Pokemon GOhas entered its latest event, called Enigma Week. These week-long events are common, and all center around a certain theme. This time it involves players fightingEnigma Week Raid Bosses, all of which are Pokemon that are bizarre in some way.
Raid bosses inPokemon GOoften require multiple people to take down, much like raids in other games. They are grueling fights requiring proper counter picks and preparation. The rewards for defeating Raid bosses are often Pokemon, in addition to lesser items. However, what Pokemon is awarded is randomly rolled from several possibilities. In this way, the Poke-prize for defeating a Raid boss is similar to opening a loot box in other games. This is something thatPokemon GOplayers are no longer as satisfied with as they once were.
RELATED:Pokemon GO Fans Will Vote on September Community Day Pokemon
ManyPokemon GOplayers are no longer satisfied with Niantic refusing to release the odds of its loot box mechanics, which are not limited to Raid rewards. The call for the odds of what Pokemon players could expect from these began during Dragon Week, the event preceding Enigma Week. The outcry was not tied tothe Dragon Week Research Bug, but rather to the hatch rate of the Pokemon Deino, at least in Shiny form. A website called The Silph Road, which tracksPokemon GOrelated data extensively, noted that Deino’s hatch rate was likely less than 1%. After three days however, that amount rose to perhaps 3%.
The inconsistency of the possible drop rate, and the unknown quantity of the actual drop rate, led to players becoming frustrated. This is not an issue that has only existed now, but it is an issue that has come to a head. The Silph Road website has, through its Reddit page, called for action to get Niantic to release the drop rates for Pokemon in its loot box mechanics. Besides Pokemon Eggs, these include the above mentioned Raids, Pokemon Lures, and Pokemon Incense, both of which function similarly. Raids are, as mentioned above, serious business inPokemon GO, with people putting together detailed countersand gathering in groups to face them. Not knowing what chance there is of getting the reward desired adds a level of frustration and deep dissatisfaction to these battles.
The action Silph Road has called for is relatively small scale, emphasizing the community coming together. It involves petitioning Niantic for the release of the odds of the above Loot Box mechanics, both individually and in the form of a group petition. It also involves reporting to Google and Apple thatPokemon GOis not revealing its loot box mechanics' odds, which is against those companies' policies for games sold on their platforms. Given howthose companies are handlingFortnite’s actions, and the resulting lawsuits, there’s really no telling how that will go.
It should be mentioned that people do takePokemon GOpretty seriously. It has become a major passtime for a lot of people, even moreso with COVID-19 putting people on edge.Friends have even come to blows overPokemon GO, it’s that big a deal for some. Hopefully Niantic will answer the conerns ofPokemon GOplayers. The company has always involved the community before, and has been good about responding to bad situations. Let’s hope it’s a record that doesn’t break when it matters.
Pokemon GOis available in select regions on Android and iOS.
