Pokémon GO Release Date Update: Gameplay Leaks and Hands-On Beta Testing Rumor Details Explained

Pokémon Go beta testing has already reached the US. For the past few months, more hands-on beta info have emerged about the game's battle system thanks largely to the gameplay leaks shared by field testers. While developer Niantic tries hard to crack down on leaks, it is virtually impossible to keep gamers from letting non-beta testers know.

Unlike other Pokémon games, Pokémon Go does not run on Nintendo 3DS or similar gaming devices. Instead, the mobile game is expected to utilize augmented reality and mobile technology to bring real Pokémon fun to Android and iOS platforms.

Recently, a nine-minute leaked gameplay footage (already removed from YouTube) from a beta tester in Australia reveals what the game really feels like, N4BB reported. As the sneak peek shows, the game allows the customization of the player's avatar through clothing, facial features, gender, and etc. Also, gamers can't seem to battle a wild Pokémon. You are only allowed to capture them with luck and skills. If you're itching for a Pokémon battle, you can always drop by a Gym and join either Red, Blue or Yellow team then train them and level up.

The leaked footage seems to affirm Pokémon Go's latest description on Pokémon website. In addition to abovementioned leaks, players can go about their activities throughout the day. When your phone vibrates, it simply notifies you of a nearby Pokémon which gives you an opportunity to catch it a Poke ball.

Also, Pokémon-related items like Poke balls can acquired in Pokestops (local places of interest like monuments, art galleries, historical landmarks, and etc.) in each real-world city and town. The Gyms are spread across at real locations around the world too. To add a more competitive gameplay, players are entitled to fight for control of the gym in behalf of the teams they joined in.

"Players can battle using the Pokémon they've caught to gain control of a Gym. By using their own Pokémon's attacks and dodging incoming attacks..., Pokémon GO players can defeat the defending Pokémon to reduce the Gym's Prestige. Once the Gym's Prestige reaches zero, the defending team loses control of the Gym, and the victor's Pokémon can be assigned to defend the Gym," Pokémon Company's gamepress revealed.