The Pokémon Company (TPC) and Niantic, the developers of Pokémon GO, have released a new update: Pokémon GO is now available in Hindi! The announcement coincided with the celebration of Hindi Divas on September 14, making Hindi the game’s 15th language overall and its sixth in Asia. Over 800 Pokémon have received new Hindi names as part of this exciting update, making the game even more relatable for Indian players. In the launch event, the hosts entertained the audience with a cute Pikachu dance as well, making it even more realistic.
Since its introduction in 1996, Pokémon, an international video game and entertainment phenomenon, has grown from 151 animals to over 1,000. TPC made a promise to the Indian market by renaming over 800 Pokémon in Hindi, making them more approachable to Indian fans in recognition of the expanding Pokémon community here. On the official Pokédex page, you can now look up the new Hindi names, and you’ll soon have access to information on all Pokémon.
”Since the beginning, Pokémon’s appeal has transcended generations and cultures making it a worldwide phenomenon bringing people together through the joy of play and discovery. India is one of our key markets. We believe the localization into Hindi marks the starting point of a long journey to come. We aim to firmly establish ourselves in India with our long-term vision and hope to further enrich the Pokémon world hand-in-hand with the Pokémon fan community.”
Takato Utsunomiya, Chief Operating Officer, The Pokémon Company
In order to provide users with the joy of catching Pokémon in the real world via augmented reality (AR), TPC and Niantic teamed up to produce Pokémon GO in 2016. Additionally, this partnership presented unique Pokémon in diverse locales, enticing gamers to explore and engage with worldwide followers. With the addition of Hindi language support to Pokémon GO, they have now made it possible to draw Indian players into the Pokémon world a little better.
“Niantic remains devoted to fostering a global community that transcends boundaries, and the addition of Hindi language support is a testament to the company’s unwavering commitment towards India and its rapidly increasing gaming audience. The Hindi version of Pokémon GO will promote inclusivity, encourage engagement, and enable more players to embark on their Pokémon GO adventures. Since the launch of the game in 2016, we have added over five lakh Pokéstops across India and the company also has been organising several on-ground activations. We are certain that this step by us with The Pokémon Company will further help us in widening our audience base in the country.”
Omar Tellez, VP for Emerging Markets, Niantic
Niantic is also going to be holding a month-long exclusive event for Indian players to mark the localization of the game into Hindi called the Pokémon Mela in Nov-Dec, 2023. This in-game event consists of Bonuses with exclusive rewards, Timed Research, and Field Research. Pokémon GO has also revised the pricing for coin bundles on the Google Play and Apple Stores and introduced an exclusive coin bonus for the Pokémon GO Web Store. The company has also promised to expand on the local languages further in the forthcoming months.
Stay tuned to iLLGaming as we bring to you more such exciting gaming, tech and esports content. You can download the new Hindi version of Pokémon Go from Android and Apple app stores.
