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Pokemon Go Buddy System Confirmed, Sounds Pretty Cool

Niantic confirms the feature after dataminers discovered it earlier this week.

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Pokemon Go is getting a new feature in the form of a buddy system of sorts.

In a blog post today, developer Niantic Labs confirmed online speculation and discussed the Buddy Pokemon feature at a high level, electing to save specifics for later. But what we do know about it sounds pretty cool.

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"You will be able to pick your favorite Pokemon from your collection to become your buddy, opening up unique in-game rewards and experiences," Niantic said. "Buddy Pokemon will appear alongside your Trainer avatar on your profile screen, adding helpful bonuses such as awarding Candy for walking together. You'll also have the ability to change your Buddy Pokemon at any time."

Niantic didn't say when the Buddy Pokemon feature will go live, but teased that its release is "right around the corner." Today's confirmation comes after gamers datamined Pokemon Go and found references to a buddy system.

In addition to this new feature, the studio said there are "a lot more" updates coming this fall. We'll report back with more information as it becomes available.

One of Pokemon Go's first major post-launch features was the appraisal system that came out at the end of August. This allowed users to see a Pokemon's attack and defense stats.

What new features would you like to see added to Pokemon Go in the future? Let us know in the comments below!

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