#The massive Pokémon Go Fest interview – Destructoid

We’re 9 years into Pokémon Go and heading in the direction of the 2025 iteration of Pokémon Go Fest: International, which lets anybody all over the world participate in a Go Fest with out the necessity to attend an in-person occasion.

Go Fests are distinctive, one-month-a-year occasions, and for those who’ve by no means been to an in-person one earlier than, I implore you to take action when time permits. However for lots of people who attend them yearly, there are specific parts and points that creep up on a regular basis that don’t appear to be resolved, even when the occasion might be very enjoyable to participate in.

So after we spoke to members of the Pokémon Go group at Go Fest: Paris on June 13, we had quite a lot of inquiries to ask concerning the decisions and route of Go Fest, particularly heading into the 10-year anniversary of the sport in 2026.

The chance of Go Fest stagnation

Go Fests have grow to be customary through the years; everybody is aware of what they’ll be about. We all the time get a brand new legendary Pokémon, the occasion focuses on a brand new mechanic of some form, and there are a handful of recent Shiny Pokémon throughout a number of habitats. The formulation is locked in, and Scopely is conscious how this stagnation may bore followers over time if it doesn’t begin providing something new.

Michael Steranka, Pokémon Go‘s director, defined how Scopely has a group of recreation designers centered solely on in-person occasions reminiscent of Go Fest and Go Tour that work on creating “genuine experiences to the locations that we go to.”

“Having a group that’s totally centered on this, it means that you can spitball and provide you with enjoyable concepts and ideas you can construct off of from one another,” Steranka advised Destructoid. “Or when you’ve got an important concept, nevertheless it’s not an important match for Go Tour. Perhaps it’s an important match for Go Fest, and so they can share these ideas.”

With it, Scopely seems to wish to preserve including issues to shock followers, particularly on the subject of options in-game. Steranka additionally mentioned how participant suggestions performed an enormous half in how the group went about Go Fest, because the group desires to take that suggestions into consideration when designing subsequent 12 months’s experiences.

The shade downside

On the subject of enhancing occasions, the most important criticism of the in-person occasions the previous few years on the in-person venues has been the shortage of shade, one thing painfully apparent for these attending Go Fest Paris this 12 months.

It’s a tough balancing act, one Steranka mentioned the group was nicely conscious of and one thing that may be onerous to accommodate on the in-person occasions, irrespective of the place on the planet the occasion takes place. But additionally that there have been causes the group needed to concentrate on open parks, causes you may not even take into consideration.

“If we go to a park that’s closely shaded with numerous timber, that really can get in the best way of mobile connectivity,” Steranka advised Destructoid. “And so for those who go someplace that’s totally lined, then that would negatively affect your capability to connect with the sport.”

The Scopely group, in accordance with Steranka, can be on the mercy of the venues themselves and what they’ll supply. He says the group tries “to not choose anyplace that has no shade,” but additionally to ensure the park is a “stunning vacation spot” that provides enjoyable alternatives for trainers.

Making issues really feel like a shock for subsequent 12 months’s anniversary

When requested whether or not he felt that Pokémon Go Fest appeared to be stagnating and if there was something he felt wanted to be modified sooner or later to maintain it contemporary for returning trainers, Steranka agreed that one thing wanted to be achieved, with the tenth anniversary developing.

“I do really,” Steranka advised Destructoid. “Subsequent 12 months is our massive 10-year anniversary for Pokémon Go, and Go Fest is all the time a summer time expertise, so it does line up fairly properly with our 10-year anniversary. It’s undoubtedly going to be an enormous second, I feel, for the sport.”

Steranka wouldn’t give any specifics concerning the tenth anniversary plans, however did at the least supply some teasing on what’s to return.

“I feel trainers ought to simply know that we’ve put quite a lot of thought and energy behind what we’re making an attempt to do subsequent 12 months, and it’s not going to be one particular factor. It’s going to be kind of throughout all sides of the sport. And yeah, we undoubtedly wish to profit from that second, and we would like 2026 to be a 12 months that gamers cherish for the remainder of their lives.”