Pokemon GO is one of the most popular mobile titles in the history of mobile gaming, and the response to the recently-announced Pokemon GO Fest shows it. Within 30 minutes of becoming avialable, tickets for the event completely sold out.

The Chicago-based Pokemon GO event is planned to be held in Grant Park on July 22nd. It's unclear exactly how many tickets were available for the event, but Niantic claims that the event will include "thousands of trainers," so a considerable number of tickets were sold at an alarming pace. Although the event is only being held in one location at this time, tickets were just $20 a pop, so chances are many players will be making the expedition to the Windy City to participate. Of course, there's also a strong likelihood that some tickets were purchased purely with the intent of reselling them at a mark-up.

It appears that Niantic doesn't intend to make any more tickets available to the public, but it is emphasizing that Pokemon GO players worldwide will be able to get in on the fun. Since the event is offering improved spawn rates and some unique Pokemon, chances are players will be able to log in during the event and find similar boosts in the game no matter where they are located. However, certain bonuses are exclusive to attendees, like a one-of-a-kind medal that will appear in attendees' trainer profiles and multiple opportunities to socialize in real life with other players and team members.

Pokemon GO's popularity has dwindled somewhat over the year since its initial release, but it's clear that it's still got a loyal fanbase. Gamers have probably also felt an incentive to attend due to the recent announcement of Pokemon raids and Niantic's hints that Legendary Pokemon are coming soon. Chicago's event will most likely be the first instance of a gathering resembling what was shown in the original Pokemon GO trailer where trainers were able to capture Mewtwo, so it seems likely that Niantic could offer a group event or even a Legendary to attendees for the first time in the game's history.

Between the Pokemon GO Fest, retooled Pokemon gyms, and new Pokemon to catch, the game could see record numbers once again in the near future.

Pokemon GO is available now for Android and iOS devices.

Source: Twitter