Pokémon GO servers are down, obstructing Turtwig Spotlight Hour for players

What you need to know

• Pokémon GO is a mobile app focused on catching and collecting Pokémon.
• The game hosts several events, like a Spotlight Hour, where one special Pokémon is featured.
• GO's servers are currently down, obstructing the Spotlight Hour for many players..

If you just opened your Pokémon GO app and saw an error message, you're not alone — the app is down for many players, with no word from Niantic. After announcing a collaboration with the music artist Ed Sheeran, players who tried to open the app could not access the popular mobile app.

Upon opening the app, players were simply met with the simple message, "Failed to log in." While this may be an expected occurrence during a large event, like, say, Pokémon GO Fest, the shutdown seemed quite random. Tuesdays are home to the game's Spotlight Hour, where one Pokémon is featured, often having a unique appearance or moveset. This week's Spotlight Hour Pokémon is Turtwig, a Grass-type Pokémon who first made its appearance in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Players were eager to obtain a special Turtwig with a hat in the hopes of transferring it to Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, but anyone trying to catch one now is out of luck.

As of this writing, there has been no word from the game's official Twitter account. However, the game's developer, Niantic, issued the following tweet in acknowledgment of the game's shutdown:

There's no telling when the game's servers will be up again, or whether Spotlight Hour players will be able to catch the Turtwigs that were promised to them during today's Spotlight Hour. Niantic generally compensates players who have been inconvenienced by shutdowns or server issues, so it's safe to assume that anyone who missed out on content will be able to access it again later.