It's highly likely that the Pokémon GO release date will not happen right after the GDC 2016 this March as the game presentation earlier announced by Niantic Labs has been cancelled. Notwithstanding the supposed pushback, there are indicators that say the augmented reality-centric game will still launch this year.
Niantic CEO John Hanke has confirmed in a statement that the Pokémon GO demo at the GDC 2016 will not push through so developers can work instead on finalizing the game title. No specific rollout timing was provided by the Niantic chief, according to Game Spot.
"We have decided to forego our GDC talk on Pokémon GO in order to focus on getting the product ready for beta test and launch," Hanke was reported by Game Spot as saying. "We feel our time and energy right now are best spent on making sure every aspect of the product is where we want it to be," the executive added.
Had the Niantic demo on Pokémon GO was not cancelled, Hanke would have presented the core features packed with the AR-focused game, which is to deliver "a mobile Pokémon experience that gets would-be trainers into the outdoors."
And with the GO demo confirmed as a no-go, Pokémon fans are wondering if the game launch will still happen this 2016. Apparently, two solid proofs are pointing to a pre-determined Pokémon GO rollout anytime this year, Nintendo Everything said in a report.
One is the joint field testing in Japan scheduled by game developers The Pokémon Company and Niantic before the end of the month. "The Pokémon GO field test program will give users the opportunity to share early feedback and help improve the Pokémon GO experience," the report quoted a Niantic statement as saying.
Then Game Freak's Junichi Masuda, who has a direct hand in developing the Pokémon GO, has categorically stated that his creation will see the light of the day this year. Masuda said, per a separate report by Nintendo Everything, that Pokémon GO "will be released in 2016 ... and will provide new enjoyment to our fans."
On release date, Masuda described the Pokémon GO as "a groundbreaking mobile game that will encourage fans to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon. Players will be able to catch, trade and battle in the real world by utilizing location information," the report said.