Mew, daily quests come to Pokémon Go in a huge update

Mythical monster Mew arrives in Pokémon Go this week, Niantic announced, coinciding with a feature-heavy update to the mobile game.

Unlocking and capturing Mew, the rare, 151st Pokémon, is tied to completing several story-based tasks. Guided by the game’s resident scholar Professor Willow, the new Field Research and Special Research quests will give players new incentive to check in daily — as well as a new way to capture Pokémon.

Field Research challenges come from swiping at PokéStops, and award players stamps upon completion. They’ll involved “Pokémon-related activities,” according to Niantic, which likely means specific capture bonuses and events. These change daily, with multiple available throughout each day. At seven stamps, players will have a special “Research Breakthrough” that can then lead to a legendary Pokémon battle. From the sound of it, the first of these will pit players against the Psychic-type Mew.

As for the Special Research events, these will advance the plot of Pokémon Go and involve Professor Willow entreating players to help him with his own projects. This is the first time that Niantic has committed to developing the plot of the game since just shortly after its launch in 2016. It’s not yet clear just how deep that storyline will be, or what it will entail, but we’ll begin to find out starting March 30.

Update: Niantic clarified that the update will kick in on Friday, March 30.