Niantic praised for doing “right thing” by Pokemon Go player

Pokemon Go Fest is always one of the biggest events of the year for the massive mobile game. Plus, worldwide events such as Pokemon Go Fest Global offer plenty of rare Pokemon and exciting Raids to excite players, and in-person events also manage to pull in crowds reaching thousands of eager Trainers.

One such event in 2024 is Pokemon Go Fest NYC, which attracted thousands of players to both New York City in general and Randall Park. While players can attend for free, tickets costing a minimum of $30 also enhance gameplay, and there are plenty of add-ons for even more in-game bonuses.

However, one would-be attendee ended up having to miss the popular event but ended up commending Niantic for their great work and quick response to a difficult dilemma pertaining to the Pokemon Go Fest New York City events.

As explained in a Reddit post, one player named trvrkapit had been hotly anticipating the in-person event, but after attending a wedding a few days before, they started feeling very ill on the morning of Go Fest NYC and ultimately chose to skip the entire event.

Niantic/The Pokemon Company

Continuing the story, the author explained that they messaged the developer to try and return the tickets, though they “bought them knowing it was non-refundable.”

After reaching out and sharing a picture of a positive test for the illness that has caused a global health crisis, the author revealed they got a reply from Niantic, and added, “to my surprise they are refunding my ticket along with my add-ons so about $60.” Then they signed off, saying, “I just wanted to say I think they are doing the right thing.”

Other Pokemon Go players threw support behind the author of the post, as well as customer support, with one comment saying, “I’m sorry you got sick before Go Fest, but that’s really nice of them to do!”

Another Pokemon Go player shared a similar story, explaining they had an accident in the run-up to Go Fest Madrid. Then, they commented, “So I contacted Niantic support asking for a refund telling them my situation and they responded very quickly and approved it.”

Niantic/The Pokemon Company

Other comments in the thread also applauded the original author for not attending the event and risking infecting other people. One comment says, “Niantic isn’t the only one that did the right thing. Thank you for not sharing [disease] with everyone else at the Go Fest.”

The community even shared their feelings at just seeing positive stories around the game, as one person added, “Hope you don’t get it bad and recover quickly. Thanks for sharing a positive story too. I’ve been annoyed by a few things Niantic has done lately so it’s nice to hear the positive stuff!”

To make sure you don’t miss a thing check out our Shared Skies hub, and get ready for Pokemon Go Fest Global 2024 next. Thankfully, you can play the Global event from home if necessary.