Today was the day that tickets for Pokémon GO Fest Chicago went on sale, although that news was greatly eclipsed by the Gym rework details. Tickets were a reasonable price at $20.00 (about $30 with fees) and sold out in less than six minutes! For those who cannot make it or missed out on tickets, Niantic has revealed that Trainers worldwide will get in on some of the fun and more!
1. "foreign" and rare pokemon will be available at the event
It's actually happening! Heracross is again shown in new promotional imagery, this time in an AR capture screen. It is all but put into words that Heracross will be available to capture at GO Fest. Possibly other regionals may be spawning as well. We do not know, but, based on Niantic's words, multiple foreign and / or rare Pokémon spawning.
High-profile YouTubers (Trainer Tips, MYSTIC7, Reversal, etc.) have come out against the move, claiming it ruins the exclusivity of regionals. To a certain extent, it does. However, it is nice that Niantic is not "forcing" people to pay for international travel to get Tauros, Corsola, Mr. Mime, Heracross, Kangaskhan, and Farfetched. With trading also not on the horizon for 2017, it will allow for a more complete 'Dex. With this said, Niantic should not make out-of-place regionals a common occurrence at real-world events. This may also play into the theory that some regionals may get replaced one day, and, possibly, become event-exclusives.
What about Unown? In the original promotional artwork, an Unown ! was pictured above Heracross' horn. Niantic promised spawns that will "fill some gaps in your Pokédex," and, with Unown being so rare, this is a perfect opportunity. And, although PNN cannot verify if an Unown has ever spawned in Grant Park, Unown ! certainly never has. It is quite possible that at least one form Unown will make an appearance.
High-profile YouTubers (Trainer Tips, MYSTIC7, Reversal, etc.) have come out against the move, claiming it ruins the exclusivity of regionals. To a certain extent, it does. However, it is nice that Niantic is not "forcing" people to pay for international travel to get Tauros, Corsola, Mr. Mime, Heracross, Kangaskhan, and Farfetched. With trading also not on the horizon for 2017, it will allow for a more complete 'Dex. With this said, Niantic should not make out-of-place regionals a common occurrence at real-world events. This may also play into the theory that some regionals may get replaced one day, and, possibly, become event-exclusives.
What about Unown? In the original promotional artwork, an Unown ! was pictured above Heracross' horn. Niantic promised spawns that will "fill some gaps in your Pokédex," and, with Unown being so rare, this is a perfect opportunity. And, although PNN cannot verify if an Unown has ever spawned in Grant Park, Unown ! certainly never has. It is quite possible that at least one form Unown will make an appearance.
2. challenges and rewards, including an exclusive in-game medal
Niantic has promised that in-game awards can be "unlocked" for attendees. Some awards will also be available worldwide. Niantic has promised more details to be released in the coming weeks. It is worth noting that the Promo Code feature will likely be the means of distributing these awards. A feature that, as of now, is on Android devices only because of conflicts with Apple's policy. Hopefully, Niantic and Apple can reach an agreement soon!
Attendees will also receive a new in-game medal to commemorate the event. Again, the promo code feature may be the only way of assigning this medal, which is problematic for iOS users.
Attendees will also receive a new in-game medal to commemorate the event. Again, the promo code feature may be the only way of assigning this medal, which is problematic for iOS users.
3. special PokeStops
Similar to the Eggstravaganza, this event will award special 2KM Eggs. It is unclear what will hatch out of these special Eggs, although it is possible this is how the out-of-place regionals could be given out. Since they are 2KM Eggs, it is very unlikely that these Eggs will hatch Legendary Pokémon. Only the PokéStops within the boundaries of Grant Park will award these Eggs.
4. other news
In other news, photo opportunities will be available. Also, three, team-based lounges for Teams Instinct, Mystic, and Valor will be available. Trainers that have joined Sprint and Boost Mobile's Trainer Rewards program or staying at one of the two official host hotels will be able to enter Grant Park an hour early. The regular event hours are 10 A.M. to 7 P.M., with Trainers able to leave the park and come back later.
5. YouTuber outrage
At the very bottom of the official webpage for GO Fest Chicago is a list of FAQs. Trainer Tips (Nick) read them in his ticket-buying / Gym rework livestream and became upset and "savage" (according to special-guest Reversal) when he read one of the not-allowed items. That item is any form of modern video equipment, as filming will be prohibited (although basic cameras are allowed). Trainer Tips is a source that, based on systems implemented into the app, Niantic seems to listen to. Nick, along with Reversal, has "pleaded" with Niantic to hopefully allow them, along with some other big-name Pokémon GO content creators, like MYSTIC7, to be allowed to have some sort of media pass. Whatever Niantic decides, PNN will have a correspondent at the event and will bring all non-attendees the breakdown of what happened.
The Silph Road first reported on the ticket sellout time