Pokémon Go has a wild Pokémon spawn problem, and players aren’t happy about it.
It has been a long time since a new Pokémon spawned in the wild in Pokémon Go. The last time new Pokémon spawned naturally in the wild was Dec. 23, when Cetoddle was around for the Winter Wonderland event.
Since then, Niantic has only added new Pokémon as premium experiences, through raids, or down to luck when hatching Eggs.
In January 2024, Niantic released Lycanroc Dusk-form and Annihilape, two new Pokémon that evolved from previous Pokémon releases, and Varoom, which can only be found in 12km Eggs. In February, we got Drampa, which is locked to raids, and the Road to Sinnoh, which added Origin Dialga and Palkia in raids.
Now, with the Road to Sinnoh event, you can argue that White-striped Basculin joined at the end of last month, but that’s a form of a pre-existing Pokémon, and it’s still locked behind the Route feature and not directly catchable in the wild with no gimmicks. Basculegion, which it evolves into, wasn’t even added, and we have no idea when it will be.
Now heading into March, Niantic is continuing this trend with the release of Charcadet, which is locked behind eggs. This has led to mixed feelings from its community, with some likening the release of the new Pokémon to a “marathon” while others understand the frustration.
Personally, I get it, but I also know these types of spawns are time-restricted and will eventually get some form of wild spawn later. These are usually during certain in-person events or when Niantic adds its shiny Pokémon into the mix. Looking back at the Sinnoh Tour as an example, we finally get wild spawns for Hisuian Pokémon like Hisuian Voltorb, when most of those Pokémon were locked to just 7km Eggs or special timed research tasks.
Niantic has also actively told us in the past the team wants each release to feel special and wants certain Pokémon to have dedicated space to debut when the time is right. Only a finite amount of Pokémon can be added to the game, so if the team adds too many Pokémon too quickly, the new content they will have for later events reduces dramatically.
Still, let’s hope Niantic bucks this 2024 trend and releases a new Pokémon in the wild for people to get soon, rather than having to chip away at their wallet for a potential chance of finding one.
