Pokémon GO has changed quite a bit during the Corona period. Now Niantic revealed to us which adjustments are intended to remain longer or even permanently after the crisis.
This has now been revealed: In a press briefing, which also introduced the GO Fest 2020, there were insights into the decision regarding the Corona adjustments.
It was said that there is internal discussion about which adjustments can remain permanently in the game. One of the adjustments is definitely set to remain, and another will definitely be extended.
PokéStop Range and More Gifts
Who spoke about this? Numerous employees from Niantic attended the press briefing. Among them was CEO John Hanke. However, it was Matt Slemon, Senior Product Manager of Pokémon GO, who spoke about the Corona adjustments.
This is what was said about the PokéStop radius: Niantic was not entirely clear on this point. Slemon stated: “The distance at which trainers can interact with gyms and PokéStops has been increased. So if you go for a walk, you can safely visit these places. As we continue to live in a social distance world, we plan to maintain this feature for an unpredictable future to keep playing safely outdoors.”
It seems that this feature will also remain in the future. However, whether it will remain permanently in the game is not entirely clear. During the Corona period, you can still rely on it.
This is what was said about the gift limit: Slemon was quite clear on this. He stated: “Some of the adjustments will also remain permanently in the game. One example of this is the increased space for carrying gifts, allowing trainers to receive and send more gifts.”
You will be able to carry 20 gifts in the future and open 30 gifts per day. This has been a wish that has come up often, as the gift limit has been expanded several times during past events but was reduced again after the event ended. Now it seems to be permanently increased.
What about the other adjustments? Discussions are still ongoing on this. The developers want to find a way for Pokémon GO to continue to adhere to its original values while still retaining some features.
Regarding the PvP League, Slemon mentioned that they would bring back the kilometer restrictions, but they still want to make adjustments. You will have to walk a certain number of kilometers again to participate in battle sets in the league. However, it should not be as it was at the beginning of the league.
Why is this so important? Pokémon GO has changed a lot during the Corona period. If suddenly all these adjustments are removed, it could be very exhausting for many players.
If some adjustments are retained, then the transition back to the “normal” game should be significantly easier.
