Why Pokemon Go players are disappointed with Mateo and how to maximize his limited gift-trading utility
The Hype and Letdown: From Teaser to Reality
Pokemon Go’s community has reacted with palpable disappointment to Mateo, a non-player character (NPC) recently integrated into the game, criticizing his implementation for offering negligible practical value.
The arrival of Mateo in Pokemon Go has sparked significant criticism from the player base, who find his actual in-game utility to be severely lacking.
Niantic first previewed this character during the promotional material for the Timeless Travels season. His design paid homage to the iconic Hiker trainer class, a staple since the original Pokemon Red & Blue games, known for blocking paths in locations like Mt. Moon. This nostalgic callback initially generated positive buzz.
The character was subsequently identified as Mateo, and players were initially pleased with his thematic design and his association with the game’s relatively new Routes feature, hoping it signaled a meaningful expansion of gameplay.
However, the official details published on the Pokemon Go website revealed the shallow nature of his role, dashing expectations for a substantial new gameplay loop.
Dissecting the Core Complaint: A Mechanic No One Needed
The announcement on The Silph Road subreddit confirmed Mateo’s introduction, but the response was tepid. The consensus is that his primary function—acting as a Wonder Trade-like hub solely for Gifts—is a solution in search of a problem.
Player sentiment is captured in direct feedback: “I don’t want postcards. I want you to trade Pokemon with me Mr. NPC so I can clear this trade field research task while I’m playing alone,” lamented one user. Another echoed, “It would’ve been the perfect opportunity for a Wonder Trade-esque mechanic in Go. Very disappointing it’s only for gifts.” This highlights the real desire: a system to facilitate Pokemon trades for solo players or those without local communities.
Mateo’s designated purpose is to enable Gift exchanges between players. Yet, this functionality is already trivially easy to achieve without an NPC. Numerous third-party websites and social media channels maintain public directories of Trainer Codes for players specifically seeking Gift exchanges to fulfill research objectives. Practical Tip: For efficient gift farming, prioritize adding friends from regions with different time zones; this staggers gift availability throughout your day.
The community’s hope was that Mateo would broker Pokemon trades, a far more complex and desirable mechanic due to the logistical challenges of finding trade partners, managing Stardust costs, and meeting proximity requirements. Implementing this would have been a game-changer. Common Mistake: A common misconception is that NPC trades would bypass the Stardust cost for special trades; in reality, any trade mechanic would likely retain this resource gate to maintain game balance.
The Real Cost: A Missed Opportunity for Routes
Introducing Pokemon trades through Mateo would have created a powerful, unique incentive to seek out and follow Routes consistently. Instead, his sporadic Gift distribution offers little motivation, as Gifts are abundant elsewhere. This represents a significant failure to leverage a new feature (Routes) to enhance a chronically underutilized one (trading). Optimization Tip for Advanced Players: Even with his limited function, Mateo can be a tactical tool. If you have a “Send 3 Gifts” field research task and are out of gifts from PokeStops, finding a Route with Mateo provides a guaranteed completion method without needing to circle back to a Stop.
Strategic Guide: Making the Most of Mateo Anyway
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While Mateo’s current role is limited, players can still extract some value. His primary use-case is for trainers who have exhausted their gift inventory from PokeStops but still need to send gifts for research breakthroughs or friend interactions. He serves as a reliable, though unexciting, backup source. How to Use Him Effectively: 1) Identify a Route you frequent that has a Mateo endpoint. 2) When you need gifts quickly for a time-sensitive task, complete that Route. 3. Remember that the gift he provides is random; you cannot control its origin postcard, which matters for the Vivillon collector medal.
Avoid This Common Pitfall: Do not rely on Mateo as a primary gift source. The time investment to walk a Route far exceeds the time to spin a few PokeStops. Use him situationally, not strategically, for gift acquisition.
Future Potential and Community Sentiment
There is a possibility that Mateo’s toolkit will be expanded in subsequent game updates, as he is a new addition who may undergo refinements. However, the current player experience is one of resignation. For now, encountering his friendly visage at a Route’s conclusion is more likely to prompt sighs over squandered potential than excitement for a valuable interaction. This reaction fits a broader pattern where players feel Niantic introduces half-baked features (like Routes themselves) without integrating them meaningfully into the game’s core reward loops.
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