With the news of remote raids having two major changes, both in price, and a new limit to the amount that can be done, feelings and tensions are high within the community. As GOHub, our writers play the game in a huge amount of different ways, from PvP, to raid grinders, to AR photographers, to shiny hunters and more. We wanted to offer our individual opinions on this change in a constructive way, and we are curious to hear your own thoughts too.
JRE has already published an article detailing their thoughts, but more of us writers wanted to share our own feeling, so we have compiled them together here. We know this is potentially a divisive issue, and that some players will feel incredibly strongly about this, so we’d also like to add that whilst we strongly believe in giving feedback to Niantic, and we will be giving them our feedback, and yours, directly, please be gentle on social media to the personal accounts of those who work for Niantic.
Avrip
I’m saddened by this change. Not only is it separating communities around the globe, It’s also discouraging new players from ever beginning their journey with the game. Company goals should never be at the expense of their own player base. While their intention may be to slowly bring back in-person raiding, this is not the way to do it. Their should simply be more rewards and incentives for those that raid in person rather than completely excluding those that wish to remote raid. Along with this, players that are impacted by disabilities will suffer even further from this change which is a complete lack of respect.
Kittypokemonsalot
There are a couple of things to know about me before I offer my opinion on this particular issue. I live semi-rurally (ie in a village with some POI, but without other players nearby, so travel to play the game in-person), and I am chronically ill, I have two chronic pain conditions that impact my day to day life. How I currently play the game is that most of my raiding is remote.
It isn’t possible for me to do tier 5 raids in my local area, because there simply doesn’t seem to be anyone else to play with. I’m not a huge grinder of raids, because I don’t want to put that sort of money into the game, as such Master League isn’t accessible to me, and I don’t have any level 50 legendary Pokémon.
The only time I raid a lot is when a new shiny is released, because I am a shiny collector, I do want those shiny legendary Pokémon. When there are returning legendary Pokémon I tend not to raid them much, other than to get one or two with a new move. I am not a hardcore raider, other than on raid days, which I typically try to do in person, but then usually end up on relying on those who join remotely to help the small group I have in person to actually beat the raids.
So, with that being said, my opinion probably isn’t what most people expect. I am disappointed that this is a double whammy of nerfs, not only has the cost almost doubled for a remote raid pass, and the introduction of a new limit to 5 remote raids a day. I think that if just one of these two changes had been introduced, the backlash would have been less. This double impact of a huge price increase during a time when many folks are struggling, combined with a massive nerf to the amount of raids you can do hits hard. I am someone who typically doesn’t do their own raid hour because people aren’t interested in going out and doing it, so I often join in on the Japanese raid hour remotely as I know I will get invites from the amazing Japanese community if I am showing online. When I am grinding for a new shiny it is remotely, because I simply don’t have the time to go out in person as someone with a full time job, with a family and a life and health problems, it isn’t realistic for me to travel to a nearby town each day to try to raid. I am of the opinion that Pokémon GO should fit in with my life, not that my life should have to fit around Pokémon GO.
That being said… my first instinct with this change was one of sadness, but ultimately, is one of something more like acceptance. I’ve made amazing friends because of global remote raids, and really enjoy being able to raid with folks around the world. However, realistically, this isn’t going to impact upon my game play a tremendous amount because as a semi-rural player, I already didn’t raid huge amounts. I am unlikely to get shiny legendary Pokémon now, but outside of that, my day to day gameplay isn’t going to really change.
I understand Niantic’s view for the game, that people are outside with their friends exercising and socialising, and I love that idea in practice, but I think reality and their view for the game are two different things. Extreme temperatures in both winter and summer impact on how people play this game and how safe it is for people to go outside. Rural and semi-rural players have been shouting for years about the uneven playground that is Pokémon GO. And disabled players have always felt completely neglected, until the pandemic forced changes that meant we felt included for the first time.
The reality is the average player isn’t doing huge amounts of raids per week, so while the reaction to this is one of upset, when I looked at my own gameplay I began to realise that really, it wasn’t going to have the biggest impact on me, because I already struggle to raid as a semi-rural player. Master League already isn’t accessible to me with the rise of XL Candy, it will just become more inaccessible now. Those wishing to compete in all leagues in PvP simply can’t because of XL Candy and the level 50 cap for Master League. I am already left out because I don’t live in a city, I am not top of Niantic’s priority list, and the game has always been easier for other players. So I feel a little… resigned at this point.
I think the biggest potential impact for me will come with raid days. Elite Raids showed me that my nearby communities could turn out in force, in person, when they had to, and I will be curious to see how people react when a new raid day is announced. Will I finally get back to route planning and organising meet ups? Or will I be stuck unable to do them at all with people not wanting to join remotely? Only time can really tell. I’ve struggled to get other players to partake in person on raids days, but maybe this change will bring people back out with me, I can hope!
One of my major concerns is that this will push players who feel they have no other choice into either spoofing, or creating multiple accounts in order to be able to defeat tier 5 raid bosses. Another of my major disappointments with this announcement is that despite telling us we would be given longer notice of any major changes to the game, and with this we were given a week. This doesn’t fit with the better communication we have been promised in the past.
My gut reaction was one of despair, but after sleeping on it, I can acknowledge that the impact to my personal gameplay isn’t as dramatic as I initially felt. I realised that as someone chronically ill, as someone semi-rural, a lot of things have already happened with little regard for players like myself, and those who are in trickier situations. I feel greatly for other rural players, as there are many much more rural than myself, and disabled players, who are once again left feeling like they aren’t wanted as part of the community. The price increase almost feels like a tax on those players who have no other choice but than to raid remotely. Over the years I’ve spoken a lot about accessibility in this game, and responses are often very varied when I mention disabled players. We often get told to just ‘play a different Pokémon game then’, but we don’t want to, we want to play this game, and it is ableist to suggest that disabled players don’t deserve to be able to play this game.
The loudest voices on social media don’t always reflect the average player, and on a personal level, I implore players to be kind to one another, and to respect that there will be differences of opinion with these changes. We can be disappointed in these changes, whilst also understanding that remote raiding has had a huge impact on the community and the game at large. Niantic see this as an in person game, while the community at large see parts of it like that. I would simply prefer to see more carrot, and less stick being used to encourage us to play in person, rather than punishing those who raid remotely.
We are at an interesting impasse with the game and it seems that most players want the same thing, a mixture of in person and remote options. Most people will play Community Day, GO Fest, raid days etc with their local communities in person, but simply don’t have the time for raid hour each week so play it remotely, why can’t we have both? Most of us would agree our best memories are in person with our friends and families, but it isn’t practical to think we can do that daily, or even weekly. Community Day works because it is once a month, the big global events work because they happen a handful of times a year and can be planned for in advance.
The double whammy of both a price increase and a limit on daily raids makes this feel extra harsh, especially when we see it credited to the success of Elite Raids. While yet, people did turn out in great numbers for Elite Raids, we can’t exactly say Elite Raids were a success. APAC regions were hit particularly hard, with their makeup event after initial failures, requiring another makeup event. In person events need to run smoothly, and that would encourage people to actually go out and play them.
I’d love to see us reach a point where Niantic realise that a global community is just as important as a local community, and where it feels like they are truly considering the impact on not just the ‘average’ player, but those who have it hardest in this game: disabled players, and rural players.
EpicBookworm
Like most people, I’m not too happy to see this change. When raids first came out, I lived in the inner suburbs and quickly found an awesome community to raid with. I spent so many evenings after work hanging with them while getting the latest legendary. While I get that Niantic is hoping to drive people back into those admittedly great in-person raid experiences, I now live on the outer suburban fringe of my city. A significant portion of the Pokéstops have been nominated by me, there’s very little gym turnover, and I estimate there’s maybe three other players in my immediate area, plus some others who drive through occasionally.
I do work in the city during the week, so at a pinch I can raid on my lunch break, but if I worked local to my home I would be basically stuffed as far as raids go. The core goal of Pokémon games is gotta catch ‘em all – it feels wrong that they’re actively locking players out from pursuing it. On the other hand, there have been situations, such as the Corsola raids for Johto Tour, where remote raids have been obviously exploitative. The pressure to keep raiding because it was easy, and it was just a little more money each time, was immense, and I feel that to a lesser extent every time a new legendary shiny comes out, and it’s clear to see other players in my online community feel that pressure too.
So while I think Niantic hasn’t got the balance right with this change, there is a strange relief in knowing that there will be a limit to how much I can remote raid. And as much as it pains me to say it, Niantic was right to say remote raiding has come to dominate the game. This is not to diminish online communities- I’m a part of several great ones and I know there are many others out there – but it’s true that we just don’t go out and play like we used to.
And while I think some of that is simply the player base getting older, some of it is because remote raids make it easy to stay home. I think a balance does need to be struck between remote and in-person play… but I don’t think what Niantic’s announced will achieve that. There has to be some accounting for rural players, players with disabilities, and just individual life circumstances.
Spindiana
The main reason I raid remotely over in-person is convenience. I can raid outside of the times when raids are available when I don’t have time during the day. I can help my friends beat a raid boss wherever and whenever they are and likewise they can help me. When a raid boss is something I want to raid I’m willing to pay a fair price to grind out the XL or for the perfect IV or for the shiny up to 10-15 times a day if I wanted to. The announced changes in remote raiding means I can no longer play the game in the way that suits me. I understand Niantic own the licence and it is theirs to do with as they wish and that Pokémon GO is one of many other diversions available.
I can adapt to their changes and do my best to continue to play the game around the model they are attempting to go back to. I am not in a rural area and am (reasonably) able-bodied and have access to a vehicle. Many are not as lucky as I am and this will disproportionately change what is available to those players. Whilst the changes are sudden and not necessarily in my favour and I was initially disappointed and saddened, in the longer run I will be grateful for Niantic pushing me back towards engaging with my local communities and limiting my expenditure in time and money so I can focus elsewhere.
Thepokegohunter
I’m honestly a bit lost for words. I am speechless. This decision baffles me, it makes no sense for either party, neither the community or Niantic. Rural players, disabled players, and just generally the whole player base who raid together. The communities, the Discord servers, Raid apps and everything else constructed around raid help and hosting.
I think the 5 raids per day by itself would’ve been okay, but increasing the prices up to 2x of what they were previously is unacceptable. As a content creator, it does make it harder to find motivation but I’m not extremely concerned.
One key suggestion would be the increase PokeCoin limits from gyms or make them available through daily tasks. Currently it would take 4 days to buy one pass, 11 to buy a bundle. Making PokeCoins more available would make this decision somewhat better.
Meteorash15 and babygengar
So both babygengar and I (meteorash15) live together, and despite our schedule we always make it a point to do raids for the new boss/new shiny/or collect XL (I love Master League so XLs are important to me). Remote raids made this possible and we always did numerous raids starting from Day 1. The low cost also helped us stack up on passes. But now, it seems so unfair and we feel dejected. Remote raids made the game so much enjoyable and build friendships. I don’t know how feasible this will be anymore
The lower cost was a huge factor but the nerf seems to hit hard even though we used to willing spend money on passes.
