‘Pokémon Go’ Release Date, Gameplay, Features: Here’s What We Know About the Upcoming Android, iOS Game

The Pokémon Company and Niantic have been mum over the past several months about the gameplay features of the highly-anticipated Pokémon Go game for Android and iOS devices.

But in order to bring the excitement into a new level, both companies released intriguing details about Pokémon Go, which is expected to hit the market this year.

Trainer Levels

According to The Pokémon Company, gamers will have to gain experience in order to improve the quality of pocket monster that they can catch. Once the trainer reaches a certain level, he will get access to more powerful items and could catch stronger Pokémons.

How to Get a Pokémon

Trainers will encounter Pokémon while exploring nearby places. When a trainer sees a Pokémon, the device will vibrate and the gamer will have to throw a Poké Ball in order to catch the monster. Some types of Pokémon will only appear in certain places -- like water-type Pokémons near bodies of water like rivers, lake and oceans.

Trainers can also obtain a certain Pokémon through Pokémon Eggs that will be available in certain areas. The Pokémon Eggs, like in the original video games, will hatch after walking a certain distance. Pokémons could also be owned through evolution. A Pokémon will evolve after catching the same species several times.

Gym Battles

Niantic also provided an overview of the Gym battles. Trainers will reportedly be asked to join a team and will be allowed to assign a Pokémon in an empty Gym or a Gym owned by the team in order to defend the area. The players can also go to a Gym of another team to challenge the owners of the particular Gym.

"Players will be encouraged to join one of three teams in order to compete over the ownership and prestige of Gyms. They will do this by placing their captured Pokémon in a friendly Gym or by battling with an opponent's Pokémon in another team's Gym," Niantic revealed.

Pokémon GO Plus

The Pokémon Company also confirmed that they will release a certain device that could make life easier for trainers. Pokémon GO Plus is a device that could be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth. The wearable device will make trainers aware of notifications -- like a battles or a Pokémon nearby -- without looking at their Android or iOS device.

More details are expected to come out in the coming weeks, as The Pokémon Company also confirmed that they will conduct an early field test in Japan and in other parts of the world.