After Pokémon GO’s recent PokéStop and gym interaction distance controversy, developer Niantic has announced several changes for the popular game. The studio changed the PokéStop and gym interaction distance from 40 meters to 80 meters last year in response to the pandemic but brought the number back to 40 meters at the start of August. The move led to immense backlash from the community, including a one-day boycott of Pokémon GO.
In response, Niantic created a task force to find solutions for its player base’s concerns, which also included reaching out to community leaders to join the discussion. The studio then said that it would share its findings by the start of the game’s next season on September 1, 2021. However, the developer announced last week that before it would share its plans moving forward that it had reverted the PokéStop and gym interaction distance back to 80 meters.
Niantic published a new blog post on the Pokémon GO website revealing some of the changes that will be coming to the game. Firstly, the studio has officially confirmed that the PokéStop and gym interaction distance of 80 meters will now be permanent and standard around the world. According to Niantic, rather than reducing the interaction distance, it will find new ways to encourage and reward players who go out, explore, and exercise.
Secondly, the company is changing bonuses to be seasonal and global rather than region-based, which will be implemented during the just-launched Season of Mischief. So players can expect to more or less receive the same bonuses as everyone else around the world. Lastly, Niantic has announced several initiatives to improve its communication with the game’s player base, which includes a monthly developer diary starting in October, regular talks with community leaders around the world, and continued work on its Known Issues page for existing bugs in the game.
The changes to bonuses join the other updates that have been announced for the new Season of Mischief. The new season, which will run from September 1 to December 1, 2021, is starting off with the arrival of Hoopa, the aptly nicknamed Mischief Pokémon, which can be encountered through the season’s Special Research story starting on September 5, 2021. On the day that Hoopa is made available, Psychic, Ghost, and Dark-type Pokémon will also appear in the wild and be attracted to Incense at specific times throughout the day.
This latest announcement from Niantic looks like a great step forward for the game. While it’s understandable that Niantic would want to encourage its player base to get out into the real world, the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much ongoing. Regardless, the new global bonus system as well as the studio’s new communication initiatives will definitely help it connect better with its community moving forward.
Pokémon GO is currently available on both iOS and Android devices.
Source: Niantic, Pokémon GO/Twitter