Surprise! Pokémon Go just launched new Pokémon Spinda

Pokémon Go does not often launch a new Pokémon - and when it does, it'll usually arrive alongside a wave of others, or at the start of a new month's raiding cycle.

Not so last night, when the game quietly dropped Spinda as a brand new task reward, for landing three curveball throws in a row.

The spiral-eyed Pokémon (hence the curveball quest) had been one of the game's handful of skipped species - unusual breeds with odd gameplay quirks which require more planning from developer Niantic than usual to implement.

In the main Pokémon games, Spinda is notable for having randomised colour spots dotted across its body. The mathmatical total for all possible variants is just over four billion.

In Pokémon Go, developer Niantic has simplified things - a lot - by creating eight specific designs it will release as separate forms. As of last night, one is available.

Every PokéStop with the task offers this same Spinda design - a little chap with a colour spots which look like a goatee. In your Pokémon Go Pokédex, it is listed as Spinda's form number eight.

All of which begs the question - when will other Spinda forms be released? Will they be daily? If number eight is the start, are they counting down to something?

Whatever the outcome, it was an exciting moment for Pokémon Go fans to find a brand new monster dropped out of the blue - and one of the small handful of creatures with no set release date.

Like Gen 1's Ditto, the missing 'mon from Gen 2 and Gen 3 all have special requirements attached. Smeargle, for example, permanently learns a move from the creature it is fighting. Clamperl requires specific evolution items. Nincada sheds off its skin when evolving - which then becomes its own separate Pokémon. And Kecleon is invisible and able to change into the type of move it is being attacked with. Hopefully we see more of these soon.

Last night's changes also brought in legendary dog Raikou as this month's seven-day Field Research reward and added shiny versions of doggy Pokémon Houndour and Snubbull - also available via tasks.