Pokémon Go just teased that a new ball is coming soon, and datamines point to it being the best ball out there—the Master Ball. This might sound like a good thing, but many players are skeptical of how Niantic plans on implementing the rare item.
Most of the concerns stem from the painfully low catch rates for the Galarian birds—Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. With players struggling to catch this trio, the addition of the Master Ball would finally give players a guaranteed way to catch the birds or any Pokémon they want.
The problem is, we don’t know how much Niantic plans on charging for Master Balls or if there will be ways to get them for free. Having these powerful Pokémon with low catch rates could be how the company plans on profiting from the rare balls.
Related: Pokémon Go leaks hint at game-changing item on the horizon
The thought of this isn’t sitting well with players, many of whom have already expressed other concerns about Pokémon Go’s future.
Reddit user y0l0tr0n posted a theory on May 15 that suggested Niantic might give players one free Master Ball to catch one of the Galarian birds. If you want to catch the other two to complete the trio, it’ll be tempting to purchase two additional Master Balls to guarantee their capture. At that point, the birds will feel very pay-to-catch.
There were also concerns about the catch rates of other Pokémon. It wouldn’t be surprising if catch rates were lowered for certain Pokémon, like Legendaries, now that there’s a ball that can guarantee any catch. It would “allow Niantic to lock more Pokémon behind the daily incense mechanic with a ridiculously low catch rate.”
As rewarding as it is to obtain Pokémon with low catch rates, it can also be a frustrating process that players don’t want to deal with—especially if the addition of the Master Ball makes the rates lower. Some players have stated they won’t be spending money on the Master Balls, either. It’s just not worth it to them.
A few players mentioned the potential for the Master Ball to be an item that refreshes once a week, meaning everyone would get a taste of catching difficult ‘mons on their first try. That might be wishful thinking, though.
Of course, we won’t know for sure until the Master Ball makes its official debut in Pokémon Go, whenever that will be, so for now it’s all just player theories.
