Pokeverse, a fan-led Pokemon-themed convention in the Philippines, has surged into the online spotlight as artists and con-goers share their horrible experiences.
Pokeverse, a new fan-led Pokemon convention in the Philippines that was supposed to be “by fans and for fans,” has found itself in hot water as its patrons exposed a series of events that were undeniably far from the advertised experience.
The three-day convention was initially marketed as the “Premiere Pokemon-themed Expo in The Philippines,” later revealed to be strikingly similar to an already-existing Pokemon event in the country. Pokeverse promised cosplay competitions, art classes, and live musical performances, as well as to host special guests such as Jason Paige, the Pokemon theme singer.
On a thread on X, cartoonist and voice actor @BintuRita detailed her experience at the event. Among the most striking details is the lack of actual content and promised stalls in the venue. Most of the space is occupied by the sponsors, who aren’t affiliated with nor feature Pokemon content.
Pokeverse 2024 in the Philippines slammed for expensive tickets and false advertisement
Adding insult to injury, the cost of admission to the event was significantly higher than the usual convention ticket prices in the Philippines. A standard day pass to Pokeverse set attendees back 1000 PHP (~$20), while a three-day pass could cost as much as $331, a steep price even for the well-established conventions in the country.
Despite these rates, Pokeverse patrons could only list red flags from the event from the get-go. Beyond the far-from-promised floor plan, other concerns included falsely advertised art classes and a rot-smelling “Ravioli Man” going around the convention.
Even the booths and tables for the event’s headliners were far from spectacular and honestly looked like a photo out of the “liminal spaces” Subreddit.
It was also later revealed that one of the headliners, Veronica Taylor (voice actor of Ash in English dubs), did not receive compensation for her appearance in Pokeverse. This would only mean the organizers would receive most of the exorbitant VIP fees.
Upon further research, famous Pokemon fan accounts on X have already advertised against the event earlier this year, considering that Pokeverse is not affiliated with Gamefreak or Nintendo and is sponsored by an NFT company.
Due to the unbelievable events in Pokeverse 2024, many have compared the event to the Fyre Festival and the icon of all “scam events,” DashCon 2014.
Pokeverse organizers have yet to issue an official statement over the online backlash for the event.