Pokémon Go live events
Typically, the events involve increased in-game rewards for participating players and are often held in cooperation with local organizations or governments.
The game centers around catching various Pokémon creatures by navigating the in-game map based on the player's actual location and nearby landmarks.
[10] Several months after release, the player count for the game declined, losing some one-third of its peak of 45 million active users by mid-August 2016.
[18] One type of Ingress events is known as "Anomalies", where gathered players in a specific location attempt to control the landmarks to score points for their factions, with clear victory objectives.
[19] Anomalies can have attendances of upwards of 1,000 players,[20] and Hanke noted in the 2016 Recode interview that an event in Japan gathered over 10,000.
[24] On the date of the event itself, The Chicago Tribune estimated that 20,000 players attended, some having traveled across the United States or even from abroad.
[25][26] During the event itself, however, mobile networks in the park overloaded, resulting in the attendees being nearly unable to play the game.
Niantic acknowledged the issue by around 2 p.m., and its CEO Hanke was booed when speaking on stage in front of the players.
Also according to the blog post, 7.7 million Pokémon were captured by players in Downtown Chicago during the ensuing weekend.
[30] In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Hanke remarked that "the first six hours of [Pokémon Go Fest] were among the most challenging of my professional life.
"[31] Later on, a Go Fest attendee Jonathan Norton filed a class action lawsuit to the Circuit Court of Cook County against Niantic.
[32] The lawsuit was settled after Niantic agreed to pay US$1.575 million to compensate for non-ticket fees such as accommodation and transportation.
[37] Attendees were also given a chance to complete "Research Quests" in-game in order to encounter the Mythical Pokémon Celebi.
[49] With the pandemic's impact having lessened in parts of the world, the 2021 Go Fest involved at-home events still, but also a number of real-life gatherings in 21 cities across the United States and Europe.
[50][a] A special "raid egg" display was set up at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago, in reference to the first Go Fest held in the city.
[56] On 12 July 2017, Niantic announced "Safari Zone" events across several cities in Europe at shopping centers operated by Unibail-Rodamco, held in August and September 2017.
According to the local government, 89,000 people attended the event which generated around US$16 million in travel and tourism revenue.
In the leadup to the event, Niantic brought several influencers in a tour around Japan as a campaign which was named Pokémon Go Travel.
[64] Yokosuka's 2018 Safari Zone event, held in three parks, took up large portions of the city, with speakers playing Go's in-game music and businesses handing out Pokémon merchandise.
[74] Between 20 and 22 September 2019, another Safari Zone event was held in Montreal, Canada, with an attendance of approximately 45,000 players.
[75] Another Taiwanese Safari Zone, held in New Taipei City between 3 and 6 October 2019, saw 100,000 players in the first day and 150,000 in the second, with the city's tourism and travel department estimating a NT$100 million profit generated by the event for local businesses, with around 40 percent of the attendees coming from outside Taiwan.
[86] Community Days are monthly worldwide in-game events where certain Pokémon species spawn in large amounts.
[92] As of Fuecoco on 8 March 2025, 79 Pokémon have been featured (thirteen of them twice and one thrice): Abra, Axew, Bagon (2), Beldum (2), Bellsprout, Bounsweet, Bulbasaur (2), Chansey, Charmander (3), Chespin, Chikorita, Chimchar, Cyndaquil (2), Deino, Dratini (2), Duskull, Eevee (2), Electabuzz, Fennekin, Fletchling, Froakie, Fuecoco, Gastly, Alolan Geodude, Gible, Goomy, Grubbin, Hoppip, Karrablast, Larvitar (2), Litten, Litwick, Machop, Magikarp, Magmar, Mankey, Mareep (2), Mudkip (2), Noibat, Oshawott, Pikachu, Piplup, Poliwag, Ponyta, Popplio, Porygon (2), Ralts (2), Rhyhorn, Roggenrola, Roselia, Rowlet, Sandshrew (both Alolan and Kantonian), Seedot, Sewaddle, Shelmet, Shinx, Slakoth, Slowpoke, Snivy, Spheal, Sprigatito, Squirtle (2), Starly, Stufful, Swablu, Swinub (2), Teddiursa, Tepig, Timburr, Togetic, Torchic, Totodile, Trapinch, Treecko, Turtwig, Tynamo, Weedle, Wooper, Galarian Zigzagoon.
[167] Due to the disruption to the city's traffic caused by the large numbers of attendees, Yokohama declined to host a Go event the following year.
[170] Go also held scavenger hunts in the Philadelphia's 2017 Philly Free Streets[171] and in Los Angeles in partnership with CicLAvia on 10 December 2017.
