'Pokémon GO' generation 2 release: Ditto is in the game, but will only go live as major update?

A man uses a mobile phone in front of an advertisement board bearing the image of Pokemon Go at an electronic shop in Tokyo, Japan, July 27, 2016.REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

Speculations and supposed leaks have placed Ditto to be in the current "Pokémon GO" gameplay. However, players continue to frantically search for the rare creature. Meanwhile, other observers say that, although the Pokémon is already in the game, Ditto will go live as part of a major update for the title.

According to GameRant, extensive data mining reveals that, while Ditto may have already been placed in the game's servers, the Pokémon continues to be an unlockable in-game content. This means that developer Niantic Labs may just be preparing the Pokémon as part of an upcoming update. Meanwhile, it is already established that upcoming patches will only add gameplay features for the app such as the trainer battle and Pokémon trading systems. The major update which will add more content to "Pokémon GO" is expected to arrive early next year. This leads observers to surmise that Ditto will go live as part of the rumored generation 2 update.

This seems likely since the much-awaited generation 2 update is expected to add more Pokémon, at least 100 creatures, to the current "Pokémon GO" roster. The new list will unlock new basic Pokémon characters, as well as additional evolution paths. It is highly possible that Ditto will be a part of the list.

Rumors of Ditto being added to the game started when Niantic Labs CEO John Hanke hinted on the rare Pokémon. Hanke told Tech Crunch, "I can't tell you how to find Ditto because that wouldn't be any fun when you did find him if I did." However, the studio executive did not directly say when fans can expect Ditto to be added to the roster. Hanke just teased, "But it will happen for you. I promise." This tease by the Niantic Labs CEO, however, prompted enterprising fans to dig deep into the "Pokémon GO" source files and server codes.