Pokemon GO player alleges that Niantic is "weaponizing FOMO" with its new releases

Pokemon GO's Dual Destiny has had a rocky start, with its events and reveals failing to engage the fanbase. This issue isn't new, as it predates the new season. However, many believe Niantic has been using the fear of missing out (FOMO) to artificially boost player engagement in recent months.

This topic was recently discussed on the Silph Road subreddit, one of the largest fan-driven Pokemon GO groups on the internet. User Lxpb dissected the mobile title's latest releases, allegedly showing how Niantic is capitalizing off heavily restricting the creatures that can appear in the game. They wrote:

"The new 'event only appearance' debuts are a new low for the game, weaponizing FOMO..."

The new "event only appearance" debuts are a new low for the game, weaponizing FOMO byu/lxpb inTheSilphRoad

In their post, Lxpb examined the last five debuts in Pokemon GO: Hatenna, Morpeko, Toxel, Sinistea, and Galarian Corsola.

While Galarian Corsola is still available, it can only be encountered through special 7-kilometer eggs, which players receive as gifts from other trainers. Even then, the creature is not guaranteed to hatch from one of these eggs.

Comment byu/lxpb from discussion inTheSilphRoad

User Dark_tyranitar pointed out that Skiddo has yet to be accessible to the majority of players, appearing only during the City Safari events, which are restricted to specific real-world locations and come with high ticket prices.

This exclusivity is particularly disappointing given that Skiddo’s evolution, Gogoat, is a strong contender in the competitive Battle League.

Many users are upset with how Niantic is handling events and the new creatures they bring with them (Image via Reddit)

Many users, like Blackmetro, expressed their intention to stop playing the game due to the underwhelming events and frustrating new releases.

Niantic’s apparent tendency to lock new creatures behind gimmicks, such as egg hatching or event tickets, is not resonating with the community, especially for those unwilling to spend real money on these features.

User PollyElisabeth also noted that Toxel has been entirely locked behind the Wild Area event and is no longer available as a possible hatch from rare 10-kilometer eggs. With many players unable to dedicate time to the game on Niantic’s schedule, a growing number are stepping away from it.

Also check: Pokemon GO CP calculator

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How can Niantic fix Pokemon GO's issue with new creatures?

Niantic could easily incorporate new Pokemon into the encounter table (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The two biggest issues many Redditors seem to have with the modern state of Pokemon GO are the repetitive and inconsistent nature of new Pokemon releases and the stale state of the game's wild encounter pool.

One potential solution to this issue could be for Niantic to rotate the wild Pokemon encounters on a regular basis, perhaps weekly or bi-weekly, refreshing the map with new spawns while phasing out older ones.

While this might have been impractical when the roster of available Pokemon was smaller, it’s a more feasible option now, given the extensive list of creatures in the game.

Also check: Pokemon GO Evolution Calculator

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For more information on the game, check out the articles below:

• Ditto disguises
• Sierra counters
• Cliff counters
• Arlo counters
• Giovanni counters
• Team GO Rocket Grunts