Pokemon Go players slam Niantic for “lame” paywalled Raids & events
NianticWith the increasingly concerning trend of paid events and Timed Research in Pokemon Go, alongside the unpopularly high Remote Raid Pass prices, players are frustrated as they call out devs Niantic for making the game difficult to play.
Each month, Pokemon Go players eagerly look forward to events and Raids hosting new Pokemon and challenges, as they try to complete tasks and level up in the popular mobile game.
That said, the events in January 2024 have brought the community’s attention to a new norm in Pokemon Go that involves an excessive number of paid Research quests in events over the last few months.
Additionally, fans are still annoyed with the increased price of Remote Raid Passes, limiting the ability of trainers to catch several rare and powerful Pokemon that are otherwise difficult to get.
Now, all these frustrations seem to have reached a boiling point, as everyone is convinced that the best parts of the game are locked behind a paywall.
After a user named ‘_Jordan11_’ on Reddit posted: “How it feels lately” and shared an image showing a sarcastic take on the Pokemon Go logo, edited as “Pokemon Go Spend,” fellow players joined the bandwagon as they vented out in the comments section.
Users took a jibe at the high prices and increasing paid events in Pokemon Go by commenting: “The amount of tickets is getting so bad when the quality of the game isn’t rising with it” and “Everything comes with a cash ticket now. Feels more and more like a cr*ppy shovelware micro-transaction game.”
A few trainers shared their experience with features behind a paywall. “My girlfriend asked me this morning why we don’t get any event research anymore, I pointed out that it’s now all paywalled,” a person wrote.
Another commented: “It’s insane, it used to be $0.83 for a raid, now it’s $2.35 for a single raid,” before adding: “There’s literally no new content, except new bugs.”
One pointed out a few key features that have taken on a ‘pay to win’ model: “This why my interest is waning for this game. I don’t support the monetized community days, stagnant performance, monetized legendary Pokemon, etc.” Another player said: “If I wanna do more raids I gotta pay. Lame.”
Similar to the above user, others mentioned that they have stopped spending on Pokemon Go. “I’m done giving them money, ever since they jacked the price of remote raid passes and the continued failures of go-fest,” a player explained.
While the community hopes to see better prices for core Pokemon Go items, you can check some free-to-play features such as Routes and PokeStop Showcases.