Pokemon Go players claim Niantic is “gaslighting” following in-game 1/2 candy notification
NianticPokemon Go players claimed Niantic gaslit them into thinking it never planned to offer half-distance for trainers to earn Candy with their Buddy. The limited-time offer was advertised for Sustainability Week 2023.
For Sustainability Week 2023, Pokemon Go commemorated the occasion with bonuses like Ultra Buddies generating more souvenirs. Also, the mobile game featured Bounsweet and its evolutions for the first time.
As for a reward system, Niantic notified players of earning Candy with their Buddy Pokemon for half the usual distance. However, the company quickly removed the program and claimed its addition was an “error.” Here’s how one player belives Niantic attempted to gaslight them into thinking the reward never existed.
Niantic denies half-distance Candy Sustainability Week reward
NianticOn the Pokemon Go subreddit, Reddit user BobathonMcBobface posted Niantic Support‘s response to their inquiry. It denied that half-distance for Candy, XL Candy, and Mega Energy was part of the official Sustainability Week. Furthermore, Niantic encouraged the trainer not to rely on outside sources for Pokemon Go-related information.
“Please do not rely on third-party apps like Pokémon Go for Pokémon Go information,” Puzzleheaded-Bad1571 joked in the replies.
OP’s post included a screenshot of the reply they received from Niantic Support as well as a screenshot of the announcement for 1/2 walking distance Buddy Candy.
“Niantic has always gaslit, but it’s an unfortunate byproduct of their piss poor communication with the player base,” Ciller93 wrote. “They’ve always done this; when there’s a mistake in official comms, they edit it with no evidence of edit history or what was there before.”
On April 22, Niantic added a free Item Bundle for players disappointed about the missing buff. The compensation includes one Egg Incubator and two Poffins.
“Trainers, we apologize for the confusion with the Sustainability Week event bonuses. We have added a free Item Bundle in the Shop for all Trainers for the event. Please claim this bundle before the event ends on April 26, 8 pm local time,” reads the full announcement.
Pokemon Go has had enough of Niantic’s antics between Sustainability Week and the price increase of Remote Raid Passes. To learn more about the Remote Raid nerf, read our article on how it affected trainers in rural communities.