Niantic has announced Roselia as the star of February’s Pokémon GO Community Day, the decision has been poorly received and fans’ patience is starting to wear thin. The problem stems from the fact that Roselia’s shiny form was released at Safari Zone Dortmund in 2018.
For those who have caught a shiny Roselia in the past two years, a Community Day devalues the rarity of their Pokémon. Shiny rates are usually boosted during Community Days or weekend events, and the number of spawns often means it’s more difficult not to get your hands on a shiny than to find one.
The community felt similarly when January’s Community Day was announced, as Machop was also already available as a shiny in-game. The 2021 Community Days do not follow the traditional Pokémon GO formula – which used to include either starter Pokémon or other desirable Pokémon being released as shinies. The key was that these Pokémon were new shinies being introduced to the game, with new exclusive moves.
Shiny Snivy, which would usually be released as a part of a Community Day, was released in a generic event earlier this year. This suggests that Niantic is moving away from its tried-and-tested formula.
However, some players believe that Niantic has put its traditional schedule on hold during the pandemic. Many countries, including the UK and USA, still have lockdowns in place, which prevent people from leaving the house as often as they might wish – after all, hunting a shiny Genesect is hardly an “essential journey”.
Adding some context. I can't control what Niantic does or doesn't do. I can, however, control how I feel/react to what they do. This community day is underwhelming, but given the circumstances I can appreciate not having FOMO about it and casually play from home with my family.
— ZyoniK (@ZyoniK_) January 14, 2021
Furthermore, both Machop and Roselia do get brand new exclusive moves – Roselia will get two – which will improve their performance in GO Battle League. They’ll hardly be the best Pokémon in Pokémon GO, but it’ll give them some versatility nonetheless.