Pokémon Go players tried their best to enjoy the Shadow Mewtwo raids on May 27 and 28, but they claim the experience was soured by a number of issues and bugs, and they’re not happy about it. Some even threatened to quit due to the disappointment of missing out on catching one.
The most pressing one was a bug that prevented players from catching Shadow Mewtwo. Rather than proceeding to the catch screen as usual, there were some instances where Shadow Mewtwo’s health would stay at one HP and not move an inch until the timer ran out. Players would be kicked out of the raid as if they had failed and had no choice but to try again.
Niantic acknowledged the issue via a tweet on May 28, claiming it had received a number of reports. The company suggested restarting the app and rejoining the raid fixed it for some people, but it didn’t work for everyone.
Another issue was that some players weren’t receiving XL Rare Candy at all despite finishing the raid multiple times. This led to some confusion about whether they were even supposed to be available at all, with some players concluding Niantc must have turned them off. One player even reached out to customer support, but the answer wasn’t helpful at all.
The fact the raids were local only also added to their woes, especially for those who lived in areas with small communities. The player count has reportedly declined after thousands of players quit to protest the Remote Raid Pass changes, and it’s taken a toll on local raid populations. Some players missed out on catching Shadow Mewtwo because of this. They were so upset by it, they decided to quit.
“So after seven and a bit years, I am done,” one player said. “Congrats to everyone that managed to get your Shadow Mewtwos. After two days hunting for an in person raid in two small cities, [it was] a waste of time. I personally feel like I am being punished like many others who went out trying to find groups and sat in lobbies to see nothing.” Others were in the same boat.
The community was already furious over Niantic’s response to the HearUsNiantic movement on May 18, and just when it looked like the company was on the road to potentially making amends, tempers flared up again.
