After all the hype and excitement surrounding Pokémon GO Fest, most Trainers were disappointed. Let's just run through the day. The line moved at a snail's pace, making some Trainers having to wait until the second Challenge Window to enter the park. Once in the park, technical difficulties plagued all attendees. iOS users constantly had their app crash. Customers of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon could rarely get service, and Sprint service was certainly lackluster. John Hanke was even confronted about this problem when he appeared onstage. Trainers booed and chanted "We can't play!" throughout his appearance.
Niantic has owned up to their lack of planning. They will refund all tickets, and an email containing details will be sent out soon. All attendees that checked in with the QR code will receive $100 in PokéCoins (14,500 Coins) and a Lugia. The event is now extended until Monday morning through a two-mile radius from Grant Park.
Lets end this article with the positives of the day. Every Gym in the park hosted several short Raids, including multiple Tyranitar Raids. Snorlax, Pikachu, and Charizard were other Bosses. All event Raids required no Raid Pass to participate. Several Unown (forms of the letters in "Chicago") and Heracross spawned. Rare spawns like Lapras, Houndoom, Larvitar, and Porygon occurred. Finally, the special Eggs hatched rare Pokémon like Phanpy and Houndour.
In any case, Niantic certainly needs to do a lot better for the Safari Zones and any other future, real-world events. The service issues and the mud-riddled terrain were not the fault of Niantic, but certainly did not contribute to the overall appeal of GO Fest. Still, the entire event was enjoyable when service was available.
Niantic has owned up to their lack of planning. They will refund all tickets, and an email containing details will be sent out soon. All attendees that checked in with the QR code will receive $100 in PokéCoins (14,500 Coins) and a Lugia. The event is now extended until Monday morning through a two-mile radius from Grant Park.
Lets end this article with the positives of the day. Every Gym in the park hosted several short Raids, including multiple Tyranitar Raids. Snorlax, Pikachu, and Charizard were other Bosses. All event Raids required no Raid Pass to participate. Several Unown (forms of the letters in "Chicago") and Heracross spawned. Rare spawns like Lapras, Houndoom, Larvitar, and Porygon occurred. Finally, the special Eggs hatched rare Pokémon like Phanpy and Houndour.
In any case, Niantic certainly needs to do a lot better for the Safari Zones and any other future, real-world events. The service issues and the mud-riddled terrain were not the fault of Niantic, but certainly did not contribute to the overall appeal of GO Fest. Still, the entire event was enjoyable when service was available.