Pokemon Go game changes to promote "adventure from home" during COVID-19

[brightknightie]

Hi, fellow trainers!

In case you haven't heard, given the current public health situation, Pokemon Go has done a lot to encourage solo play, rural play, and general "adventure from home" play. Learn more on Niantic's official blog or Niantic's Support Twitter account.

Lowlights: People may be disappointed to hear that March's Abra Community Day has been postponed, and that no more EX passes will be distributed until further notice.

Highlights:

• In the shop, buy a one-time-only (one per player) box of 30 incense for 1 pokecoin!


• Incense now lasts for one hour and spawns more total pokemon (they come faster).


• Go Battle League no longer requires walking to unlock play!


• The current legendaries are available as Go Battle League rewards (not guaranteed, just added to the pool with the others; I got a Giratina A. as a reward last night!).


• Eggs newly placed in incubators will hatch in half the usual distance.


• Pokestops drop gifts more often (so we can all give each other resources more easily).


• Wild pokemon spawns increase.

Stay safe out there, trainers! Take good care of yourselves and our whole community. To "flatten the curve," raid from 6 feet apart, or from inside a car, if you can...? ♥

Comments

[spectrier]

I imagine the Liverpool safari zone will also be postponed, barring some massive developments happening this month.

The spawn rates on the incense are great! I really do wish they'd put some kind of measure in place to let people consistently get pokeballs without finding a stop because gifts aren't guaranteed to have them.

Having said that, I live close enough to a stop to consistently get gifts from home so if anyone here wants gifts to keep themselves stocked I'm very happy to add you!

[ayebydan]

II have the virus and am starting to lose it so this was a game-changer to know! I've already replayed sun and started pearl over again amongst other things as my mind can't cope with anything much more complex right now.

[silveradept]

About the only thing that would be perfect indoor play is if you had a once-a-day stop spawn where you are to get spun, so you could theoretically keep all your streaks going.

[cathyw]

that would be cool - the first time you log in every day you get a "free" pokestop spin (including getting a research task if you've got an open slot), or maybe increase the pokestop activation radius, or both?

[silveradept]

Something like that. The walk to the park and back is very nice for me, and I can keep an appropriate amount of distance, but for people who are flattened or who can't get out easily, they're missing out on streak experience and research task completion unless they live within range of a stop.

[lilacsigil]

Yay, this is great! I'm a healthcare worker so I'm going to be at work unless I actually catch the virus, but I'm looking forward to adventuring from home and from the car! And my work has a pokestop!

[kirin]

Niantic also recently confirmed that the upcoming paid Genesect quest line will be entirely playable from home, no raids or even spins required.

[leela_cat]

Just joined pokestop (thanks for all the pointers, brightknightie). I've recently started playing and need some more friends. I'm close to a park with 3 gyms and 5 pokestops, so can gift regularly (usually daily, although I sometimes miss a day because of work).

If anyone would like to friend me on Pokemon Go, my trainer code is: 3448 9977 8098.