The latest Pokemon GO event created controversy online, as some players complained about the more frequent apparition of Team GO Rocket Grunts when they interacted with PokeStops. As these PokeStops are one of the main features of Pokemon GO and let players collect the resource they need to become better trainers, anything impacting these landmarks has a significant impact on the overall gameplay of Niantic’s AR game.
Over six years after its initial release on iOS and Android, Pokemon GO still receives regular updates to bring new content to the game. The tenth season of Pokemon GO, Rising Heroes, introduced the Roaming Form Gimmighoul and Golden PokeStops, as well as XXS and XXL sizes for all existing Pokemon. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet can connect their game to Pokemon GO to transfer the postcards they collected and have a chance to make new Vivillon patterns appear. This new season also marks the return of Elite Raids, tough Raid Battles offering opportunities to catch legendary Pokemon.
With the release of Pokemon GO’s Rising Heroes season, Team GO Rocket Grunts are more likely to appear at PokeStops. Some players have been complaining on social media about this new feature, considering this alleged bonus as an annoying element they would like to turn off with a toggle when desired. This option would prevent the Team GO Rocket Grunts from appearing at PokeStops, letting players interact with these elements without having to duel the NPCs.
In the comments to a Reddit post denouncing the frequent appearance of Team GO Rocket Grunts at PokeStops, Pokemon GO fans had diverging opinions on the matter. Some liked seeing Team GO Rocket members more often, as it provides them with an opportunity to catch Beldum and these NPCs are a good source of dust, a consumable allowing trainers to upgrade their Pokemon. However, other players complained about Team GO Rocket Grunts preventing them from freely exploring their neighborhood and interacting with PokeStops, as they don’t have the time to fight each NPC standing in their way. Moreover, some Team GO Rocket Grunts appear on top of wild Pokemon spawns, preventing players from clicking on them to catch rare creatures.
During the Season of Rising Heroes, Pokemon GO players who decide to fight against the grunts can unlock a battle against the Team GO Rocket leader Giovanni and the powerful Pokemon he has corrupted. Those who prefer a more chill experience can try to catch new creatures through the Season of Rising Heroes wild spawns or discover a fresh rotation of Egg hatches.
Pokemon GO is available on mobile devices.
