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Pokemon Go Unova Tour Banner
Image via Niantic

Pokémon Go Tour: Unova will go forward at iconic LA location after being threatened by fires

The journey continues.

Despite untold destruction and the displacement of people, Niantic has announced that it still plans to host the Pokémon Go Tour in-person Unova event at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena from Feb. 21 to 23, as well as the citywide gameplay in the greater Los Angeles and Orange County area.

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The post comes from the official Pokémon Go website, where a short press release outlined Niantic’s commitment to seeing the event continue despite the wildfires that have decimated Los Angeles the past couple of months, with thousands of people without a home. It also follows a post by VisitPasadena a few days ago, where they confirmed the Eaton Fire that destroyed much of nearby Altadena was 100-percent contained, and thanked the first responders and frontline workers for their jobs. Pasadena’s Rose Bowl stadium, where the event is set to be held, and the immediate surrounding areas were left relatively unscathed by the fires.

https://twitter.com/PokemonGoApp/status/1886882493648794073

“Our team has been watching the situation in Los Angeles, prioritizing the safety and well-being of Pasadena, the greater Los Angeles area, and our Pokémon GO community,” Niantic’s Pokémon Go team stated in the press release. “In partnership with the Rose Bowl Operating Company and local authorities, we have made the decision to continue holding the in-person Pokémon GO Tour: Unova – Los Angeles experience at Rose Bowl Stadium and Brookside Golf Course, including citywide gameplay in Los Angeles and Orange County.”

Niantic further commented on the effects of the wildfires, saying that their thoughts are with people impacted and that they company plans to support the local community, promising to announce information for support plans at a later date. Niantic also didn’t confirm if the current decision was set in stone, telling trainers that “upcoming events are subject to change” and to keep an eye on social media and the official app in case any changes happen in the future.

For those who might be uncomfortable attending the in-person event or are worried for their safety, as well as other potential issues, Niantic, in a surprise move, is offering trainers the chance to refund their tickets via in-app support up until Feb. 23 to receive a full refund of their ticket purchase. It’s uncertain at this time if any merch orders will also be refunded, or if the refund is only for the tickets.

The news should come as no surprise, as at the start of January, Niantic released a statement to Dot Esports saying it was carefully observing the situation in LA when the wildfires were at their peak, but plans were still in place to proceed as normal. Today’s announcement confirms that, but it was likely made to reassure players from abroad making the trip that everything was set to continue as normal, even while LA reels from the destruction to its beautiful city and neighborhoods.

The community has been mixed in its responses to the announcement on the X post, with some praising Niantic for its communication in letting trainers know everything is going forward, while others have been calling for the event to be canceled and the Rose Bowl Stadium instead being used to house displaced families instead of catering to Pokémon Go players. Some fans have also been calling on international players not to attend the event so hotels can be freed up for people to stay in during their time of need.


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Author
Image of Adam Newell
Adam Newell
Assigning Editor
Assigning Editor. In 2015, Adam graduated from the University of Aberystwyth with a bachelor's in Media and Communications. Working in the industry for over ten years. If it has anything to do with Nintendo and Pokémon chances are you will see me talking about it, covering, and likely not sleeping while playing it.