Pokémon Go Special Trade bug explained: Niantic’s compensation, impact on trading, and player strategies.
The Pokémon Go Special Trade Bug: What Went Wrong
Niantic has officially confirmed a disruptive bug affecting the trading mechanics in Pokémon Go. This glitch mistakenly identifies any Pokémon that underwent evolution during the 2023 calendar year as a candidate for a Special Trade. As compensation for the inconvenience, the developer has implemented temporary bonus enhancements.
Niantic has confirmed a Pokémon Go glitch where creatures evolved this year are being flagged for Special Trades and has boosted existing seasonal bonuses as a make-good for players.
The timing is particularly awkward, coinciding with the June 2023 Axew Community Day. Trainers are actively participating in the event, eager to utilize the various boosts available, which naturally includes trading featured Pokémon.
A key event bonus grants players one extra Special Trade per day. Unfortunately, this very feature is undermined by the newly discovered bug, creating a frustrating contradiction for users.
In response, Niantic has publicly acknowledged the problem and stated that its development team is actively seeking a permanent solution. In the interim, to mitigate player dissatisfaction, the company has rolled out compensatory bonuses.
Official Acknowledgment and Player Guidance
The issue was formally addressed via the Niantic Support Twitter account. The team announced they are “currently investigating” the malfunction that leads to the misclassification of 2023-evolved Pokémon during trades.
Trainers, we are currently investigating an issue where trading any Pokémon that you evolved in 2023 is miscategorized as a Special Trade. Until this issue is fixed, we suggest avoiding trading Pokémon evolved in 2023.
Understanding the impact requires knowing what a Special Trade entails. In Pokémon Go, these are exchanges involving Pokémon that fit specific, often valuable, criteria—such as Legendaries, Shinies, or Pokémon not already registered in a player’s Pokédex. The primary drawback is a significantly higher Stardust cost compared to a standard trade. While having a high Friendship Level with another trainer can reduce this cost, Special Trades remain inherently more expensive.
The bug’s frustration stems from its indiscriminate nature. A common Pidgey evolved into Pidgeotto in 2023 would trigger the Special Trade cost, despite not meeting any of the usual value-based criteria. This forces trainers to expend precious Stardust unnecessarily, disrupting trade-based strategies for completing Pokédex entries or optimizing battle teams.
Compensation Bonuses: How Niantic is Making Amends
We will also be increasing the seasonal bonus from “one additional Special Trade per day” to “three additional Special Trades for a total of four per day” until the issue with trading Pokémon that were evolved in 2023 being miscategorized as a Special Trade is resolved.
To address player frustration, Niantic has enacted a two-tiered bonus system. First, the Axew Community Day-specific bonus has been substantially increased. Originally offering “one additional Special Trade for a max of three for the day,” it now permits a total of five Special Trades for the day. This enhanced bonus is active from 2 PM to 10 PM local time on June 10, 2023.
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Furthermore, the broader seasonal bonus running alongside the event has also been boosted. The standard “one additional Special Trade per day” is temporarily increased to “three additional Special Trades for a total of four per day.” This enhancement will remain in effect until the underlying bug is completely resolved by the development team.
While the bug itself is an annoyance, the developer’s rapid communication and provision of tangible compensation are positive steps. It demonstrates a commitment to maintaining player trust even when technical issues arise.
Strategic Player Advice: Navigating the Bug
Beyond waiting for a fix, trainers can adopt several strategies to minimize the bug’s impact on their gameplay and resource economy.
Audit Your Trade Box: Before initiating any trade, review your Pokémon and identify those evolved in 2023. Consider marking them with a tag (like “2023 Evolve”) to avoid accidental, costly trades. Prioritize trading Pokémon evolved in previous years, which are unaffected by the bug.
Leverage the Enhanced Bonuses: The compensation bonuses are a silver lining. With up to five Special Trades available on Community Day and four daily for the season, players have more flexibility. Use these extra slots for *legitimate* Special Trades (Shinies, Legendaries) that you’ve been holding onto, effectively getting a discount on their usual Stardust cost due to the bonus availability.
Maximize Friendship Levels: Since Special Trade costs decrease with higher Friendship, now is an ideal time to interact daily with your frequent trading partners. Reaching Best Friends status can cut the Stardust cost of a Special Trade by 96%, which is crucial if you must trade a 2023-evolved Pokémon.
Common Pitfall to Avoid: Do not mass-transfer 2023-evolved Pokémon in frustration. While currently bugged for trading, they are still perfectly usable in battles, raids, and for completing research tasks. Evolving Pokémon is a core resource investment; discarding them wastes that investment. Patience and proper tagging are better approaches.
For Advanced Players: Use this as an opportunity to clean up your trade inventory. Focus on trading non-2023 Pokémon to fill Pokédex gaps for yourself and your friends. The extra trade slots allow you to be more generous with your spare Legendaries or Shinies to help others, strengthening your in-game community ties while optimizing your own resource expenditure.
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