Niantic addresses changes made to Pokémon Go gameplay
What you need to know
- Niantic has been implementing localized changes to Pokémon Go gameplay in an effort to improve the experience for players.
- Part of these changes include the Legendary Raid Hours.
- More changes are to come that will hopefully address local concerns.
On Tuesday, Niantic addressed concerns about localized and global changes made to Pokémon Go gameplay. While any game this big will implement some changes periodically, many of these smaller tweaks have not been addressed before now.
Some of these changes have been adjustments to local areas where gameplay was less consistent. This includes rural areas and small towns where there are fewer Pokéstops or Gyms, so players can get more items from each Pokéstop spin, as well as tailoring raid levels to specific populations. One of the more significant changes that Niantic considers a huge success was that of the Legendary Raid hours, so players can anticipate more of this popular feature.
While many of these small tweaks have already been made, the company will continue to implement further changes to provide a better experience for players around the globe, regardless of whether they live in a small town with only one Pokéstop or a big city with hundreds. Niantic thanked the community for their patience while it continues to assess gameplay data and implement further fixes.
"While changes do take time, we'd like to thank you for your ongoing support, and with your continued feedback, we look forward to continuing to grow and evolve the game," the community note said. "Our intention is to roll out changes to all Trainers once we've determined what the best experience is, based on what we learn together in the small-scale tests."
The social media responses to recent Pokémon Go announcements, including this announcement, have shown a growing unrest within the community as page after page of replies are a flood of demands to fix the spawn rates, as well as Aventure Sync and the Pokéball Go Plus. Although Niantic did not specifically address the widespread spawning issues that have many players understandably frustrated, this is likely one of the focus points of these small changes. For the time being, players can only continue to wait in hopes that their local area will be next up for changes.
Have you noticed changes to your local gamplay? Are you in an area that is in need of attention? Drop us a comment below.
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Casian Holly has been writing about gaming at iMore since 2019, but their real passion is Pokémon. From the games to the anime, cards and toys, they eat, sleep, and breathe all things Pokémon. You can check out their many Pokémon Go and Pokémon Sword and Shield guides and coverage here on iMore.