"This is a joke right?": Pokemon GO player reacts to recently revealed Max Particles code
A Pokemon GO promotion for trainers to redeem free Max Particles has seemingly upset a few fans, who discovered that they had to visit the game's official TikTok to see the code after they unlocked it. This resulted in a GO subreddit user named u/Significant_Day_4327 sharing a post with the message to visit the title's TikTok page and asking:
"This is a joke right?"
Many trainers agreed that Niantic was handling the Pokemon GO promo code (LJRAMRU3RYCMC) in a very obtuse manner, asking players to hop around between the game and its official TikTok account to redeem it.
According to some players, after a few fans claimed the code, they began posting it on Niantic's social media channels, resulting in a string of deleted comments.
Moreover, players had complaints about the fact that the promo code still counted toward the daily Max Particle limit, meaning that trainers couldn't redeem it if they'd already allotted 800 or more particles on a given day.
This is certainly an inconvenience, and this promo code may be yet another piece of tinder on the growing flames of discontent toward Pokemon GO's Max Out season so far.
The introduction of Dynamax transformations, Max Battles, and Max Particles doesn't seem to be overly popular among trainers, likely because many consider the new gameplay features pointless in the grand scheme of things.
Since Dynamax transformations aren't usable in conventional gameplay like raids or the GO Battle League (at least not yet), fans seem to feel as though they're wasting their time engaging in Max Battles or powering up Dynamax Pokemon.
Throw in the fact that trainers feel like they're being tugged around just to redeem a simple promo code for an allotment of Max Particles, and it's understandable why some players are frustrated.
Pokemon GO's Max Particle promo code outlines an overall dissatisfaction with Max Particles
The inconvenience of the Pokemon GO Max Particle promo code isn't a huge blow to the community or Niantic. However, it does underscore the current wave of dissatisfaction with Dynamax mechanics, Max Particles, Max Battles, and the Max Out season in general. Put plainly, many players have shown a lack of enthusiasm and don't see much point in enjoying the new game mechanics.
Sure, there are other rewards, and some trainers enjoy the new mechanics, but there have been regular rumblings about how Max Particles are collected. A limit of 800 particles per day can be collected (though there are ways to exceed 800 Max Particles if certain activities are performed in the right order), and most players aren't fans of daily resource limits (just look at PokeCoins).
This can result in multiple days' worth of grinding for Max Particles to power up the Max Moves of Dynamax-capable Pokemon, and for what exactly? To take on Max Battles and get more Dynamax-capable Pokemon and a few item rewards? That may be a good reason for some trainers, but others don't see a point when Dynamax transformations are currently only used for more Max Battles.
It's important to note, however, that Dynamax in Pokemon GO's Max Out season is in its infancy. There may come a day when Dynamax Pokemon and their Max Particles have much more incentive to be used, but frustration in the early goings of these new mechanics makes sense. It'll be up to Niantic, which has had its own controversies, to assure trainers that the best is yet to come.