Pokémon Pokopia’s first limited-time event is coming next week, and while the game is cozy, cute, and maybe has a darker mystery at the center, it also already has a disappointing vibe-killer in the form of its first limited-time event.
From March 9 to 24, Pokopia is hosting an event called “More Spores for Hoppip.” For two weeks, players will be able to befriend Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff. These Gen II grass Pokémon are not part of the base game, so if you want them to join your refurbished town, you’ll have to play Pokopia within the first few weeks of launch.
“These Pokémon can’t be encountered outside of this event, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to welcome these new friends to your towns,” the announcement reads. “Please note that this event will only be available in towns with a rebuilt Pokémon Center, and it will not be available on Cloud Islands.”
The Switch 2 game is $70, and not everyone is going to be able to run to their local store and pick it up within that window. Some folks don’t get paid until the end of the month, others probably haven’t gotten a Switch 2 yet and didn’t realize they were on a time limit to see everything Pokopia has to offer.
A lot of companies rely on FOMO to get people to buy and play their games as soon as possible, but it’s usually in stuff like pre-order bonuses and cosmetics. Pokopia’s whole appeal is that you’re recruiting all these cute little guys to come to your town as you rebuild society, and if the game is going to start gating them behind timed events, anyone who doesn’t get it right off the bat is going to be missing out on characters. The Hoppip line might not be enough to get you to jump on board, but there’s no telling what Pokémon might show up in future events. A real bummer for a game that was kicking off with so much goodwill. Maybe these quests will come back periodically, similar to how Animal Crossing handles seasonal events?
