Niantic has finally followed through with its promise to address fan backlash on Pokemon Go. After the community-driven boycott known as “Pokemon No Day,” Niantic came forth with a response, promising to make changes that satisfy their audience's concerns.
What did Niantic respond with?
The update comes in the form of a tweet nearly three weeks after Niantic’s original response.
“Trainers - we’re looking forward to sharing our plans as a result of the task force on September 1, but one thing does not have to wait! From now on, 80 meters will be the base interaction radius for PokéStops and Gyms globally.”
The statement addresses the main argument of Pokemon Go fans in the original “Pokemon No” boycott: maintaining the changes to the game’s radiuses that were made in response to COVID-19. The community argued that these changes help preserve the safety of Pokemon Go players, especially with the emergence of the dangerous Delta variant of COVID-19.
Niantic increased the interaction distance to 80 meters, doubling the normal 40 meters, in an effort to help its audience play the game while responsibly participating in social distancing. Instead of the original plan to revert them, Niantic has confirmed that the changes are here to stay.
These changes seem to satisfy the “Pokemon No” portion of its audience. Fans were asking to be able to play the game without traversing through inclement weather, environmental hazards, and private properties. They also asked for the game to be more accessible to trainers with disabilities.
By keeping the interaction distance at 80 meters, Niantic is actively addressing these concerns, and the community response seems to be highly positive. Fans and creators alike have taken to Reddit to rejoice and announce their return to the game following the welcoming news.
Are those all the changes?
Niantic claims to have an “internal cross-functional task force” developing proposals to address these specific community concerns. Regardless, it seems that Niantic is adamant about preserving its vision for Pokemon Go, which is to encourage outdoor exploration and exercise. This, according to Niantic, is all being done as the company continues to "monitor health and safety guidance related to outdoor activities."
The findings of the internal task force are to be reported publicly on the day of the game's next in-game season change, September 1st. While the main concern of fans has been addressed, the upcoming findings will further address the original backlash.
In the final tweet of their Twitter update, Niantic thanks their audience and promises to bring more changes.
“Thank you to everyone who made your voices heard. We’ve heard you and understand that this has been a welcome benefit to many players. We’ll share more next week.”
Until the findings of Niantic's task force are reported next week, stay tuned to TechRaptor for more Pokemon Go news and information.
