The new and exclusive Snorlax being introduced in Pokémon Go’s Catching Some Z’s event this weekend is only available to those who have purchased the new Pokémon Go Plus device, which doesn’t come cheap at $54.99 in the U.S. and £49.99 in Europe.
Players need to complete the Special Research task associated with the event to unlock this adorable nightcap-wearing version of Snorlax, and that can only be done by pairing the Pokémon Go Plus device with the app.
It’s certainly not ideal, and it’s a steep investment for those who weren’t planning on buying the device.
Some believe it’s a scheme to persuade families and friends to purchase multiple devices, but that appears to not be the case—at least for now—since Pokémon players do appear to be able to catch more than one on the same account by unpairing and re-pairing their device. This might be unintentional and could be fixed soon.
It’s not the first time Niantic has paywalled content. Just look at the long list of ticketed events, which players have complained about in the past. But it could mark the beginning of a new era that could see events and features limited to those who own a Pokémon Go Plus. That said, this one is tied to its launch, so perhaps that’s jumping the gun a little.
The Pokémon Go Plus isn’t all bad, though. It lets players play without lifting a finger by doing things like throwing Poké Balls and spinning PokéStops automatically, although some bugs need to be ironed out right now.
Related: Pokémon Go Plus bug completely ruining device’s capture features
Whether it’s worth the hefty price tag is a different story, but one thing’s for sure—you’ll need one if you want to add a Snorlax wearing a nightcap to your Pokémon collection without relying on someone else to trade.
