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The day coaches around the world dreaded has finally arrived. Niantic has decided to follow through on its initial decision to reverse pandemic incentives that originally included an increase in the distance required to spin a PokéStop / Gym.
This change allowed trainers to retrieve items from stops while maintaining a safe distance from others. It was a quality of life update that everyone enjoyed. Removing this bonus dramatically affects the quality of the game. With this latest change, the range has been reduced by 80 meters to 40 meters.
Trainers have expressed their frustrations on social media proclaiming that the timing for this decision is not appropriate given that we are still in the midst of a pandemic. This is the reason why “NianticIs currently all the rage on Twitter. There have been countless comments towards Niantic on social media and even petitions that have had thousands of signatures pleading that they reconsider this decision.
Those who live in America and New Zealand have already been impacted by this change. In-game radius reduction has already been brought back to “normal,” which has drastically changed how people view the game.
This may not come as a surprise, but players in those regions as well as the rest of the player base are outraged by this return, not only because it impacts the game, but also for the safety of our country. community. The Delta variant causes many states in the United States of overwhelming hospitals and rising COVID rates.
Some places in the world like the UK got a 30 additional days bonus which is just about a countdown to the inevitable as some players see it.
Advantages of interaction distances
1. Not having to cross the street to enter certain PokéStops and Gyms.
2. Be able to interact with PokéStops / Gyms from safer locations.
3. Being able to search more discreetly from further away to avoid possible harassment from others.
4. Being able to continue walking at a steady pace rather than having to suddenly stop, slow down, or change the walking route in order to get items.
5. Being able to mitigate drift issues and not move erratically to get within range of a PokéStop or Gym.
This decision has prevented many players from playing Pokémon GO safely, and therefore not playing at all. This not only hurts the player base but also Niantic from a business standpoint as they rely on their players to earn passive income. Fewer players, less income for Niantic, which is why this decision doesn’t make a lot of sense to a lot of people.
The results
Despite the negative reaction from players on social media, what does this mean for the future of Pokémon GO? Players living in these affected areas are going to have to learn to adapt to these changes. With the majority of the player base, unfortunately, people with walking issues or disabilities are going to be severely affected by this change as it means that some PokéStops that were previously accessible may no longer be available.
Speculation and theories
The Pokémon GO community thinks this change was unnecessary, mainly because it doesn’t hurt Niantic at all by retaining these perks and only removes the quality of life aspect.
The real reason for this change has not been confirmed, but players have speculated it was because of Niantic’s sponsors. Originally, Sponsored Stops were a way to get customers into a business, with the increased range time players could spin Stops / Gyms without entering / near a certain building or business, thus losing client.
On the one hand, that could have been a factor in their decision, but on the other hand, it doesn’t make much sense because in New Zealand sponsored stops were not available in the first place.
Community survey
We published a survey in our Pokémon GO Hub Discord asking if these changes to the special bonuses will make a difference to their gaming experience. The results have been conclusive that this will indeed cause a large number of players to play the game less compared to to those who will continue to play the game normally.
Farewell words
While those days can be dark in Pokémon GO, we as a community can stick together and continue to express our opinions. We hope that with the help of this article and your combined efforts, something can be done about this change.
We would love to hear from you. Will you continue your Pokémon GO adventure despite these changes?
Until next time, stay safe and never forget to put your health and safety first.
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