Pokémon GO: Niantic removes bonuses and wants you to move more again

Pokémon GO: Niantic removes bonuses and wants you to move more again

Pokémon GO

Niantic has unveiled a roadmap on how the team will deal with the bonuses introduced in Pokémon GO due to the pandemic over the next few weeks. Soon, coaches will have to forego many of these advantages and step outside the door again.

The makers will gradually bring the changes to several countries. New Zealand and the US will begin at the end of July. Niantic has not yet revealed exactly when players will be in Europe. Even if some of the pandemic bonuses will disappear completely from the mobile title, the team would like to keep a selection of the features introduced at the time and adapt them accordingly.

What will change with Pokémon Go?

One of the most notable changes is the return to the PokéStops and Arenas interaction circle, as was the case before the pandemic. As soon as the update starts with us, trainers have to move much closer to the relevant locations again. The daily gifts of your companion Pokémon and the effectiveness of standing smoke will also be reduced.

Pokémon Go: What remains?

Some pandemic bonuses will still remain in Pokémon GO. For example, the smoke item will remain active for 60 minutes in the future. Trainers can also open and collect more gifts every day. The PvP mode of the Go Battle League will still forego proximity to other players in your area. And the bonus for the first catch of the day is still there. The remote raids started by the pandemic also remain - Niantic wants to find the right balance here in the future. The return of the EX Raids, which are only possible by invitation, is also planned.

Source: Niantic



‘Pokémon GO’ Announces Which Pandemic Bonuses It’s Keeping And Removing

Pokemon GO

Niantic

Pokémon GO players are not terribly amused with Niantic’s plan to revert a lot of the pandemic-era bonuses that took effect over the past year in an effort to alter how the mainly outdoor, social game was played, due to safety concerns.


While the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over in many regions, Niantic has announced they are reverting some of the bonuses, while keeping some, and adding new “exploration” bonuses, encouraging outdoor engagement. All of these changes are first being tested in the US and New Zealand.


So, what exact is leaving, staying or coming?


Leaving Bonuses:

  • Increased incense effectiveness is being reverted to the standard level when you’re stationary, but will increase when you’re moving.
  • Gifts received from Buddy Pokémon because players couldn’t get out to PokeStops are being decreased in frequency.
  • PokeStop and Gym interaction distances that were greatly increased are being reverted back to the standard distance, but may increase again during special events.

    • Staying Bonuses:

  • Incense will still last 60 minutes.
  • No more walking requirement for GO Battle League.
  • You can challenge any trainer remotely with QR code if they are Good Friends or above.
  • Gift max in the item bag is still 20.
  • Trainers can still open up to 30 gifts a day.
  • 3x Stardust and XP for the first catch of the day is remaining.

    • New Exploration Bonuses:

  • You can get up to two free raid passes per day from spinning Gyms.
  • Increased incense effectiveness while walking (previously mentioned).
  • Guaranteed gifts from spinning PokeStops so long as you’re not at your max gift inventory.
  • 10x bonus XP from spinning a PokeStop from the first time a day.

    • These new bonuses will be live until September 1, 2021. After that, some may stay, but there will be new bonuses as time goes on. New Zealand and the US appear to be chosen due to higher vaccination rates and lower cases than other countries, and Niantic says that more regions will be added depending on when it’s safe to do so. Though many players are arguing encouraging outdoor engagement is still not fully safe in the US especially, and changes like reducing interaction distances serve no real purpose.


    It’s a tough situation because Pokémon GO is obviously centered on being outdoors and interacting with others, but it’s hard to know when it’s okay to go back to normal, or start down that path. This isn’t really a revenue issue, because GO actually had a record year during the pandemic in terms of raking in cash from at-home players, but it’s a messy issue that may be tough to navigate during this in-between phase. We’ll have to see how it goes, and how the community continues to respond.


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