On March 30, 2023, Niantic proposed to scale back remote raiding in Pokemon GO. It intends to do so by increasing the price of Remote Raid Passes and imposing a limit on how many remote raids can be performed per day. As expected, this has caused substantial outcry from fans, particularly those who can't participate in in-person raids for a myriad of reasons.
In addition to fans starting a petition to demand that Niantic reconsider its remote raid changes, the hashtag #HearUsNiantic has begun circulating on Twitter and other social media sites asking the company to hear the Pokemon GO community out.
The mobile title's proposed raiding changes will go live on April 6, 2023, but trainers have already begun initiating a boycott in an attempt to influence Niantic's decision.
At the time of writing, the petition on Change.org has accrued over 60,000 signatures. Many Pokemon GO players have even remarked that they're no longer playing the game or are selling their accounts online.
Remote raiding was a major fixture in Pokemon GO during the COVID-19 pandemic when players were expected to observe social distancing guidelines.
However, the gameplay feature remained overwhelmingly popular throughout 2022 and even in 2023, leading Niantic to state that it hadn't expected remote raids to be so popular. In response, the developer remarked in a news post that it would be making changes to prioritize in-person raids:
"Since their introduction in 2020, Remote Raid Passes have come to dominate the experience of playing Pokémon GO in a way we never intended. Rewarding Trainers with additional Candy XL and adding other new features are two of the ways we hope to further incentivize playing Pokémon GO in person with your friends, family, and community."
Fan outcry had already reached a fever pitch in late 2022, as Niantic introduced new Pokemon GO raids like Elite Raids, which couldn't be accessed remotely at all.
Players pointed to those who couldn't attend in-person raids due to their health, disabilities, local climate, or remote living situations. Fans have remarked that due to such factors, Niantic is only making enjoying the game difficult for trainers who require accessibility via remote raiding. Despite the controversy, the company appears to be maintaining its current course.
Prominent members of the Pokemon GO community, including datamining group PokeMiners and popular content creator Poke Daxi have joined forces with everyday players to demand change.
Combined with the ongoing Change.org petition, the community is hoping that Niantic will back away from its proposed remote raid changes. While the company has stated that it will keep Remote Raid Passes in the game, it wants to prioritize in-person raiding. This is because the developer believes it is the path to the game's long-term survival and keeps with the spirit of the community among players:
"We plan to keep Remote Raid Passes as part of Pokémon GO. However, we believe this change is necessary for the long-term health of the game, and we do not make it lightly."
It's something of a contradiction for Niantic to espouse bringing a community together when they're actively making changes that sever many players' connections to the game's larger fanbase.
The fact that several prominent community members have pointed out that the remote raid changes are a problem represents a metastasizing of the backlash Niantic has previously experienced.
Instead of penalizing fans who can only raid remotely, the community has demanded that Niantic hear them out and make changes that benefit in-person raiders while leaving remote fans alone.
Despite the massive amount of support for remote raiding in the Pokemon GO community, it remains to be seen if Niantic has truly heard the criticisms leveled at it. The developer has shrugged off plenty of pushback in the past, and it's possible that it'll press on with its remote raid changes regardless of its core community asking otherwise.
However, if the boycott continues, players stop participating in in-person raids, and the bottom line of Niantic is affected, positive change may very well still be possible.
Pokemon GO fans unfortunately don't have much leverage in the grand scheme of things. However, the unity between prominent voices and everyday players may be enough to force Niantic to change its tune.
