Pokemon GO Game-Breaking Bug in Version 0.51.0
I joked before about how Niantic seems to have the knack of breaking more than they fix with their updates. I then went on to praise them for keeping Pokemon GO updates coming regularly. Little did I know how badly I would jinx them. The new update, Version 0.51.0, has a game-breaking glitch so serious, it renders the game unplayable.
Patch 0.51.0’s main purpose in life was to fix the phantom vibration bug. The glitch caused the phone to vibrate non-stop even though there were no Pokemon around. And, the patch fixed it, alright. No more sudden vibrating! Plus, the code in the update teased the Pokemon GO holiday event!
As is Niantic tradition, however, something had to go wrong. Reports are coming from trainers all over the world that the game has become unplayable. It still isn’t clear what’s causing the glitch, but the game just refuses to work on a variety of Android phones. Right after the loading screen, the game will crash, no matter what. Some trainers have reported that reinstalling the app fixed the problem, while others maintain that even that didn’t help.
Granted, this is the worst-case scenario. The glitch can be milder. For example, the game might load a white screen. Or, it might load the landscape, but nothing else (sound familiar?).
The recommended fixes so far are the usual: Clear the cache, restart the game, or restart your phone. The last resort, of course, is reinstalling the app. But, as I’ve mentioned before, this is not a guaranteed solution. For any permanent fix, we’ll just have t wait for Niantic to address this fresh mess.
But really, though, why does every update to Pokemon GO have to cause more havoc than it fixes? I know I sound like a broken record, but, let’s face it, PoGO updates have become a running gag by now. Niantic, I love you and I believe in you! Please, deliver us an update that won’t cause our phones to spontaneously combust.
