Ingress level cap doubles to 16, receives new features

The level cap on Niantic Labs' augmented reality massively multiplayer game, Ingress, is now more than double, increasing from level 8 to 16, the developer announced today.

Those who reach the higher levels have access to expanded XM storage and can recharge Portals at greater distances and receive. Player avatars reflect the new levels and an updated level interface tracks player progression.

The update also introduces a new rare item called Capsules that allows players to collaborate on a larger scale. Obtained by hacking Portals, Capsules can be used to hold and transport a large number of items and can be dropped to be collected by other agents. The rare type of XMP Burster called Ultra Strikes are now available to all players, previously exclusive to Motorola Droid devices.

Developed by members of the team that created Google Earth, Maps and Street View, Ingress launched last December after being in beta since late 2012. Players of the augmented reality game leverage real-world locations to influence in-game events. Android users can download Ingress free through Google Play and will be available on iOS in 2014.