Intentionally or not, Niantic has been throwing a lot of mysteries at the Pokemon GO community lately. Most recently, they shared the name and dates for a new in-person and global event called Wild Area, and fans have questions.
On X, Niantic shared a post with a brief teaser video for something called Wild Area:
Trainers, get ready for #GOWildArea, a new event coming to #PokemonGO!
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) August 28, 2024
Mark your calendars!Fukuoka, Japan: November 16–17
Global:
November 23–24
Stay tuned for more information!https://t.co/KWOyvYlypD pic.twitter.com/uSAq5hYW5g
Fukuoka, Japan: November 16–17The short video shows a camera quickly looking around a forest, then pans up to a brand new event logo for Pokemon GO Wild Area 2024. The post also includes the event dates—November 16 and 17 in Fukuoka, Japan—with a global version to follow on November 23 and 24.
The post links to a new page on the Pokemon GO Live website. However, if you head there looking for more information, you won’t find it.
The web page includes the dates and logo, and that’s about it. Both events include a “Stay Tuned for Ticket Details” button that doesn’t do anything when clicked. “Cool, let me just book a flight to Japan based on absolutely zero details,” says one player on the Twitter thread.
In lieu of details from Niantic, fans jump in with theories and speculation. One wonders if this explains why GO Fest took place a month earlier this year, spacing out the event calendar for a future permanent rotation.
Others can’t help but notice that the name pays homage to the Wild Area from Pokemon Sword and Shield. This area featured Max Raid Dens, leading one fan on Twitter to speculate, “So is this like GO Fest but with Max Raids?”
Another trainer has a similar thought but had to bring up an old wound for Sword and Shield fans: “Take me back to Galar, to the ugly tree.”
It does seem likely the event will be Galar-inspired. After all, it falls during the Max Out season, which is leaning heavily into all things Gen 8.
Without further details about an event that’s only a few months away, we’re left to guess about just what a Wild Area live event might entail. Is this a new annual tradition or yet another part of the massively Dynamax launch for Pokemon GO?