An In-Depth Look into the Pokemon GO Raid Pass Debate

In recent months, Pokemon GO, despite being a cornerstone in the gaming world, has found itself in hot water among its community. The latest uproar is brewing over a new event, which many players argue is a scam or at the very least misleading in its promises.

These in-game events usually let players scoop up extra Stardust, XP, or even snag special versions of beloved Pokemon. Naturally, fans were looking forward to the new Into the Wild event, expecting the usual benefits. However, some paid features left players feeling more than a little miffed.

The event seemingly aimed to be another addition to the game’s “Wild Area” series. Prior to this, a similar event was held in Fukuoka, Japan, on November 16-17, showcasing activities akin to Into the Wild. Essentially, this served as a teaser for the global event that followed.

Kicking off on November 18 and wrapping up on November 22, the Into the Wild event introduced Toxel for the first time globally. This Pokémon, along with its evolution, Toxtricity, was obtainable in shiny form now. Enthusiasts could find Toxel through a variety of gameplay interactions, such as 10 km eggs, new Collection Challenges, Field Research tasks, and wild encounters.

Notably, while many events do not offer monetized items, Into the Wild did. Participants had the choice to buy two exclusive event tickets for extra loot. One ticket, priced at $4.99, promised two additional Raid Passes each day, plus 5,000 bonus XP from raids and an extra Candy from certain Primal Raids. Unsurprisingly, many jumped at this offer.

However, a hiccup soon emerged. Players discovered they weren’t getting the two extra Raid Passes after interacting with gym photo discs—something explicitly mentioned in the ticket’s description. This prompted one player to reach out to Niantic Support via X (previously Twitter) to ask about possible compensation. Niantic clarified that players would receive “up to two free Raid Passes each day,” which included the standard daily free pass. Hence, purchasers only got one extra pass, not two as originally expected.

On Reddit, the debacle gained traction, amassing 9.2k upvotes under allegations of deceit. A screenshot from the advertisement stating, “Two additional Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs,” fueled the fire, raising questions about potential legal implications.

With the event’s short span and closure, it appears Niantic won’t be compensating those who bought the ticket. The initial query and Niantic’s explanation came on November 18, yet the Into the Wild event concluded on November 22 without further response, leaving players unlikely to see those additional Raid Passes.