Pokémon Go recovers its increased interaction distance

Niantic announced wednesday that he’s going back on at least one of his controversial gameplay changes to Pokémon Go. The company is constantly increasing the distance you can find yourself from and interacting with actual Pokéstops and Gyms. The new base limit is 80 meters (262 feet), the distance introduced by Niantic at the start of the pandemic.

Early August, Niantic reduced the in-game interaction distance to 40 meters (131 feet) in the United States and New Zealand, much to the disappointment of fans who had appreciated the additional accessibility and COVID security benefits. -19 offered by change. Now, Niantic promises to maintain the increased distance permanently, along with other changes he announces on September 1.

You can see all the details on Niantic’s changelog, but it’s worth calling out the other changes that persist in the United States for now. Incense – used to attract wild Pokémon – will be less effective unless you move around, as was the case before the pandemic started. Changes to the frequency of Buddy Pokémon gifts are also locked.

This move by Niantic is a positive sign of the company’s desire to adapt to the needs of its players. This may in part be due to the internal “task force” formed by Niantic to resolve player issues and the threat of a boycott. Niantic plans to “share the findings of this task force by the next game season change” on September 1. Until then, sticking to a longer interaction distance is a good first step.