Pokemon Go's delayed Safari Zone events get rescheduled
Three events originally scheduled for 2020 are now set to take place in October and November.
The Safari Zone events were originally planned for 2020 before being postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pokemon Go 's delayed Safari Zone events will now be held in October and November. The three in-person events were originally scheduled to take place in Liverpool, England; Philadelphia; and St. Louis in early 2020, but were postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Liverpool's Safari Zone event is now set to be held Oct. 15-17 in Sefton Park. Philadelphia's event will follow from Oct. 29-31 in Fairmount Park, and the St. Louis event is scheduled for Nov. 12-14 in Tower Grove Park. Ticket holders who'd like to join the in-person venues must first RVSP.
"We're working closely with local authorities to design safe event experiences, implementing precautions such as careful line management, social-distancing protocols, and mask requirements for all staff members," Pokemon Go developer Niantic wrote on the game's official blog.
In addition to the in-person venues, ticket holders will have the option to participate in the events remotely. During the event hours, specific Pokemon will be appearing in the wild much more frequently than usual, and there'll be event-exclusive Field and Special Research tasks. Incense and lure modules will also have increased duration during the events.
Players who purchased a ticket for the Safari Zone events last year and didn't request a refund will still have access to the same tickets. "Ticket selections have not been modified; for example, if you purchased a Friday Early Access ticket, you'll have a Friday Early Access ticket for the updated event," Niantic said. The studio also confirmed that no additional Safari Zone tickets will be sold.
In the meantime, there are a number of Pokemon Go events happening in September. A new mythical Pokemon, Hoopa, should make its Pokemon Go debut Sept. 5, while the game's September Community Day is slated for Sept. 19.
Niantic recently came under fire from Pokemon Go fans after rolling back the game's increased gym and PokeStop ranges. Following the outcry, the studio permanently increased the interaction distance again and vowed to be more transparent with players.