Pokémon Go maker Niantic’s virtual pet game Peridot gets release a date

Niantic, The Company Behind Pokémon Go, Pikmin BloomAnd the newly released NBA All-WorldIt will soon release the new property, its next video game PeridotOn May 9, That’s a little over a year after Niantic first announced PeridotAn augmented reality video game where players can raise and take care of a pet virtual called a Dot.

PeridotYou can now pre-register for the game from both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Niantic says that players who pre-register or play the game during the first two weeks after its launch will get a “launch-exclusive party hat cosmetic” for their Dots.

Niantic’s David Hollin, creative director for Peridot, said in the game’s release date announcement that every player’s pet will be “100% genetically unique,” inheriting genes from parent Dots that define their color, characteristics, and other cosmetic traits. Players (known as “Keepers”) will need to keep their Dots “happy, healthy, and loved,” Hollin says, by feeding them, playing with them, and taking them on adventures. In the end, Keepers will be able to breed their Dots by importing Dots from others players. Unlike the collection and battle focus of Niantic’s PokémonClick HereThe developer pitches Peridot as a “charming, comfy game that delivers all the joy of raising a pet, without the mess.”

Based on the above release date trailer, Niantic also appears to be signaling the social — and even romantic — possibilities of Peridot. It will be difficult to match the success of Pokémon GoA game. PeridotIt appears to be in indirect competition against each other, this spring will make it clear.