Pokémon Go Fans are causing a stir in the pot of the video game world through the only way many know how: a petition. They’re uniting because of a recent announcement from Niantic, one that changes the flow of the game completely. Ever since 2020, Niantic has allowed for Remote Raid Passes to make life easier for those who enjoy playing Pokémon Go. However, the item that makes raids far easier to participate in is now being strictly metered, both through a paywall and through natural gameplay. Since the announcement of the game’s changes just a few days ago, fans have been in an uproar about what they can do to stop this change from happening, if they can.
Becoming a huge hit in 2016, Pokémon Go swept thousands of players into a new version of what some would consider PokeMania. Not quite the same as in the 90s, sure, but the fact that Pokémon Go could enamor so many people in such a short amount of time was an incredible feat. It placed the game with surefire endurance on the map, giving even those who aren’t fans of the monster collecting game something to do. Hardcore fans and newcomers both could get into the game, even as time passed leading right into the 2020s. The game has evolved over the years, offering new advantages to consistent players, one of them being Remote Raid Passes. The usefulness of the Remote Raid Passes is exactly what began the Pokemon Go Petition in the first place.
What Are Pokémon Go Fans So Upset About?
Normally you’d have to get close to a Raid site in order to do one with your friends. With Remote Raid Passes, the distance between you and the site became irrelevant. However, Niantic is taking a step back and retracting its decision, saying that the Remote Raid Passes provide a loophole that fans were never meant to take on a permanent basis. Now they hide the Remote Raid Passes behind both a paywall and a substantial in-game grind pattern.
We are supporting the community once again with #HearUsNiantic. The recent raid changes announced by @NianticLabs for @Pokemon GO are nothing short of disastrous for the future of the game and the community.
Please read our letter and see https://t.co/d3ysHNQtPI.
Thank you. pic.twitter.com/wPTZW8oAjS
— PokeMiners (@poke_miners) April 4, 2023
Fans did not take this well. So far, not only have fans organized a letter to Niantic but have also created a petition against the issue. So far, over 50,000 people have signed it, and that number is still rising as time progresses.