Today is a very special day for UK residents: Pokemon Go is now officially available for all Britons to download and play from Google Play and iTunes, developer Niantic has confirmed via Twitter.
Of course, any serious Pokemon Trainer living in Wales, England, Scotland or Northern Island has no doubt been playing the augmented reality game for the last week by way of a crafty trick, but for those who had the patience to wait, it’s your turn to board the hype train to see what all the fuss is about.
UK Trainers, the wait is over. #PokemonGO is now officially available to be installed from Google Play or iTunes.
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) July 14, 2016
Before you begin your quest to Catch ‘Em All though, we’d strongly advise you don’t visit any historically sensitive establishments in your search for the rarer breeds of Pokemon. It emerged yesterday that the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington were attempting to dissuade players from searching for Pokemon on their grounds, labelling the act as being “extremely inappropriate.”
Stick to the likes of McDonalds and Starbucks though, and you should be fine, especially as said outlets are reportedly among the first in line to be getting sponsored ‘Pokestops’ – in-game locations that bestow special benefits.
Pokemon Go began its campaign for global domination last week beginning with a soft launch in Australia and Japan. The AR title has since rolled out across the rest of the world, promptly shooting to the top of download charts everywhere. Will the bubble ever burst? Possibly, but it won’t be any time soon, that’s for sure.