Pokemon GO's Costume Party Timed Research Controversy Explained

Halloween-themed events are nothing unusual when it comes to video games. Pokemon Go No exception, the hit mobile game has had Halloween events since its release in 2016. However, one more thing Pokemon Go's 2024 Halloween festivities felt a bit tricked out rather than treated to players.

Another major staple of Pokemon Go Events are costumes. Players can often find special Pokemon in costumes themed for a particular holiday. For example, during Pokemon GoCelebrating the winter holidays in 2016, players could find Pikachu in the forest wearing a Santa hat. Niantic has continued this trend with other holidays, including Halloween. Normally, fans would be happy to get a cute costume that a Pokemon wears in the game, but 2024's Pokemon has been revealed to be a Pokemon costume repeater.

Pokemon GO's 2024 costumed critters are outfit repeaters

Many of the Pokémon featured in the Halloween event were dressed in costumes they had worn in previous years. For example, when Piplup wore his first Halloween costume Pokemon GoCelebration of 2021. It's surprising to see Piplup in the wild, but the Pokemon is wearing the same pumpkin hat it wore in this previous Halloween event several years ago.

Niantic was sure to include new Halloween versions of existing Pokemon for the 2024 event, Froakie, and its evolutions, donning a witch hat and Rowlet, and its evolutions, wearing top hats. These additions are appreciated Pokemon Go community, but nevertheless contribute to another depressing aspect of the 2024 Halloween event.

The reintroduction of certain costume Pokemon isn't the biggest or most disappointing part. Pokemon GoHalloween celebrations of 2024. Instead, players are frustrated with the worst obstacle of them all – a paywall.

Pokemon Go players are frustrated about having to pay for costumes that are free to wear

Pokemon that were previously featured in these costumes Pokémon GO Now included in the “Costume Party Premium Timed Research” pack for $1.99. These Pokemon include:

• Witch Hat Pikachu
• Halloween costume Froakie
• Halloween costume roulette
• Halloween Piplup
• Halloween Drifblim
• Horror Festival Vulpix
• Horror Festival Pumpkaboo
• Horrible Festival Gengar

As mentioned, Halloween was available on Piplup Pokemon Go First for free, like the other Pokemon included in this list. Some of these critters are not available in the wild in their Halloween costumes this year. However, there are a few ways players can get a couple of these themed Pokemon without needing to open their wallets.

All of the Pokemon mentioned above are available to players after completing certain levels of “Costume Party Premium Timed Research”. Completing specific tasks will lead players to an encounter with one of the Pokémon. Witch Hat Pikachu and Spooky Festival Vulpix are available through wild encounters, raids, and eggs, but this repetition feels a bit underwhelming to many players. Instead of playing through the game to earn these Halloween-themed Pokemon, players are asked to “catch them all!” It can be tempting to spend money on a search.

Why Niantic might have implemented this paywall

This may be exactly the move Niantic hopes players will take. While Pokemon Go Having existed for almost a decade, the game still sees new players and the return of old ones. This re-release of costumed Pokemon could entice players who, for example, didn't get to catch Piplup in his pumpkin hat on Halloween 2021.

Timed Research, as its name suggests, is available for a limited time only. Returning players Pokemon Go At the end of the event you can try and find all the limited edition Pokemon. Making these Pokemon available behind a paywall can give these players peace of mind. They may not have found these costume Pokemon in the wild or through Timed Research, but they still managed to add them to their Pokédex through this offer.

Niantic isn't the first developer to repurpose its past assets for profit, and it certainly won't be the last. Players who want to get Pokemon in these scary costumes have until November 3rd Pokemon Go It moves on to its next event, the Harvest Festival on November 7 and Pokemon GoWild Area 2024 on November 23rd.