In Pokémon GO the rollout for the PvP League surprisingly started yesterday evening, on January 28. However, it was short-lived, as the feature was down again after just a few minutes.
What happened? Around 9 PM German time, players could suddenly access the new PvP feature. There, they could search for other trainers to battle, view their statistics, and compete against team leaders.
But after just a few minutes, the feature was gone again. Shortly after, Niantic commented on this and explained that they had temporarily halted the rollout.
PvP League had to be stopped after just a few minutes
Niantic explained: On Twitter, Pokémon GO stated that they halted the rollout to ensure a smooth release. They also want to prevent server issues. The rollout will continue when updates are available.
What it means for players: The preseason of the PvP League was announced for this week. However, we will now have to wait some time. When exactly the PvP League will start again is not known.
How has the league been received so far? A few players were able to test the battle and reported positively about it. The battles ran smoothly and they had no issues using their attacks.
Other players, however, were unable to experience a battle at all. They kept getting kicked out when searching for another trainer to battle. This was likely one of the reasons why Niantic disabled the feature temporarily.
How are players reacting to the shutdown: Under the Twitter post by Pokémon GO, most players are reacting with mockery. They are used to nothing else from Niantic. Others still do not understand why a huge company like Niantic couldn’t release a new feature smoothly.
As ShadowMoses05 ironically states on reddit: “Poor Niantic, they are such a small indie developer studio that they can’t afford additional servers. Too bad they can’t make a billion dollars to pay for this stuff.”
The PvP League is starting with problems. It remains to be seen whether it will ultimately prevail and convince many doubtful trainers. After all, PvP is not the most popular feature in the game for many players.
Not only is the PvP League under criticism. The start of the new year has not gone too well for Pokémon GO:
