Report: Niantic ends Pokémon Go Fest lawsuit with $1.5 million settlement

Niantic is reportedly be settling a lawsuit over the failed Pokémon Go Fest event late year.

Niantic is reportedly be settling a lawsuit over the failed Pokémon Go Fest event late year.

According to a TechCrunch report, Niantic will be paying out over $1.5 million to attendees to draw an end to the saga.

Niantic staged the Pokémon Go Fest on July 22 in Chicago. The event offered players the chance to complete challenges, meet other players, and unlock legendary Pokémon, but it was plagued with issues.

Players were unable to connect to the game’s servers at the event with fans who attended the event citing poor management. Clips of the crowd shouting “we can’t play” began to circulate online during the event and were heard during the livestream on PokémonGo’s Twitch.

Niantic refunded attendees in July and gave attendees $100 worth of Pokécoins, the in-game currency, to apologize for how the event was run.

But the lawsuit means that attendees can claim for wider expenses, like travel and accommodation for the event. Anyone looking to claim more than $107 in expenses will need to provide proof of purchase.

An official website for those attending to claim their money back will go live on May 25. The money will only be available to those who checked in at Go Fest through the game, presumably so that those who sold their tickets won’t be eligible for a payout.

Any remaining money that is not claimed by the end of the settlement period will be split evenly between the Illinois Bar foundation and the nonprofit organization Chicago Run.