For many Pokemon Go fans, 2024 has been a bit of a lackluster year. Despite the introduction of a new Dynamax feature and the new in-person Pokemon Go Safari event, players are feeling the relative lack of new wild spawns. After the controversial decision to debut the massive update with a “Rediscover Kanto” theme, many players have had quite enough of the original 151. Niantic, on the other hand, has not, and few things capture this difference of opinion quite so much as November’s much-maligned Community Day choice.
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Throughout spring and summer 2024, Niantic leaned into the Rediscover Kanto theme, trying to make Kanto exciting again with the newly introduced biomes. However, players were still reeling from the universally hated avatar update, and seeing more of the same Pokemon rather than exciting new spawns grated on many fans. By November, fans were ready for a chance to encounter a less common critter during Community Day. Instead, Niantic gave trainers… Mankey Community Day. Overall, trainers were less than thrilled with such a common spawn being the center of an entire Community Day with so many more rare Pokemon to choose from. As one player put it, “Every day is Mankey community day.”
Of course, the event wasn’t all bad, as it gave players a chance to evolve their Mankey into the PvP powerhouse Annihilape. The event also temporarily changed its evolution requirement, making it easier for trainers to add Annihilape to their teams. Even so, the event has become a notorious laughingstock among Pokemon Go players, who can’t resist bringing it up again as Niantic looks ahead to 2025.
Some players are here to joke that the only gift players will get from Niantic this holiday season is another Mankey. Of course, that’s not exactly true, as a few adorable new costumed Pokemon have made their debut during the Pokemon Go Holiday Part 1 and Part 2 events. That holiday Wooloo is a must-have for many, and Shiny Cetoddle has been on players’ wish lists as well.
Players Not Impressed with 2025 Pokemon Go Plans
Niantic has begun sharing some of their early plans for the game in 2025, including another Eggs-pedition Access ticket and a Global Challenge to earn the first new Pokemon debut of the year. The first Community Day has also been revealed, and no, it’s not Mankey. But it is Sprigatito, a Paldean starter that spent a good deal of time featured in 2024 events. It is, at least, a newer addition to the game than Mankey was, but the relatively lackluster schedule of announced events has some players bracing for the new year.
RELATED: Pokemon Go Is Asking Players Which Community Days They Want to See
According to one player, the 2025 content calendar will feature Mankey all the way down. Pokemon Go fans clearly can’t get enough of the joke, with replies leaning into the meme. “Some sources say that we would have a weekly non-Mankey hour every Tuesday from 6-7pm, but that’s pretty wild,” adds one player. Another harkens back to a beloved breakfast cereal with an “Oops, all Mankey” reference that Captain Crunch fans will appreciate.
While Niantic probably won’t actually force another Mankey Community Day on fans any time soon, it’s clear that players are ready for some new additions to the game. With the next gen still a ways away, Niantic is trickling out those debuts to bide their time, and it seems clear they’re not planning to speed things up any time soon.
It’s likely Pokemon Go will bring a few surprises in 2025 despite early appearances. After all, the major update and Dynamax Raids were new features this past year, even if they won’t go down in history as fan favorites. And if nothing else, fans have the Mankey meme gift that keeps on giving.
