Niantic settling Pokemon Go Fest lawsuit for $1.6 million - Report
Resolution will see developer reimburse travel costs for attendees of last year's disastrous Chicago event
Niantic is ready to reimburse people who traveled to last year's Pokemon Go Fest debacle in Chicago. According to TechCrunch, the developer has reached a settlement in a class-action suit brought against it by fans upset that they traveled to the event, which was beset by logistical and technical issues from the start.
Under the terms of the settlement, Niantic will pay $1.575 million to reimburse travel costs for people who attended the festival, including airfare, hotel costs, car rentals, and more. Those claiming part of the settlement must have checked in to Go Fest through the game, and anyone claiming more than $107 in expenses will need to produce receipts.
Niantic was quick to acknowledge and apologize for the event's problems, pledging at the time to give people a full refund of the ticket price, $100 worth of in-game currency, and a legendary Pokemon in the game.
However, as the first official Pokemon Go live event, the Chicago festival drew unusual levels of demand. Tickets with a face value of $20 were being scalped for as much as $500, and fans were flying in from all around the world to attend it. One attendee who traveled from California filed the original class action suit within a week of the event.