Pokemon Go Fest 2024: Global took place earlier this month, and some players reported a frustrating issue on day one. Apparently, Special Backgrounds were not enabled on the first day of the event, and players that were participating in Remote Raids did not actually have a chance of getting them, as had been promised. After fans spent several days sharing their frustrations on social media, Niantic released a statement on X/Twitter addressing the situation earlier today. At this time, we don’t know how Niantic plans on making it up to frustrated players, but the company has pledged “a make good.”ย
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“Trainers, we appreciate the feedback and inquiries from social channels and in-game support regarding the issue with Special Backgrounds not being obtained from Remote Raids on Day 1 of Pokemon GO Fest 2024: Global,” Niantic writes. “We are actively investigating and will follow up with details around a make good shortly. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”ย
During Pokemon Go Fest, players had a chance of finding Ultra Beasts with a Special Background unlike the one that normally appears. For example, while Necrozma’s in-game background normally looks like the one applied to most Psychic-types, the Special Background instead features a star-filled sky and an Ultra Wormhole. Special Backgrounds were meant to be a rare find, kind of like a Shiny Pokemon, but not so much that players couldn’t find them at all! These Special Backgrounds don’t have any impact on the actual gameplay, but they’re a neat extra.ย
A lot of players have already been frustrated with the way Niantic has actively made Remote Raids less enjoyable over the last year, and issues like this certainly aren’t helping. This all seems to be an honest mistake, but it’s fueling conspiracy theories about Niantic doing this on purpose. Some have wondered if Niantic’s “make good” will include a makeup day, which we’ve seen when there have been other in-game issues. However, that wouldn’t resolve the issue of money players spent on Remote Raid passes during the event. Hopefully Niantic can find a way to make people feel better about the issue, and ensure there won’t be additional problems in the future!ย
Did you participate in Remote Raids during Pokemon Go Fest 2024? Did you have any trouble securing Ultra Beasts with a Special Background? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky atย @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
