Some fans of Niantic’s popular mobile gamePokemon GOare crying foul as the developer announces major changes coming to the game’s Remote Raid functionality next month. The augmented reality game based around the collectible creatures recently launched thePokemon GOLet’s Go event, which lets gives players the chance to capture some Pokemon that were previously region locked.First launched in 2016,Pokemon GOlets players use their mobile phones and a GPS signal to capture Pokemon and do battle in the real world. An evolution of some of the gameplay mechanics first introduced in developer Niantic’s cult classic AR gameIngress,Pokemon GObecame a hit with players worldwide despite suffering from some technical hiccups at launch. As people began to stay indoors during the height of the global pandemic Niantic responded by making some changes to the typically social location-based game, including the ability for players to take part inraids inPokemon GOremotely.RELATED:Pokemon GO Fans Are Confused by New Personalized BoxesWhile many players had grown to love the ability to take part in Remote Raids inPokemon GO, developer Niantic is now making changes to the feature in order to encourage players to get back to playing the game outdoors. In an announcement posted to Twitter by thePokemon GOteam, it was revealed that the price of Remote Raid Passes is increasing across the board and players will now be limited to a maximum of five Remote Raids per day. The team is also incentivizing players to take on raids in person by increasing the amount of Candy XL received from the encounter. Combined with leaks indicating newraid battle features coming toPokemon GO, Niantic clearly wants players to step outdoors with phone in hand once again.
Niantic justified the changes by claiming that the passes had begun to “dominate the experience of playingPokemon GOin a way we never intended,” and stated that they were “necessary for the long-term health of the game.” ManyPokemon GOplayers responding to the announcement on Twitter had a drastically different on that last point, voicing their displeasure in the replies. Pointing out how the changes could have unintended consequences for somePokemon GOfans, several responses noted that limiting Remote Raids would have a disproportionately negative impact on disabled and mobility-challenged players. Another response chided the development team for having a “weird purist philosophy that doesn’t match the real world your game is in.”
With Niantic preparing to launchthePokemon GOSpring Into Spring eventearly next month, the developer now must try to build excitement for its seasonal promotion even as it contends with backlash from some long-time players. Niantic has made it clear that it wants players to once again step out into the world to playPokemon GO, but these controversial changes may have some gamers walking away from the game altogether.
Pokemon GOis available now on Android and iOS.
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