Niantic have led the charge of April Fool celebrations by adding 8-bit sprites of Pokémon into Pokémon GO. They appear in the nearby sightings, the Pokémon caught list and the Pokédex – and even old announcements!

We always want to bring you the most immersive graphics experience possible, and we’re excited to share our latest breakthrough with millions of Pokémon GO Trainers around the world. Starting later today, you can be one of the first to experience this all-new graphics engine.

Experience Pokémon GO like never before with cutting-edge 8-BIT GRAPHICS! Registering approximately twice the definition of 4K, the chunky squares of each pixel provide realistic detail and unbelievable definition. Your Pokédex will feel lifelike in ways previously unimagined on any handheld device ever created.

We feel 100% confident in saying that you’ve never seen Pokémon like this in Pokémon GO! We’re looking forward to your feedback on this brand-new feature. Tell us your thoughts on our latest update with #PokemonGO, and be sure to include a picture of your favorite Pokémon!

Unannounced also is the increase of Murkrow spawns, attributed to it being a Pokémon with the Ability of Prankster. This coincides with its Shiny form being added to the game yesterday, and one has already been caught.

What do you think of GO’s embracing of April Fools this year?