Posted in: Games, Mobile Games, Niantic, Pokémon GO | Tagged: pokemon, pokemon go fest, Pokémon GO Fest 2023

Pokémon GO Event Review: Pokémon GO Fest 2023 Global

Our Pokémon GO Event Review: Pokémon GO Fest 2023 Global examines whether this event was worth playing for ticketed & non-ticketed players.

The highly anticipated Pokémon GO Fest 2023: Global event took place this weekend. Niantic hosted the event remotely for players, offering both ticketed and non-ticketed features. This event followed multiple in-person Pokémon GO Fest 2023 events, including one I personally attended in New York, as Niantic continues their initiative to push Pokémon GO players to get back out there for exploration in a post-COVID world. Did this version of the event live up to previous remote Pokémon GO Fests where there were no in-person equivalents?

What worked about Pokémon GO Fest 2023: Global

• A Mega twist for Diancie: This year's Mythical Diancie debuted with its Mega form unlockable. This seemed quite generous, especially for a game known for petering out content over a long period of time in order to keep a steady flow of releases for its players.
• Mega & Primal features: Bringing back Kyogre and Groudon's Primal forms in honor of Mega Rayquaza's release was a nice touch. It worked both for the theme and practically, as they had previously only been featured for the limited Pokémon GO Tour: Hoenn event.
• Shinies & regionals: The number of Shinies added to the game was exciting, as was the increased number of regionals featured in the wild. Pachirisu and Carnivine arrived via Incense, giving ticketed players a chance to catch these species out-of-region while all players were able to hunt Shiny-capable Shellos in both of its regional forms.
• Incense: Incense was boosted back to its glorious former state, which meant that those who weren't able to get out and walk could also play from home.
• Variety for in-person event players: I expected this global remote event to offer similar content as the in-person version of the event I played, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Niantic crafted this global event not only to appeal to remote players, but also made sure that it offered a completely new experience for those who took the time to play the live events.

What didn't work about Pokémon GO Fest 2023: Global

• Collection Challenges: A minor quibble: Why not extend these until Sunday, especially when the same spawns are featured? Not all players can play two days in a row, so it would've felt more fair to extend the time limit to the end of the event rather than the end of the rotating habitats.
• A Sunday problem: Sundays are generally the weaker day for remote Pokémon GO Fest events, and that was certainly true here again. As the focus shifted to Raids, I would suggest future years add more exciting features such as Team GO Rocket content and more GO Snapshot photobomb. This event should be a celebration of all aspects of the game.

Overall, Pokémon GO Fest 2023 was another hit from Niantic. With just a few minor drawbacks, this event was well worth it for all who played. I would recommend the ticketed experience, especially now that the network problems of the past seem entirely conquered. During a time when Niantic is getting hate for pushing gameplay back to outdoor adventuring, they delivered an event that is difficult to criticize in any way.

Be sure to check back on Bleeding Cool for daily updates on all things Pokémon GO.

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