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Niantic gets sued over Pokémon Go Fest fiasco
July 05, 2025
Several attendees who traveled to Chicago from other states and countries have filed a class action lawsuit against Niantic.
If you’ve been following Pokémon Go updates, you probably know what happened in Chicago just a few days ago. Dubbed the Pokémon Go Fest, it was supposed to be a huge celebration that would mark the game’s first anniversary. Players from all over the US as well as other countries gathered in Chicago’s Grant Park, and Niantic promised rare Pokémon, rewards, training tips, and more. Unfortunately, things didn’t go well. In fact,it was disastrous.
The game’s servers stopped working, and nobody was able to play. Angry attendees threw water bottles onto the stage and booed Niantic’s CEO, chanting, “We want refunds!” The company issued an apology just few hours into the event and stated that it would be refunding ticket costs and giving out $100 in-app credit as well as the legendary Pokémon Lugia for free. But for those who spent hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of dollars to travel to Chicago, the fight isn’t over yet.
While Niantic declined to comment on the pending litigation, imagine flying all the way from Japan only to find out that the game isn’t even working.Awkward.
Were you in Chicago a few days ago for the Pokémon Go Fest? Did you have to spend money to go there? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
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