This past weekend, Niantic hosted the first official Pokemon Go Fest in Chicago’s Grant Park, and it seems safe to say it didn’t go quite like the developer had hoped. The event was organized as a way to give players a chance to capture Pokemon together and take part in cooperative challenges, which would ultimately unlock the game’s first Legendary Pokemon, but server issues throughout the day rendered the game unplayable for the majority of attendees.
The frustration was captured in the Pokemon Go Fest livestream, which broadcast the event for those who weren’t able to attend in person. YouTube user bobvids compiled the worst moments in a video, which shows players voicing their displeasure at being unable to play the game. Niantic CEO John Hanke was greeted by a chorus of boos when he took the stage to explain the issues that were affecting the event, and many attendees loudly chanted, “We can’t play!” at other points during the stage show. You can watch the video below, but please be advised that it contains some swearing.
Of course, those weren’t the only cringe-worthy moments to come out of the stream. Many came from the presenters, whose exuberance rang especially hollow given the problems that were plaguing the event.
Niantic issued an apology to fans for the issues at Pokemon Go Fest and gave attendees full refunds, as well as $100 in PokeCoins. The developer also unlocked the game’s first Legendary Pokemon, Lugia, without requiring attendees to defeat it first. Players around the globe can now encounter it, as well as the Legendary bird Articuno, in Raid Battles.
Niantic has a series of live Safari Zone events planned for Europe throughout the summer. These are being held at select Unibail-Rodamco shopping centers and will give players a chance to capture Pokemon that don’t typically spawn in the region. Given their much smaller scale, these events will likely go a bit more smoothly than Pokemon Go Fest did.
