Pokémon Go gets its first branching questline today
Bidoof!
Pokémon Go has today added a new twist to its in-game Special Research questlines: the ability for storylines to branch out and end in different ways.
The feature will be used in Pokémon Go's upcoming Go Fest 2021 event later in July, which is this year themed around music, to offer a choice of Pikachu costumes and build a pop or rock band comprised of different creatures.
Today, however, the feature is being rolled out via Pokémon Go's delightfully bizarre Bidoof celebration, which has flooded the game with the meme-heavy beaver over the past week.
In what feels like a test for the new branching gameplay, you can pick either "Bidoof!" or "Bidoof...?" options, and a later choice to select whether Bidoof has "Nerves of steel" or "Nests near water" for different (though largely similar) rewards.
(For the full rundown on Pokémon Go's Bidoof quest, we have a Bidoof-filled guide.)
After Go Fest 2021, it'll be interesting to see what this feature is used for next. Will players be able to opt between new Starter Pokémon this way? Pick to fight a particular villainous faction? Choose dialogue options to romance Professor Willow?
This year's Pokémon Go Fest costs £5, a third of last year's entry fee, in celebration of the game's fifth anniversary. Saturday 17th July will focus on catching Pokémon and building a music group to lure in the Mythical creature Meloetta. Sunday 18th July will then return every Legendary Pokémon released so far into raids.
After Go Fest, Pokémon Go will begin phasing out its pandemic-era bonuses in certain countries, starting with New Zealand and the US. The plan sparked criticism from some fans, though will still go ahead.