The special benefits for remote raids in Pokémon GO are being removed. However, the on-site raiding should be improved. We will show you what changes for you now.
What has changed in raids: On the evening of May 19, developer Niantic announced changes for Pokémon GO. Some of these changes took effect immediately. For instance, purchasing a bundle of remote raid passes is now more expensive. Additionally, you will soon find no remote raid passes in the 1€ boxes.
Niantic wants to focus on social interaction and improve the raids that players experience on-site in groups.
Price of Remote Raids will change
This is different now: In the Pokémon GO shop, there has been the option for years to buy 3 remote raid passes for 250 coins. Since a remote raid pass costs 100 coins, this bundle was popular due to its discount. From now on, this bundle will cost 300 PokéCoins.
What will change: From May 23, there will no longer be remote raid passes in the weekly boxes for 1 PokéCoin. For years, you could secure one of these passes every Monday. A feature that Niantic also introduced because of the corona pandemic to make raiding from home easier for trainers. Instead, there will be a “changing selection of items” in the 1 PokéCoin boxes starting May 23.
Why Niantic is doing this and what else is changing
What Niantic says: In the latest blog post, the developers write that new features are being introduced “to facilitate interaction among Pokémon GO players”. Part of these new features will be available in a separate app. After extensive testing, they are expected to be integrated into Pokémon GO in the coming months. “These features should facilitate communication among trainers, enable searching for communities, and make on-site raid battles more rewarding.”
Niantic is aware that these types of community features are “urgently needed”.
The motivation behind this is clear: Niantic wants you to participate more in on-site raids and go outside. This was already evident, when they heavily nerfed the incense item. And even in the blog post, Niantic’s motivation shines through. They write, “Now we can’t wait to finally play together in person again.”
But they also want to do something for players who have no good access to gyms. New gyms will be approved more quickly in the future.
Why no raid passes in the 1-coin box anymore? The website Polygon asked Pokémon GO’s live game director, Michael Steranka, why they removed the passes from the 1-coin box. He explained:
Meeting other trainers is a crucial part of the Pokémon GO experience; it’s what sets Pokémon GO apart from other games. We are aware that newer trainers or veterans who have mostly raided from home in the last two years need to relearn or learn these skills and habits again. We are working on a range of social tools and features that will allow trainers to easily see where other trainers are playing and gathering and signal to others where they plan to hold a battle or raid.
Let’s say you’re traveling to a new city for a Community Day and want to meet up with trainers in the area. You’ll be able to do all of this at a glance once these tools are complete. I should also add that we place great importance on privacy protection – all of these features will be optional and customizable. So you can decide who you share what information with.
Michael Steranka to Polygon.com
What do you think of these changes? Do you think it’s okay that Niantic is adjusting the prices and removing the passes from the 1-coin boxes, as these were just corona bonuses anyway? Or would you have preferred if nothing changed for the remote raid passes while still rewarding trainers who visit a gym for raids? Let us know your opinion in the comments here on MeinMMO.
