'Pokémon GO' Fest Attendees Unlock Lugia, Articuno for Legendary Raids; Technical Issues Prompt Niantic to Give Out Refunds

By Edward Leano, Christian Post Contributor Monday, July 24, 2017

The "Pokémon GO" Fest attendees had a rough time attempting to connect to the mobile game, let alone complete the objectives for unlocking Legendary Pokémon. By the end of the event, Niantic had to make a few compromises to reward attendees for their efforts.

With the highly anticipated Legendary Pokémon coming to the mobile game, fans have flocked to Grant Park in Chicago to have a chance to complete objectives that Niantic has set out for them. Unfortunately, technical issues rained down on the party, eventually forcing Niantic's hand.

With "Pokémon GO" availability in the area remained spotty, at best, the company has opted to reward all registered attendees with their own Lugia, the first Legendary Pokémon made available. Fans who turned up and registered were also given a $20 refund for their event tickets, plus $100 worth of in-game PokéCoins, according to The Verge.

Even with the anniversary event derailed, Niantic has pushed on with the launch of Legendary Raids, featuring Lugia as the first Legendary Pokémon out in the wild. Articuno, an ice and flying type Legendary, has also been made available, according to Engadget.

These two Legendary Pokémon could soon be joined by Zapdos, a lightning and flying type, as well as Moltres, a fire and flying type Pokémon. Other bonuses have also been unlocked that will last until Monday, July 24 at 8 p.m. EDT.

These worldwide bonuses include double Stardust, double Candy and double Experience Points (XP) awarded until the time limit. More bonuses were also unlocked, including increased Pokémon encounters in general, reduced hatching distance for PokéEggs, and reduced buddy distance.

The issues suffered by the game during one of its pivotal events — the launch of Legendary Pokémon Raids during its one-year anniversary event — mirrors a similar problem it dealt with during the game's launch.

The July 22 event came crumbling down from thousands of fans swamping the area's cellular networks, as well as the game servers straining to keep up with the influx of worldwide players.