Niantic, the development team behind Pokemon Go, has had a difficult 2023 following the announcement they would be capping the number of Remote Raids players could do per day. A new test seems to be aiming to fix Raid access, but players want the removal of the nerf, not a break from it.
Remote Raid Passes were a way for Pokemon Go players to participate in Raids from a distance, and they were introduced during the COVID-19 epidemic. With more people going outside, Niantic tried to remove Remote Raid Passes by placing a cap on them as a way of encouraging players to go outside and exercise more. This proved to be a costly initiative, with many players bowing out from playing the game. However, Niantic has yet to truly address the issue.
Pokemon Go Fans Aren’t Happy With “Double”
Niantic announced on its Niantic Support Twitter page that all five January Raid Hours in select locations would have the chance to participate in double the number of Raid Battles per Pokemon Go gym. The exact locations have not been shared, but players in these locations should expect an upswing in Remote Raid Pass participation.
Trainers, this month we will test doubling the number of Raid Battles per Gym during all five January Raid Hours in select locations globally.
— Niantic Support (@NianticHelp) January 2, 2024
Many Pokemon Go players responded unkindly to this announcement. Although this might seem like a shift in the right direction, Pokemon Go players are not interested in this halfway point. They want Niantic to return to how things were before the Remote Raid Pass changes took place in April 2023, removing the cap and the price increase for the items.
Based on Niantic’s history, the company has done what it believes is in the best interest of the players and community of their mobile games. This doesn’t always align with what players post about, with the team citing hard data as the motivator behind many of their choices, such as cutting Pokemon Go Community Days in half and backing down to their original three-hour interval.
It’s a new year, and 2024 could be where Niantic takes a positive step forward, showing they’ve listened to their community and are eager to change things up. Doing so could be the difference between a thriving playerbase and a dying mobile app. The changes to Remote Raid Passes would be enormous strides for Niantic to repair a large cut they’ve made with their community.