As the coronavirus pandemic spread in the spring and summer, Pokémon Go rolled out a series of changes that made it easier for players to keep participating. Now Niantic Labs has announced that while some of the temporary bonuses it added will remain active, several of them will go away as of October 1st.

In April the game added a feature where your buddy Pokémon would gather gifts from nearby PokéStops even if you didn’t leave your home, and now it will only do that if you’re running low. The distance walked to hatch eggs is going back up to where it was previously, and incense that attracts Pokémon will only have increased effectiveness while walking.

An upcoming Pokémon Go update for October could mean you won’t be able to access the game anymore if you’re using an older iPhone or Android device. Niantic has announced that the game will stop supporting devices running Android 5, iOS 10 and iOS 11. For Apple owners, in particular, the game will no longer work on the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6 even if you install iOS 12 on it.

In an upcoming update to Pokémon GO in October, we will end support for Android 5, iOS 10, and iOS 11, as well as iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 devices. Trainers with devices not specifically listed here will not be affected and don’t need to take any action.

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) August 31, 2020

The developer didn’t explain why it’s cutting off the old mobile platforms and phones, but there could be an element in future updates that would prevent the game from running on older devices. As 9to5Mac notes, Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game that’s more technically demanding than non-AR titles. Whatever Niantic’s reason is, it says you won’t be able to access the game, your items or your PokeCoins when the update rolls out in mid-October if you’re using one of the aforementioned platforms and phones. And the company won’t provide support for technical issues if you find a way to keep the game running without upgrading devices or mobile OS.

Trainers, we have huge news coming your way…

Or should we say MEGA news?
Stay tuned! #PokemonGO pic.twitter.com/aae4FejJ1A

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) August 25, 2020

You’ll only be able to Mega Evolve Beedrill, Blastoise, Charizard and Venusaur at the outset. When you do, they’ll be much more powerful. They’ll amp up the attack power of allied Pokémon during raids too.

Only one of your Pokémon can be Mega Evolved at a given time. They’ll stay in that form until they run out of Mega Energy. After you Mega Evolve a Pokémon once, it’ll cost less Mega Energy to do so with that creature in the future.

Several Mega Evolution-themed events will take place in Pokémon Go throughout September. According to Polygon, Niantic will roll out the Mega Evolution update on Thursday on Android and iOS.

When this feature goes live, a “+” button will appear in private raid lobbies that you’ve joined in person. You can tap the + button to invite up to five friends to join you. Your friends will be notified of raid invitations on their Nearby screen or in push notifications. These invitations will allow your friends to enter the raid lobby, and they will be able to use a pass only when the battle starts.

Next, Pokémon Go will allow you to personalize in-game gifts you send to friends with stickers. When the feature is first introduced players will get a roll of stickers for free, and will have the option of adding a sticker to a gift before sending it to a friend. The website notes, “You can use a sticker only once, so be sure to stock up on more by opening Gifts.” Eventually the stickers will be available to buy, as you’d expect from a free-to-play game.

Each summer since 2017, app developer Niantic has hosted the Pokémon GO Fest in select cities across the globe. The event incorporates Pokémon-themed installations and activities in large parks, and helps thousands of players connect in real life. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s Fest obviously can’t be held outdoors. Instead, Niantic is turning it into a two-day, online event. The company says, “We’re bringing back Pokémon GO Fest on July 25th–26th as an all-new, completely reimagined global event in a virtual format.”

Pokémon GO typically requires players to wander around outside to catch creatures in augmented reality — which may not translate to an indoor experience — so it’s unclear what Niantic has planned in terms of activities. It sounds like the company is working on additional ways to make the game more fun during era of social distancing, though: “While we’ll miss celebrating with each other in a beautiful park, we’ve come up with new ways for the community to connect and team up together that we’ll roll out during the summer.”

The features Niantic announced for Pokémon Go in mid-April are starting to make their way to your mobile devices. To start with, your Buddy Pokémon — that one special monster you choose to appear next to your avatar — will now bring back gifts from nearby PokéStops and Gyms for you. It’s obviously a feature meant to encourage staying at home, so you don’t have to venture out to PokéStops to gather gifts for friends. If your buddy isn’t doing any gift gathering yet, don’t worry: Niantic’s announcement says the feature is rolling out on a regional basis to ensure stability.

Trainers, your Buddy will now bring back Gifts from nearby PokéStops and Gyms for you to send to Friends. This change is rolling out on a regional basis to ensure stability. Thanks for your patience!

— Niantic Support (@NianticHelp) April 27, 2020

In addition, Remote Raid Passes are now available in the in-game shop. The passes will give you a way to join raid battles on the Nearby screen or elsewhere on the map.

The Niantic team is also rethinking how it handles live events like Pokémon Go Fest, although it doesn’t have more info to share at this stage.

As with earlier tweaks, Niantic doesn’t have much choice. It’s hard to play a location-based game when you’re discouraged or even banned from leaving your home. This just shows how much the company has to change if it’s going to keep its player base active until it’s safe to socialize once more.

In @minecraftearth, you’ll notice Tappables spawning more frequently and with more density, and you can also collect Adventure crystals so that you can spawn an Adventure right where you are and don’t have to go out to an Adventure. Have you tried it yet?

— Aubrey Norris (@Chupacaubrey) March 25, 2020

The AR game, like Pokémon Go, is designed to be used in the real world, something that’s impossible in California and many other places right now. Recently, Niantic introduced changes designed to make the game playable at home, including a 100-Poké Ball bundle for 1 PokéCoin, along with a rotating 1 PokéCoin bundle that will change every week. It also increased daily bonuses and increased the number of gifts available per day to 30.

The Minecraft Earth team said it developed these features in accordance with World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control guidelines about avoiding public places and gatherings of 10 or more people. Other new features include a higher level cap, Bone Spiders skeletons, Dark Forest buildplates, Tropical Slime mobs and the Iron Furnace Golem protector.

Both titles, as well as Ingress, are designed to get people out and about, exploring their local area and teaming up in groups. That’s the opposite to what people should be doing in the face of a pandemic, with people urged to isolate and reduce close contact with others wherever possible. Community days even more so, given that they reward groups of players that roam around city centers in large packs.

The safety of our global player community is our top priority. COVID-19 is challenging us and the world to adjust. We’re putting our focus on expanding features and experiences in our games that can be enjoyed in an individual setting and that also encourage exploration!

— Niantic, Inc. (@NianticLabs) March 13, 2020

As well as axing the Abra community day, Pokémon Go has been changed to enable to buy 30 Incense for just 1 PokéCoin. This Incense, which acts as a lure to draw Pokémon to your location, will now last for an hour, rather than the 30 minutes as usual. In addition, hatch distances have been dropped by half if you incubate an egg in the next couple of weeks.

And if you live close to a PokéStop, you’ll be able to get gifts more regularly, reducing the need to travel far and wide. Niantic is also tweaking the game so many more Pokémon spawn in the wild, so if you live in a city, you might not need to leave your block but still get plenty of ‘mons caught. These new rules are in place “until further notice,” and we expect them to remain in place for as long as authorities say there’s a risk.

The Boost Mini figures will retail for $5 each, and feature a variety of characters from the Minecraft franchise, including Steve, Alex, creepers, ducks and a cow. Each figurine is very cute on its own, but holding it up against an NFC-enabled device will unlock special abilities within Minecraft Earth for a certain amount of time, displayed by a timer on the screen. You’ll also get XP for registering the mini with the game as a further incentive to collect them all (or borrow from friends).

The initial batch being released this spring has 20 different minis, with 10 different abilities to choose from. And, if you are the type who’s planning to take your Minecraft Earth game out and about, Mattel is also selling a potion-shaped carrying case that clips onto your belt.

If you’re not into the new game specifically but still want some of that sweet Minecraft toy action, Mattel also announced a bunch of new $3.50 blind box minis themed to vanilla Minecraft as well as larger 3.5-inch figures that tie into the upcoming Minecraft Dungeons. The Redstone Monstrosity is particularly fun since it’s scaled in proportion to those toys, standing over six inches tall. The 3.5-inch figurines will be $10, with the monstrosity going for $25 when it’s released in the fall.

Follow all the latest news from Toy Fair 2020 here!