Pokémon Go Fest Organizers Settle $1.6 Million Lawsuit

Daniel Bozarski / Getty Images – Pokémon Go Fest

Niantic, the developer behind the popular Pokémon Go augmented reality game and the organizers of last year’s maligned Pokémon Go Fest, has settled a class-action lawsuit for more than $1.5 million with dissatisfied attendees of the festival.

The event, which took place last July, was supposed to be a Pokémon trainer’s dream come true: players from around the country would descend upon Chicago’s Grant Park to bond with friends and catch rare Pokémon. Instead, players were greeted with long lines and technical issues that stopped many from playing the game. 

In an attempt at damage control, Niantic issued full $20 refunds to attendees as well as $100 in credit for the app. 

It wasn’t enough to appease players, however, as several filed a lawsuit against the company. Now Niantic is paying out $1,575,000 to the disgruntled fans to cover expenses including airfare, lodging, car rental, mileage, gas and parking fees. 

An official website for the settlement will go up by May 25 for fans to see how they can get reimbursed, according to Tech Crunch. In order to be reimbursed, attendees must have checked in to the festival through the app and must have receipts if claiming more than $107 in expenses.  

The settlement still needs to be reviewed and approved by a judge.