Pokémon GO players have expressed frustration over the It’s Not Over Yet research task introduced during the Tour: Unova event, claiming it unfairly limits free-to-play fans. The event, held on March 1–2, marked the highly anticipated debut of Black Kyurem and White Kyurem, but its mechanics have drawn criticism for being heavily pay-to-play.
Fusion Requirements Push Players Toward Paid Raid Passes
The Tour: Unova event allowed players to participate in raids featuring Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem. However, the controversy began when players realized that the It’s Not Over Yet research task required fusing Kyurem, which demands 1,000 Volt Fusion Energy or 1,000 Blaze Fusion Energy—forcing players to win at least 10 Kyurem raids per fusion.
Unlike past raid-focused events, Pokémon GO Tour: Unova did not provide additional free raid passes, leaving players with two choices:
- Purchase Premium Raid Passes to complete the fusion.
- Spend hours coordinating Campfire raids, which many players find unfeasible.
A Reddit post by user Apollo0624, which has gained over 5.3K upvotes, called out the developers for making this research task nearly impossible for free-to-play users, with many agreeing that it forces players to pay for progress.
Déjà Vu: A Repeat of the Zygarde Quest Controversy?
Many trainers compared It’s Not Over Yet to Pokémon GO’s Zygarde research from 2023, which required players to walk extreme distances to unlock forms, leading to complaints about pay-to-win mechanics. With Tour: Unova now over, players who couldn’t farm enough fusion energy must wait for future opportunities to complete the research.
The backlash also comes amid ongoing fears that Scopely may acquire Pokémon GO. While the acquisition is unconfirmed, some players worry that such a move could lead to even more aggressive monetization, making free-to-play progression even harder.
What’s Next for Pokémon GO?
Despite the controversy, Pokémon GO is moving forward with its next season, Might and Mastery, which will introduce Dynamax Legendaries and Gigantamax Machamp. Meanwhile, the upcoming Powerful Potential event on March 5 will debut Kubfu and Shiny Charcadet, offering players new Pokémon to chase.
However, for many players still stuck on It’s Not Over Yet, the event’s structure raises concerns about the game’s increasingly pay-to-play direction.
