‘Pokemon GO’ Fire And Ice ‘Solstice Event’ On Now, And ‘PoGo’ Lives Up To Its Nickname


The Pokemon GO “Fire And Ice” event has officially started, and we’ve already been out pounding the pavement to get all of the details – and it turns out that there are a few things Niantic didn’t mention in the official announcements. Fortunately, the Inquisitr has all of the details, and as Forbes notes, the event is a fantastic opportunity to catch some Pokemon that, unless you are very lucky, you’ve probably been missing up until now.

The Good

Many players were disgruntled to hear that Fire And Ice would only be giving XP bonuses for Pokeball actions – getting those great throws, catching on the first toss, and so on. In fact, it turns out that the entire Pokemon capture bonus has been increased; and not just doubled, but tripled. With a Lucky Egg, which are half-off during the event, the minimum XP for a Pokemon capture is 600, and that means some very fast gains. Assuming that you live in an area where you can take advantage of it, XP gains will probably be faster than an evolution spree, with the added bonus of being more fun. And as hatching Pokemon eggs is awarding increased XP as well, now is definitely the time to get out and about.

Good catches add up very fast. [Image by Don Crothers]

You’re also likely to be seeing a lot of Pokemon that, unless you are very lucky, you haven’t already filled into your Pokedex, or at least their evolutions. Most notably, many of the fire-types featured in the event, including the elusive Cyndaquil, will be valuable finds for most players. There is also, supposedly, an increased chance of catching a Lapras.

The Bad

Something else that Niantic neglected to mention as the event got underway is that Pokemon seem to have their “jump” rate significantly increased. And by significant, we mean that they’re bouncing around like toddlers on a sugar high. And so while XP gains for good throws may be turned right up, getting those throws isn’t so easy, especially if you’re using a device that lags in the heat wave currently being felt through much of North America.

At least Nanab Berries are finally useful for something.

The Ugly

Of the Pokemon spawning for the event, almost none are an easy catch. Some start as a solid red ring even with gold-level medals – which players aren’t too likely to have yet for fire and ice types.

Although to be fair, that’s not likely to be too difficult to get this week. [Image by Don Crothers]

When considered on top of the jumping increase, players can expect to go through an awful lot of Pokeballs, and while Lucky Eggs may be on sale, balls certainly aren’t, assuming that you can catch anything with regular Pokeballs in the first place. Indiscriminate trainers be warned; your Pokeballs aren’t likely to last.

It’s also worth noting that neither fire- or ice-type Pokemon are especially useful in the current metagame, and none are particularly powerful. Perhaps the only exception, albeit a big one, is that ice-types can be quite useful against Dragonite. By and large, though, players aren’t likely to come out of this event stronger than they went in.

But in spite of the frustrations, Pokemon GO‘s Fire And Ice event is shaping up to be a great one. Get up, get out, and bring home a Typhlosion or two.

[Featured Image by Niantic Labs]

Share this article: ‘Pokemon GO’ Fire And Ice ‘Solstice Event’ On Now, And ‘PoGo’ Lives Up To Its Nickname
More from Inquisitr