Pokémon Go will soon be getting an upgrade on all recent Apple devices with the integration of iOS 11’s new, built-in augmented reality development framework, called ARKit. After an upcoming patch, devices capable of utilizing ARKit features will see an improvement to the basic AR capabilities of the game, as well as new gameplay mechanics that take advantage of the upgraded capabilities.
After activating AR+ mode in the game, Pokémon will be more accurately placed in the world when viewed in the AR encounter mode. Trainers will be able to change their distance and angle and the Pokémon will track to your perspective, better achieving the original game’s promise of finding and catching Pokémon that feel like they’re in the real world.
The improved AR tracking is more than cosmetic. It will be easier to catch Pokémon from close up, but they will also be more likely to notice you and run away if you approach too quickly, adding a new element of risk and reward to catching Pokémon in the wild. Catching Pokémon from close range will award a new Expert Handler bonus, which nets you more XP and stardust, providing a strong incentive to utilize and master these new features. AR+ mode will work on iPhone 6S, 5th generation iPads, all iPad Pro, and any subsequently released iOS devices.
Pokémon Go was the first breakout AR app, introducing the world to what the medium could bring to gaming. It did so using only the basic camera capabilities of smartphones, and thus the seams of its fantasy were always pretty apparent. Now the technology is catching up to the game’s promise. Most of the apps utilizing ARKit so far are for either marketing products or novelty photos, so Pokémon Go‘s AR+ mode will be one of the most exciting uses yet.
Although Pokémon Go has faded in stature somewhat from its 2016, zeitgeist-defining launch, developer Niantic has kept busy with a steady stream of updates for the community, regularly adding events and new Pokémon to keep things interesting for its loyal community. Niantic also recently announced that it has acquired the rights to develop an AR game based on the Harry Potter franchise, so any experience earned here with Pokémon Go‘s AR+ mode will feed directly into the AR features of that upcoming project.
The Call of Duty franchise has held a special place in my heart ever since I played my first Black Ops game back in 2010. That game's campaign was something else, with twists and turns that culminated in a mind-blowing finale. We can all admit that compared to those older campaigns, the recent CODs have been lackluster at best, and a complete and utter disappointment at worst. The reboot of Modern Warfare did give me some hope, as the first two installments were actually quite good, but the third game left such a bad taste in my mouth that I wasn’t exactly expecting much from Modern Warfare 4.
After recently finishing the campaign, I can say that this installment is nothing like the recent releases and instead feels closer to the franchise’s roots. For the first time in a long while, the campaign comes across as well-crafted rather than rushed to hit a release date. It arrives three years after MW3, and you can see exactly where all that time went. It seems the studio finally made listening to player feedback a priority.
Epic Games has just announced the 2026 Epic AI MegaJam, which is looking to see how much game development can be squeezed into a very short window. This is running from November 12 through November 15.
Participants can work alone or in teams of up to five people, build in Unreal Engine or Unreal Editor for Fortnite, and bring along “as many AI agents as you want.” Epic explicitly encourages coding agents, AI-generated assets, audio tools, writing tools, and other AI systems. The official event page literally says "Vibe your way to $50k.”
It’s turning into a pretty good time to be a Monster Hunter fan who plays on a phone. Capcom has confirmed that Monster Hunter Outlanders will launch on Android and iOS on October 29, giving the series a new mobile-first game just as Monster Hunter Rise is also preparing to make the jump to smartphones through Netflix.
Outlanders is being developed by Tencent subsidiary TiMi Studio Group under license and supervision from Capcom. Unlike Rise, which appears to be the full console and PC game adapted for mobile, Outlanders is a free-to-play survival hunting game made specifically for phones.