If gangs of kids suddenly start loitering in your garden or your favourite corner café appears overrun with people staring excitedly at their smartphone screens this weekend, don't panic, it's just Pokémon Go.
The mobile game developed by Niantic that took the world by storm last summer and ended the year having clocked up a remarkable 550 million downloads is getting its first major overhaul since it launched back in July and started setting world records.
"The amazing response to Pokémon GO by millions of existing and new Pokémon fans around the world is remarkable," said J.C. Smith, senior director, Consumer Marketing, The Pokémon Company International.
So to keep existing players engaged and to tempt others into returning to the app or installing for the first time, some 80 new Pokémon will start appearing in the game over the coming days, including Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile.
And as well as more Pokémon to hunt down, this major update brings changes and further evolution to the gameplay. For instance, Trainers will get two new berries that can make Pokémon easier to catch or increase a Pokémon's potential value.
"Today is a momentous occasion for our team here at Niantic which has been hard at work to deliver these additional Pokémon and build upon the encounter and capture mechanics for our passionate global community of Trainers playing Pokémon GO," said John Hanke, founder and chief executive officer, Niantic, Inc.
Though the number of active players has fallen off in recent months, the app's ability to make money shows no signs of abating. By the end of January, just seven months after it launched in the US, SensorTower estimated that the game had already generated US$1bil (RM4.44bil) in revenues.
Therefore it's no surprise that Niantic has no intentions of slowing down the title's development.
"Pokémon GO is a live experience which we'll be continuing to support and evolve in new and interesting ways for years to come with new gameplay features, in-game and live events, more Pokémon to discover and much more," Hanke said.
In other words, to anyone who was hoping that Pokémon Go had gone, get ready for it to start all over again.
