FromLife is StrangetoRayman Legendsand many more, countless titles have proved that video games and music make a perfect pair. During the global pandemic, video games became a way for people to connect in the digital realm when physical meetups were not possible. However, music artists also utilized video games to host virtual concerts.Pokemon GOhas also hopped onto the trend by bringing gamers acollaborative event with Ed Sheeranwhich runs from November 22 until Jul 30, 2025.
While the Ed Sheeran event has been a wonderful addition toPokemon GO, it inevitably lives in the shadow of the grand concerts thatFortnitehas put on with artists like Travis Scott, Ariana Grande, and Diplo. Featuring immersive visuals and creative use of the video game medium,Fortniteconcerts truly offer a unique experience.
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Pokemon GO Ed Sheeran Event
Pokemon GO’s Ed Sheeran event can be viewed by accessing the News area in the app. This leads to a page featuring a performance by Ed that runs just shy of 23 minutes. Before he begins singing, Ed explains that he has beena lifelongPokemonfan: As a child he did not have many friends, so the pocket monsters became his pals, he explains.
BecauseEd typically picks Water-Type Pokemonwhen playingPokemon, the event has a special focus on water starterPokemon. For the duration of the event, Totodile, Mudkip, Piplup, and Oshawott will appear somewhat frequently in the wild. Lucky trainers may also encounter Squirtle wearing sunglasses, and Froakie. Players can also redeem the following code before the event ends to unlock the same sweatshirt Ed wears during his performance: VVM87WGMMUZHTB8X.
Ed’s performance is entertaining, especially because it is specificallyrecorded forPokemon. The in-game bonuses are also a nice plus. However, it does fail to amaze because it is ultimately simply a link to a YouTube video. It seems like a relatively wasted opportunity to engage with players in an interactive manner. This problem is made more obvious when the concert is compared to music events put on by other live service games.
The Epic Concerts of Fortnite
Fortniteconcertsare an all-out immersive experience, making use of entire maps in innovative ways. They feel less like a concert and more like a journey into an otherworldly soundscape. What is offered is something one can not find exclusively at a concert or in a video game. Instead, it is something new entirely formed by the merger of the two.
One of the flashiest concerts put on byFortniteis the Astronomical concert, hosted by Travis Scott. It took place in 2020, and while it only runs for roughly nine minutes, it never stops being a relentless assault on the senses. Travis appears supersized, dancing as the island is showered with psychedelic lights and meteor showers. At one point, the island is entirely flooded in water, leaving players to swim as the concert continues underwater. It then ascends to the skies, taking players on a musical space adventure.
Fortnitealso put on an extravagantconcert with Ariana Grande. It begins with a minigame of sorts that sends players racing down a slide in a wonderland. Much like Travis, when Ariana appears, she is larger than life. The scenery is constantly exploding with color and sweet scenes of fluffy clouds, rainbows, and sparkles as players go on a musical odyssey. It feels like more thanFortniteand more than just an Ariana music video; the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
Fortnitehas set the barfor video game concerts by providing eclectic experiences with some of the biggest artists around. While thePokemon GOEd Sheeran concert will certainly be appreciated by Ed andPokemonfans alike, it does not reach the heights of the unforgettableFortniteconcerts.
Pokemon GOis available on Android and iOS.Fortniteis available on mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
