Last weekend, the Friendship Day event took place in Pokémon GO. However, it was received with mixed feelings by trainers. Many are expressing on social media that the event was poorly executed.
This is the mood: After the Friendship event on Saturday, there are some negative voices in the Pokémon GO community. Trainers are wondering why the event was only active for such a short time and why the developers passed on obvious bonuses.
For future events of this kind, trainers have clear wishes directed at the team behind Pokémon GO.
Why is the Friendship event receiving controversial reviews?
This was the event: On Saturday, April 24, the so-called “Friendship Day” in Pokémon GO took place. Trainers are already familiar with such special days on weekends from the Community Days, which occur once a month on a weekend day.
The Friendship Day started at 11:00 AM and ended at 2:00 PM. A few bonuses ended later. The increased chance of lucky Pokémon ended at 5:00 PM; the increased trade distance over 40 kilometers ends on April 26 at 8:00 PM.
This is the criticism: We surveyed the community on our Pokémon GO Facebook page and asked how the event went for you. As of now (April 26 at 5:00 PM),
- 204 people voted that it was a good event
- 203 people voted that it was a bad event
Negative feedback was primarily due to the event’s duration. The timing around lunchtime didn’t suit trainers because they had to work. Additionally, 3 hours felt too short. Tobias O. commented (via Facebook): “Unfortunately, the time window was very small. Since I had more important things to take care of at that time, I couldn’t utilize the ‘Day’. I would have appreciated if it had at least been a 9 AM – 6 PM event.”
Often, there is a comparison with the Community Day, which used to be a 3-hour event but has been active for 6 hours for several months now. Trainers would have liked a 6-hour duration for the Friendship Day as well. Ilona C (via Facebook) wrote: “Way too short! For those who have to work, it’s not feasible, really frustrating, otherwise such events last longer!”
Further criticism of the event included missing bonuses such as an increased limit on special trades. During the event, there were bonuses that improved trading with friends, but trainers were still only allowed one special trade per day. Martin W. commented (via Facebook): “Unfortunately, only one special trade was allowed. I would have wished for at least 3! Trading didn’t really make much sense since I do it every day anyway.”
What went well?
This is what trainers praise: During the event, trainers had the chance to earn up to 350,000 XP in one go. Since many trainers are still in the leveling process from 41 to 50, this boost in experience points was very timely.
Moreover, the collector task associated with the XP bonus was relatively easy to complete, provided one had enough time. Hella K. commented (via Facebook): “Everything went smoothly for me and I was able to farm 2 million XP. Please do such a great event again anytime!”
In the future, trainers wish for weekend events to last as long as a Community Day so that players with limited time can at least take part in some of the bonuses.
How did you like the Friendship Day in Pokémon GO? Do you share the trainers’ criticism, or do you think the event was a success? Feel free to share your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments and interact with other players.
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