Niantic has announced the Pokémon GO Summer Tour 2018, which includes the return of Pokémon GO Fest in Chicago, Illinois on July 14-15.
Pokémon GO Fest 2018: A Walk in the Park will feature activities for Pokémon GO players of all ages. It takes place within a 1.8 mile stretch in Lincoln Park in Chicago. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, May 11. Single-day passes will cost $20, and nearby hotels will offer discount rates. Event details have not yet been announced.
Seeing Niantic return to a large-scale physical meet-up is interesting. Last year’s Pokémon GO Fest, which also celebrated the one-year anniversary of the hit mobile game, was an unmitigated disaster. The network was down for much of the event, preventing most ticket holders from actually playing the game. Niantic would later issue mass refunds to everyone who attended.
The Summer Tour also includes Safari zones for Europe and Asia. These are similar to Pokémon GO Fest but they are non-ticketed and open to everyone at public parks. The first takes place in Dortmund, Germany June 30 and July 1.
In addition to these events, Pokémon GO will continue to feature monthly Community Days. Community Days last only a few hours and feature a specific Pokémon with some added bonuses. The next Community Day is on May 19, when trainers will find a lot more Charmanders in the wild.
Pokémon GO launched on mobile devices in Summer 2016, becoming a global phenomenon and popularizing the AR genre. Its popularity has noticeably died down, though Niantic continues to support the game with frequent events and updates.
Pokémon GO Fest 2018 takes place in Chicago on July 14-15. Tickets will be available this Friday.
