.
Along with the GO Beyond update, Niantic announced the 12 Days of Friendship event. This event is meant to celebrate all that Pokémon GO has accomplished over the past four years and to welcome what Pokémon GO has in store for players beyond this update. The 12 Days of Friendship event started today and will last for the next 12 days, ending on November 30. This isn't Pokémon GO's most exciting event, but its bonuses allow players to quickly level up their trainer level and friendship level.
During the 12 Days of Friendship event, players will notice that their friendship level with other trainers will increase faster when trading Pokémon, or battling with one another in raids, gyms, or trainer battles. Players that are friends will also receive an attack power boost when battling with one another in raids. This also counts for remote raids. The amount of XP granted to players who finish raids has also been increased. Players can also open more gifts from friends every day.
While there may not be any new Pokémon or Shiny forms added during this event, it is a pretty handy event for players who have been grinding to get to a higher level. It is also useful for leveling up friendships since it can normally take weeks to get to max friendship. Pokémon GO has a lot planned to close out 2020, and this massive update tells players that there is a lot more to come in the future.
Source: Pokémon GO