Well, Trainers, they did it again. Niantic made a decision that so clearly goes against what the community wants, but this time is different. This change is so bad that it could be the straw that breaks the Camerupt’s back, and Pokemon GO will not be the same if the changes are not reversed.
Bad changes are nothing new at this point. Niantic has implemented updates that make the game worse on multiple occasions and they do not seem to be learning from the community. Of course, we will talk about the new changes to the Remote Raid Passes here, but it is also important to dive into where it all went wrong and why Niantic seems so disconnected from the players in Pokemon GO.
What is the Straw That Broke the Camerupt’s Back?
The final straw seems to be the changes to Remote Raid Passes. At the moment, passes cost 100 PokeCoins each, or 300 for three passes. Bundles used to be 250 PokeCoins for three passes, however, that change was already made. Starting on April 6, Niantic wants to raise the price of a single Remote Raid Pass to 195 PokeCoins. This will amount to about $2 per pass, and while it does not seem like much, the price is almost doubled.
On top of the price change, players will only be able to hold three passes at a time unless they happen to buy a three-pass bundle with two left in their inventory. If you happen to earn a Remote Raid Pass in the Research Breakthrough, which is a new addition, it will change to a Battle Pass if you do not have space. Pair this with the new limit to five remote raids per day and you have a recipe for disaster.
Pokemon GO has had a massive remote community for years now and a massive chunk of the player base relies on that. In a perfect world, there are Trainers walking to raids at all times of the day in packs of ten. There is never any shortage of players, and we should all just walk to the raids we want. We all know that is not reality though. Even in cities, you need some coordination and dedicated communities to pull off consistent raids. That brings us to why remote play is so important.
When did Remote Play Become Integral to Pokemon GO?
When the Covid Pandemic started, most players could not play like they used to for obvious reasons. To help Trainers continue playing, Niantic implemented plenty of remote mechanics. The Pokemon GO Battle League used to be in-person only but remains remote to this day. Remote Raid Passes were given so players could battle with their friends from anywhere. And even PokeStops had their range increased. All of these changes were fantastic, and they lead to a renaissance of sorts in the game.
Not only did this allow players to team up with friends from far away, but it also allowed players who are not in cities to participate if they were willing to pay a few extra dollars. Remote passes are integral to the way much of the community plays now, and there really is not an alternative in most cases.
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Aside from a new Pokemon making a debut in Raids, it will be nearly impossible to complete a five-star raid in person. Mix that reality with the price hike to Remote Raid Passes, and you are likely to see a mass exodus or a boycott of the game. Boycotts have worked in the past to revert changes to the Poke Stop distances, which brings us to why Niantic seems to be doing this.
Why is Niantic so Disconnected from Pokemon GO?
After the resurgence of players during the pandemic in 2020, Niantic had a fantastic streak of mechanics and events. Then, they slowly started to throw the game off a cliff. It is not just the change to Remote Raid Passes and the Poke Stops. They have also decreased rewards from gifts, cut the hours of the Community Days in half, nerfed Incense Lures, cut content from overall events, and implemented far more $5 tickets to the game. Even comparing the Kanto Tour to the Hoenn tour is night and day. The latest tour event was the worst one yet and still somehow the most expensive. Trainers are getting less for more.
We know that earnings have been falling down for Niantic in Pokemon GO, but that is not the whole story. What they really want is for players to play the game outside. This is another reason that the best events have become localized to specific areas like the Las Vegas event for the Hoenn Tour. Niantic wants players to play the game like we are back in 2019, where remote play wasn’t really an option.
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You cannot close Pandora’s Box once it has been opened though. They have garnered a community of players that rely on remote changes, and even the veterans rely on the mechanics at this point as well. Rather than keeping the remote features and rewarding in-person players though, Niantic has simply chosen to punish remote players. This seems like a philosophical choice rather than a monetary one and it will kill the game.
Pokemon GO Fainted!
It is clear that the game is on its last legs in terms of overall content and how much revenue is being generated as well. There is certainly some time left within Pokemon GO, but it will not be the game that players remember from a couple of years ago, regardless of what changes.
This final straw can be reversed still. If Trainers put up enough resistance, then Niantic may revert the Remote Raid Pass changes as they did with the Poke Stops. With less content that demands far more monetary investment, the future of Pokemon GO is not looking bright anyway, and it will not be surprising to see another mobile game fall under.
And that is all. For more of the latest news, updates, and guides, head over to the dedicated Pokémon GO section of our site.
