Niantic has a number of events lined up for Pokemon Go in July, but the biggest is Pokemon Go Fest 2020. The annual event returns later this month as a digital experience, and ahead of the festivities, Niantic has shared a new Pokemon Go Fest 2020 commercial directed by Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson.
The commercial, titled “Look Closer,” follows a handful of Pokemon Go players who peel back parts of their surroundings to reveal Pokemon hiding in everyday places. Niantic says the commercial was shot in New Zealand and directed by Johnson remotely from Los Angeles.
“Pokemon Go has kept me engaged with my friends remotely as I’ve been practicing physical distancing these past few months,” Johnson said in a statement shared on the Pokemon Go website. “As a longtime Pokemon trainer, it was a real pleasure working with Niantic on this spot. It was a new experience for me to direct a production remotely, and I enjoyed the highly collaborative process and think we put together a fun and upbeat commercial that fans will enjoy.”
Pokemon Go Fest 2020 takes place on July 25 and 26. Unlike past Go Fests, this year’s event is open to players around the world. Tickets run for $15 USD and grant holders access to both days of the event, which will entail lots of global challenges, rotating “virtual habitats” that will bring out different kinds of Pokemon, and more. Niantic also teases that the Mythical Pokemon Victini will make its Pokemon Go debut during the second day of the event.
In the meantime, Niantic is holding a series of weekly challenges in the lead up to Pokemon Go Fest 2020. If enough players on each team complete the challenges, Niantic will unlock additional Pokemon to catch during Go Fest weekend.
There are lots of other events happening in Pokemon Go this month. The Legendary Kyurem makes its debut in Raid Battles starting July 7, and Pokemon Go’s fourth anniversary event is now underway until July 8. There’s also a new batch of Field Research tasks to complete, with a chance to catch Larvitar awaiting as this month’s Research Breakthrough reward.
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