'Pokémon GO' Events in Europe Delayed Following Chicago Incident
A number of upcoming "Pokémon GO" events in Europe will be delayed following what happened in Chicago last weekend. Developer Niantic continues to deal with the aftermath of "Pokémon GO" Fest which left thousands of players disappointed, some of whom have decided to take legal action.
The Safari Zone events in Copenhagen, Prague, Stockholm and Amsterdam scheduled for August have been pushed back until later in the fall. This was recently announced by Niantic as the developer said that the delay was to ensure "the best possible gameplay experience for European Trainers."
The decision comes after the first-anniversary event in Chicago was plagued by devastating technical failures that left the game unplayable. Niantic has already issued refunds for attendees but some are suing the company for compensation for their travel expenses.
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To make up for the delays, the developer said that Pokémon which were previously rare in the continent will be appearing more regularly for a limited time. For the meantime, three legendary Pokémon will be available to be captured by trainers via raid battles.
Moltres becomes available on July 31 up until Aug. 7 while Zapdos will be available from Aug. 7 to 14. As for the previously released Lugia, Niantic has yet to announced when the creature will no longer be available. Articuno, on the other hand, will only be available until July 31.
While delaying the scheduled live "Pokémon GO" events is understandable following the Chicago debacle, it is still disappointing news for fans. But unless Niantic wants to lose another chunk of its fan base, technical issues need to be addressed as soon as possible. Nobody really wins and at this moment, patience is the only way everyone — both fans and Niantic — can come out of this harrowing experience.
But all is not all doom and gloom for "Pokémon GO" fans. According to Niantic, the Pikachu Outbreak event in Yokohama, Japan on Aug. 14 is still on schedule as well as those in France, Spain and Germany scheduled for Sept. 16.
