Pokemon Go players have launched a petition to stop the upcoming changes announced by Niantic. The campaign, called “Hear Us Niantic,” is gathering massive online support.
On March 30, Pokemon Go announced it would be implementing major changes to the Remote Raid Passes. These passes came as a response to the 2021 global challenges that kept people in lockdown for several months at a time. Through the Remote Raid Passes, players could join a Raid Battle anywhere in the world if they were invited by a friend. This new mechanic encouraged players to create global communities.
Niantic decided to change the way the Remote Raid Passes work by nearly doubling the price from 100 PokeCoins to 195 PokeCoins and limiting the number of daily raids to five. Players were quick to react to the changes.
“We, as a whole, feel unheard. Time and time again, our questions go unanswered; Our concerns are not addressed; And most importantly, our needs are not taken into proper consideration,” Pokemon Go players wrote in the petition.
The petition has been shared massively through Twitter, and it has gathered over 75,000 signatures so far.
Pokemon Go changes affect disabled players
One of the major concerns for players is the ones that are being left behind because of these changes. According to the petition, the people most affected by the changes are disabled players who cannot physically leave their houses and players with severe social anxiety. These are players that, if not for the Remote Raid Passes, wouldn’t be able to participate in the raids at all.
Other people affected are rural players who don’t have a community nearby or even something as basic as a PokeStop and a Gym. Players who work night shifts and single parents are also claiming to be affected.
Players are asking for remote raids to stay the same and for Niantic to incentivize players to attend in-person raids.
Niantic is yet to respond to the petition.
