Pokémon Go Fest Global Rewards Extended After Disastrous Festival Flops

Originally intended as unlockable bonuses during last Saturday’s Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago, Niantic has made a series of global rewards available to all for a longer period of time than originally planned.

The global rewards are as follows:

• Double Stardust

• Double Candy

• Double experience

• Increased Pokémon encounters

• Reduced hatching distance

• Reduced buddy distance

These rewards will be available until 5 p.m. PDT on July 27.

The extension of unlockable bonuses come on the heels of Niantic’s disastrous inaugural Pokémon Go Fest. The event, which took place in Chicago on July 22, was marred by widespread connectivity issues preventing players from accessing the game to catch any Pokémon, let alone event Pokémon. A crowd of thousands booed Niantic CEO John Hanke every time he took the stage in Grant Park, demanding that he “fix the game” and “fix the servers.”

Pokémon Go Fest was structured with three challenge windows in mind for players in Grant Park to complete in order to enter a legendary Raid Battle and capture an unannounced surprise legendary Pokémon. However, server and connectivity issues made the challenges impossible until the tail end of the event.

To make up for the experience, Niantic offered the following (via Niantic’s official Pokémon Go site):

• All registered attendees will soon receive an email with instructions on how to receive a full refund for the cost of their ticket. These instructions will be sent to the email addresses associated with your Pokémon GO account.

• All registered attendees will receive $100 in PokéCoins in their Pokémon GO account.

• Special Pokémon, Eggs, and check-in PokéStops appearing during Pokémon GO Fest have had their range increased to a two mile radius surrounding Grant Park through Monday morning, July 24. These Pokémon and Eggs will only be visible to Pokémon GO Fest attendees who validated the QR code they received when they entered Pokémon GO Fest. Attendees who were unable to validate their QR code during the event can do so through the special PokéStops through Monday morning.

• All registered attendees will have the Legendary Pokémon, Lugia, added to their account.

Pokémon Go Fest attendees should already be receiving emails about how to submit requests for ticket refunds. The emails provide a link and details for getting the promised $100 in-game credit, legendary Pokémon Lugia and $20 refund for the price of admission. Refund requests must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on Aug. 27, with refunds processed by Sept. 1.

“We have learned from this experience and will strive to do better going forward. Thank you for joining us on this continued adventure,” said Niantic in the email.

Will Niantic try to recreate Pokémon Go Fest in Year 2? Do these rewards do enough to address the disastrous experience Pokémon Go fans had in Grant Park? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.