Pokemon Go has been having a turbulent year, especially if you ask players and one of the major sources of complaints from the fanbase has been the current state of events.
Speaking to Dot Esports, Pokemon Go Director Michael Steranka recently touched on fan expectations and the disappointment around events, specifically mentioning the backlash around this year’s Ultra Unlock event compared to previous years.
While other years saw the Ultra Unlock event usher in huge swathes of new Pokemon, new regions, or other exciting rewards for completing Pokemon Go Fest Global tasks, this year’s rewards were more muted. Unlocks such as Tandemaus and just one new Shiny with Togedamaru disappointed players.
At the Pokemon World Championships 2024, Dot Esports’ writer Adam Newell asked Staranka if the company had noticed the backlash from fans against this year’s Ultra Unlock events, and he explained that the criticism was something Niantic is “taking into consideration.”
Steranka explained further that after eight years, Pokemon Go’s events have become “more exciting or generous” and because of this “player expectations increase over time.” Then, he added that “it’s on us [Niantic] to make sure that we can rise to those expectations.”
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Steranka added one final comment to Dot Esports, saying that “if the Ultra Unlock this year was an area we fell short in” then Niantic will “look at feedback” to adjust their approach for next year.
That is all from Steranka in this interview, but it comes off the back of a quiet year for Pokemon Go, as the amount of new wild spawns has slowed down, as well as the introduction of new Raid Bosses.
With Niantic currently teasing some big new additions to Pokemon Go, features like Dynamax and Gigantamax may be on the horizon, and there could be a renewed interest in the Galar region.
Alongside upcoming games like Pokemon Legends Z-A, hopefully, Go will feel more exciting in the coming months for both veterans and any newcomers to the franchise.
