Is the Pokemon Go Fest 2023 ticket worth it? Price & what’s included

❘ Published: 2023-08-24T14:50:00

Niantic

The Pokemon Go Fest 2023: Global ticket is now on sale, so you might be wondering whether it’s worth buying and what features you’ll be getting for your money. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the long-awaited event.

Pokemon Go Fest is the biggest event of the year for fans of the long-running mobile game. There have been three in-person events in Osaka, London, and New York City, but there will also be a Global event taking place on Saturday, August 26, and Sunday, August 27.

This weekend-long Global event can be enjoyed for free, but there’s also a ticketed version that includes some exclusive features. Many trainers will be trying to figure out if it’s worth paying real-life money for a ticket or if they should just stick to the free version.

To try and help you make a decision, we’ve rounded up all the exclusive features you’ll get for buying a ticket and provided our own opinion on its value.

A poster for the Pokemon Go Fest 2023 global event

How much does a Pokemon Go Fest 2023 ticket cost?

A ticket for the Pokemon Go Fest 2023: Global event costs $14.99 (£13.99) and can be purchased from the in-game shop.

This is the same price as last year’s Pokemon Go Fest 2022: Global event ticket, although longtime fans will probably remember that 2021’s event ticket only cost $4.99, so by comparison this year’s ticket does feel quite expensive.

Another way to look at it is that you’ll be getting a total of 16 hours of gameplay for the same price as a trip to the cinema. If you really enjoy playing Pokemon Go and the exclusive features are important to you, that might not seem so bad.

What does a Pokemon Go Fest 2023 ticket include?

The main feature of the Pokemon Go Fest 2023 Global ticket is an event-exclusive Special Research quest that will lead to an encounter with the Mythical creature Diancie. In a surprise turn of events, Mega Diancie will also make its debut during this event for ticketholders.

Another big feature of the Go Fest 2023: Global event is the worldwide debut of Mega Rayquaza. All Trainers can battle this fearsome creature, but ticketholders will get an extended Special Research quest with extra opportunities to earn Meteorites, which are required to Mega-Evolve Rayquaza.

The Global Challenge Arena will also return for ticketholders, where Trainers around the world will work together to complete a different challenge every hour during the event. If successful, you’ll be able to enjoy a bonus for the remainder of that hour.

Diancie appearing for Pokemon Go Fest 2023 ticketholders

Shiny hunters will be glad to hear that there will be an increased chance of encountering Shiny Pokemon for ticketholders during the Go Fest 2023 event. There will also be special Incense encounters available every hour including Unown M, which is making its Shiny debut.

Other bonuses available exclusively for ticketholders include up to six Special Trades each day, special 7km Egg hatches, Habitat-themed Collection Challenges to complete, and up to nine free Raid Passes when you spin Photo Discs at Gyms.

It’s also been revealed that if Trainers manage to complete 20 Global Challenges, they’ll gain access to a special event taking place from September 10 to September 15, 2023. During this event, four Pokemon will make their Go debuts: A Bug-type, an Electric-type, a Flying-type, and an Ice-type.

So… is it worth buying a ticket to Pokemon Go Fest 2023?

If you’re planning on playing Pokemon Go across both days and you have enough time to fully enjoy all of the exclusive features on offer, then yes, it’s probably worth purchasing a ticket for the Pokemon Go Fest 2023: Global event.

The cost is quite high for a virtual event, but you will be getting access to a new Mythical Pokemon and a rare boost to Shiny encounters across the board. The nine free Raid Passes will also come in very handy for anyone who likes to take part in Raid Battles.

On the other hand, if you’re a casual fan who will probably only spend a few hours playing during the event or you’re not fussed about catching Diancie, then we would recommend that you don’t buy a ticket as you probably won’t be getting your money’s worth.

Hopefully, we’ve helped you make a decision! We’ll have plenty of guides for the Pokemon Go Fest 2023: Global event when it takes place from August 26 to 27, so make sure you check back then for updates.

We’ve also got plenty of useful Pokemon Go guides for you to check out below: