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Pokémon GO Fest Returns to Chicago With 'Walk in the Park' Event This July

Niantic announced the details of this year's "Summer Tour" events for its Pokémon GO smartphone game on Monday. The Pokémon GO Fest event will return to Chicago, Illinois under the title "Pokémon GO Fest 2018: A Walk in the Park" on July 14-15. Safari Zone events will also return to Europe and Asia this summer.

"Pokémon GO Fest 2018: A Walk in the Park" will be held in Lincoln Park with a 1.8-mile walking course. The event will feature "a unique, immersive play experience unseen anywhere else" and exclusive activities for players. Single-day tickets will cost US$20, and they will go on sale on the event website beginning on May 11.

A Safari Zone event will be held in Westfalenpark in Dortmund, Germany from June 30 to July 1. The open event will include activities throughout Dortmund. There will also be a Safari Zone event in Yokosuka, Japan later this summer. Niantic hinted at additional upcoming events in Asia.

The first Pokémon GO Fest was held in Chicago's Grant Park last July to celebrate the first anniversary of the mobile game. The players who attended the event could encounter Pokémon normally unavailable in Grant Park, including Legendary Pokémon and complete challenges that would unlock rewards for other players.

The event drew complaints of long lines and network issues that left many unable to play the game. Niantic clarified during the event that the root cause for the issues were related to the game's servers, as well as local cellular networks' inability to handle the number of participants. Niantic offered refunds for admission, US$100 in PokéCoins, and Lugia in the game. It also expanded the event radius and ran the in-game events for two additional days.

Niantic nevertheless faced a class-action lawsuit from plaintiffs seeking to recover travel expenses for the event. Niantic reportedly settled the lawsuit and earmarked funds for reimbursement.