Pokémon Go players try to reason with Niantic regarding Remote Raid changes

Community sends out an open letter in hope of reaching Niantic

You’ve probably heard about Niantic recently confirming controversial nerfs to the Remote Raid feature in Pokémon Go and the community’s outraged reaction to these plans. Well, since then Niantic has not responded to any criticism or questions, going on as if nothing has changed.

Players have now come together to send an open letter to Niantic regarding the topic, detailing why they think this change is bad for the game and the users, and offering suggestions on what Niantic could do instead to remain true to its stated principles without giving many players the boot.

Here’s an excerpt from the letter:

As of now, we are specifically referring to the April 6 remote raid pass update. We do not agree with your decision, and the majority of us want you to know that “Limiting Remote Raids to 5 passes per day” will harm:

Rural trainers who lack adequate local community support

Trainers with disabilities who physically cannot get outside to play

Trainers who have severe social anxiety who struggle mentally to get outside to participate in in-person raids

Trainers who work night shifts and cannot participate during the day

Single parent trainers who are managing children, a household and a career with minimal time to spare

And most importantly of all, the Remote Raid changes will limit our global interaction with our trainers who we have developed tight bonds with over the last 3 years.

Every form of trainer has EQUAL and EVERY right to play and enjoy Pokémon GO.

At the end of the day, the world has evolved since the pandemic. The landscape of working, playing and interacting has evolved and changed. Trainers now work at home. Through the new work/life dynamic, rich remote communities were built. These communities are just as viable and strong as in-person communities. These communities are unique, special and one of a kind. And we know from the bottom of our hearts that there is equal room to have both types of communities flourish simultaneously.

If Niantic’s goal is to get trainers outside, reward players significantly for doing in-person raids. Reward:

GUARANTEED XL Rare Candy

Increased lucky friend odds during first time in-person raid interaction

Offer premium items such as Incubators, Star Pieces, etc from in-person raids

Incentivize the in person raids but do not take away and squander what we've built globally over the last 3+ years. Without remote raids, the opportunity to attend live events to meet with our global Pokémon GO friends will not be as enticing, exciting or robust.

This is not the first time the Pokémon Go community had to take this step to make itself heard: When Niantic planned on rolling back the enlarged radius for PokéStops and Gyms it had introduced as a temporary measure during the pandemic, players resisted publicly as well – with partial success.

Niantic left the radius unchanged and promised to be more transparent and communicative with the community in the future. That part, unfortunately, has been completely neglected since then.

Many prominent members of the community have shown their support for the initiative, among them Serebii’s Joe Merrick.

Putting my support out with fellow @PokemonGOApp Players as the planned changes to Remote Raids, and the game in general over the past year, have been very bad for not just the general player, but rural & players with reduced mobility.

Please listen @NianticLabs #HearUsNiantic pic.twitter.com/pelwfHWmwU

— Joe Merrick (@JoeMerrick) April 4, 2023

Niantic, so far, is keeping quiet. The Remote Raid changes are set to go live on April 6, 2023.