Pokémon GO developer Niantic has plans to encourage players to catch Pokémon out in the real world amid the easing of restrictions in some parts of the world.
The developer recently announced that some changes that were implemented during the pandemic will be rolled back as a means of enticing players to enjoy the game as it was meant to be.
In a blog post, the company said that the game has changed a lot in 15 months since the pandemic began, and they’ve made suitable changes to make it enjoyable even when people are staying at home. True enough, Pokémon GO was quite successful during that time.
What the Company Has in Store for You
At the end of July, players will receive up to two free Raid Passes per day from spinning Gym Photo Discs.
Incense effectiveness was changed last year so players can still attract Pokémon while stationary. This is going to change soon where its effectiveness will increase only when you are moving.
Players can also benefit from spinning PokéStops with guaranteed gifts, as long as they have not reached their maximum gift inventory yet.
In addition, players will receive 10x bonus XP from spinning a PokéStop for the first time. It is unclear if this means that you get a bonus XP the first time you spin a PokéStop every day until it ends in September, but one can assume this to be the case.
The above-mentioned bonuses are set to end alongside the Season of Discovery on September 1. However, the developer may leave some of these bonuses past that date, and you can expect new ones to become available as well.
It is also worth noting that all of these changes will roll out in the US and New Zealand first as these countries have started to ease up on restrictions. The company intends to implement these changes globally after continuous monitoring.
There are some “pandemic bonuses” intended to be kept in the game for the foreseeable future. These are:
- Incense duration will still remain at 60 minutes
- The “No Walking” requirement for GO Battle League
- The requirement to battle with friends remotely has been lowered to “Good Friends.” In addition, you can issue challenges with any trainer remotely by using QR codes
- You can still hold up to 20 gifts in your Item Bag
- Trainers can open up to 30 Gifts per day, which was increased from 20
- Trainers will continue to receive three times the XP and Stardust for their first catch of the day
So, what do you think about the company’s current roadmap for Pokémon GO? Are you going to go out there and catch Pokémon in the real world?
