Pokémon GO’s Remote Raids may be changing soon, and the modifications may be quite unpleasing. Remote Raids were introduced in April 2020, as a method of incentivizing social distancing and isolation measures during the COVID-19 outbreak. With paid Remote Raid Passes, players can currently participate in Raid activities all over the world. By using the item, they are able to access all the nearby Raids without having to be under the Gym’s 80-meter radius, while also accepting Raid invitations from any friend, regardless of where they are.
However, there is one possible change that may negatively affect Pokémon GO’s Remote Raid Passes. It is important to note that the change has not yet been officially confirmed by developer Niantic, and was a small change that was noticed by a few players before it was taken down. Nonetheless, this is an indicator that the change was added to the mobile game’s code and that it will likely be implemented in the future.
What’s Changing With Pokémon GO’s Remote Raids?
Pokémon GO’s Remote Raid Passes may be getting a daily usage limit quite soon. As was pointed out by Joe Merrick, creator of the popular Pokémon site Serebii, on Twitter, the text description for Remote Raid Passes in Pokémon GO changed. While it has already been reversed to its original wording, Merrick captured a screenshot in which the item’s description additionally said: “You can join {0} Raids a day.” This means that the daily limit text has already been coded into the game, and it should only be a matter of time before the change is inevitably applied.
Possible Changes To Pokémon GO’s Remote Raids Are Horrible
The item’s new description seems to be a placeholder, and the daily limit for Remote Raid Pass usage is still unknown. This is likely an adjustment made by Niantic to incentivize in-person gameplay, however, the unconfirmed limit is but one of many controversial changes to Pokémon GO lately. The developer had already removed the item from the weekly boxes, which was a big disappointment for players who choose to play the collecting game remotely.
If Niantic is to truly put a limit to Remote Raid Pass usage in Pokémon GO, this is a terrible move. As described by Brianna Nicole Pail in response to Merrick’s original tweet, the change can limit players with disabilities and those who live in harsh environmental conditions from actively playing the game. It is necessary for the developer to incentivize in-person raiding, rather than simply limiting a whole group of players. The most confusing part about it is that these are not even free, like the daily Raid Pass, but items that must be acquired with real-life money.
Pokémon GO’s monthly raid schedule could suffer a huge blow to both attendance and revenue if Remote Raid Pass usage is limited. There is absolutely no reason to restrict players willing to pay for access to raids. This is especially true for those who go through dozens of Remote Raid Passes while shiny hunting Legendaries in Pokémon GO.