In Pokémon GO there will be more gifts for trainers worldwide in the future. This is generally good news, but the implementation is not well received by many players.
This was announced: All trainers worldwide will now receive gifts via balloons. Additionally, there are still fixed locations where there are sponsored gifts. So you can open gifts that you normally receive from other trainers, but from a company that is now cooperating with Niantic.
So you have to watch advertisements for a short time to get to the items in the gift. This new feature in Pokémon GO has led to mixed reactions. Free items are nice, but the advertising shown for them is criticized.
More items for more advertisements in the game
This is how the gifts are supposed to work: Until now, there were only a few sponsored gifts for trainers in Germany. For example, Pokémon GO made a collaboration with Gucci, turning Gucci stores in Germany into PokéStops.
The system is already more developed in the USA: There, almost every Starbucks location has its own PokéStop or gym. Other companies have similar collaborations running with Niantic.
Now the balloons are added. These were previously used by Team Rocket to visit you at home. Now these balloons are supposed to provide you with gifts. You don’t have to leave your house, and the balloons come floating right to your door.
Why is there criticism? Some trainers criticize that they are now bombarded with advertisements. You don’t have to open the balloon, but it hovers in front of you and wants to show the advertisements and the associated gifts.
On reddit, trainer NeonMoon1500 writes (via reddit): “Not everyone, myself included, likes intrusive advertising. I am grateful that they give us the option to turn it off.”
So far, there has been little to no advertising in the game. Now some players fear that advertising will take up an even larger part in Pokémon GO.
Despite all the criticism, there are also positive voices. Many are glad that especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is another way to obtain items. The advertisements can be quickly dismissed, so some trainers see no issue here.
What do the gifts include? That varies widely. In the past, there have been gifts that contained items like incense or incubators. Other sponsored gifts brought similar items as normal gifts, such as Poké Balls or berries.
How can you disable this feature? If you do not want to receive sponsored gifts, you can simply turn off the feature. To do this, go to the settings and uncheck the box for “Show sponsored gifts.” Afterwards, you should no longer receive such gifts.
What else is going on in Pokémon GO? In recent days, there have been numerous announcements regarding the AR game. The events for May have been announced, and the date for this year’s GO Fest has been set. You can find all upcoming events in May here in the overview:
Pokémon GO: All events in May 2021 – Which ones are worth it?
