Players are pissed off Pokémon Go canceled social distancing

One of the most popular changes inspired by the pandemic to Pokémon Go was the doubling of the distance at which players could interact with Gyms and Pokéstops, making these features easier to access without venturing into the wild. Yesterday, with Covid-19 transmission levels rise in the United States, Niantic reversed that change, forcing many to pledge not to gamble until it was reinstated.

Initially announced in June, yesterday’s cancellation of Pokémon GoThe dual distance adjustment of is no surprise. What’s surprising is how much developer Niantic seems to have listened to gamers, who have been making fuss about the proposed rollback for over a month now. Since Niantic announced in June that the changes would be rolled back in late July, starting with the United States and New Zealand, Pokémon Go gamers have taken to Reddit and Twitter to try to change Niantic’s mind. Now that these changes are live, players are even more upsetbecause it seems their voices are not being heard.

With the upsurge in Covid-19 cases and the growing threat from the Delta variant, many believe it’s too early to start encouraging gamers to step out into the world and start socializing again. A Change.org petition launched shortly after the announcement garnered more than 130,000 signatures from players who believe reversing distance changes does more harm than it helps. Others point to a developer update last november this suggested that the increased distance to interact with gyms and stops could be a permanent change.

Many also see the flashback as a blow to Pokémon Goaccessibility. Disabled players, such as Shadowbox22 repairman, were satisfied when the distance changes were initially implemented, as they were suddenly able to access stops that were otherwise out of their range of motion. Now those stops are out of reach again, severely affecting their ability to enjoy the game.

I’m in the same boat. When last year’s changes were implemented, I was suddenly able to access the gym and Pokéstop across from my apartment complex. I spend most of my time in a hospital bed at home, and suddenly being able to farm items from the stop across the street allowed me to catch Pokémon without having to to spend real money on Pokéballs and other supplies. Since the change went live, the gym and stopping are now out of reach. I cannot continue playing at this point.

the Pokémon Go Reddit is full of people complaining about the change. Players are complaining that they cannot access their usual gyms and stops from their homes, cafes, fitness centers, etc. And while there are players who support reversing distance changes (“This is called Pokémon Go, not Pokémon Stay”) Seem more to deplore the going back.

Kotaku has contacted Niantic regarding player reactions to the distance reduction, but has yet to hear back. So far, the best advice I can give to affected players comes straight from from the game’s Reddit. If you’re upset with this change and feel like Niantic hasn’t listened to their players, delete the game and stop playing. Maybe declining player numbers will work where the high voices haven’t.