In 2017, a disastrous Pokémon Go event plagued Chicago with a massive gathering that was ruined by long lines, glitches, and server errors. It also led to a class-action lawsuit that was reportedly settled for $1.5 million.
While you might think that this would be a cautionary tale for future get-togethers, the game's developer (Niantic) launched a second event in Chicago, which took place this past weekend.
Despite understandable caution being exercised by those aware of last year's disaster, more than 21,000 people showed up for the event, which is far more people than we would've expected (and also far more than we would've thought were still even playing that game). As if that didn't already seem like a high total, Variety adds that 180,000 people participated in the surrounding Chicago area.
Since we're on the subject of just tossing out raw numbers, those in attendance hiked an average of nearly four miles, completed an average of 36 research tasks, and caught an average of 350 Pokemon. I have crickets on my end, but you presumably know if those numbers are impressive or not if you were interested enough to click.
Niantic also sent out a thank you to fans, which seems apt considering these people still showed up in good faith after last year.
"The mood was infectious all weekend," Niantic said. "The feelings of courtesy, kindness, and togetherness never left Lincoln Park, even as trainers filed out at the end of Sunday’s journey."
Also, following the conclusion of this year's event, Niantic is set to give out bonuses related to the title's Global Challenge. For those interested, you can check those out here.
