Augmented reality monster-catching game Pokémon Go is known for taking its players to strange new places, but one trainer found themselves in an especially bizarre situation.
For Reddit user ichigodevil, it was a day on Pokémon Go like any other – that is until they seemed to be transformed into a raid encounter by a glitch.
For those not in the know, raid encounters are boss battles that become available when a powerful boss Pokémon takes over a Gym. Available for a limited time, this usually involves a tough battle where, should you prove victorious, you’ll be rewarded with special items and a chance of capturing that Pokémon.
However, much to the Reddit user’s surprise, a raid countdown clock appeared above their character’s head. Prompting them to take to Reddit with a screenshot of the event and a declaration to the world: “who wanna square up?”
Amused Reddit users from across the world flocked to the post.
“At least you’re rated five stars,” chimed in one user, while another said, “It’s time to catch a PokéGo player.”
Reddit user PokeOneKenobi offered a surprisingly dark take: “If you [have] one of the following symptoms: weird countdowns appearing over your [head], the feeling of impending doom, [or] people flocking around you to party up [,] please report to Niantic [for] assistance immediately.”
Pokémon Go released back in 2016, garnering attention from fans across the world. Though the monster-catching game has yet to recapture its its peak of 28.5 million daily unique visitors (via Vox), the game still has roughly 11.2 million players, making it a powerful force in the world of mobile gaming (via MMOstats).
When it comes to Pokémon as a whole, competition has arrived in the form of third-person survival game Palworld, which has catchable monsters with a striking resemblance to Pokémon’s own roster.
Want more games with great communities? Check out our lists of the best co-op games and the best MMO games.
