In Pokémon GO there are further measures to combat the coronavirus. After facilitating playing from home, there are now fewer incentives to go outside.
What measures have been taken? Two new changes now affect Pokémon GO trainers. Future EX Raids have been banned. You will no longer receive invitations to such events.
Additionally, you no longer have to walk kilometers to participate in battles in the new PvP league.
Fewer incentives to go outside
Why is the ban on EX Raids? These special raids are a major gathering place for communities. It is only logical to want to avoid such gatherings.
However, regular raids are still available. Up to 20 players can battle together at the same time. It remains to be seen whether Niantic will cancel the raid hour this coming Wednesday. After all, many trainers often gather there at once.
Could there be problems? Pokémon GO has already announced Genesect as a new EX Raid boss. This will be available starting in April and will first be obtainable through a special research. It remains to be seen whether Niantic will be able to stick to this schedule. After all, it seems that the virus will still be a major issue in early April, as various federal states have canceled large events until Easter.
Is the PvP league worth more now? Until now, you had to at least go outside for a part of your PvP battles and collect kilometers. That is no longer the case. You can now complete up to 35 battles without having walked a single kilometer.
Currently, you can obtain Giratina from the PvP league. Additionally, the first season started last night and reset your statistics to zero again. If you are staying at home anyway, you can also start working on that and hopefully encounter a Shiny Giratina.
How long will this change last? The PvP league is now accessible for the next 30 days without required kilometers. What happens after that remains to be seen.
If you have no interest in online battling, you can still battle against your friends. Check out our Facebook group for plenty of new friends.
What other measures are there? Previously, Niantic had significantly facilitated playing from home worldwide. For example, the item incense now lasts for one hour and you get 30 of them for just one PokéCoin.
You can find all further measures from Niantic in the fight against the coronavirus in this article.
What is the state of the gaming world during the coronavirus crisis? Not only Pokémon GO is reacting to the coronavirus. Worldwide, there are news about various games that are suddenly particularly successful or even being given away:
- In Italy, Fortnite and Modern Warfare are particularly popular and are noticeably straining the network
- In China, a studio gave away a popular sex game for people currently in quarantine
- For the PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series X, the release at the end of the year could be in jeopardy due to the virus
