Pokemon Go players upset as devs stand by Remote Raid Pass nerf
NianticAfter more than a year since the infamous Remote Raid Pass nerf in Pokemon Go, Niantic have spoken in favor of the highly controversial move. But, players have an altogether different opinion.
The Remote Raid Pass nerf in April 2023 left a bad taste in the mouth of the Pokemon Go community and now, with Niantic siding with their decision, it has created an uproar among players.
In an interview with Dot Esports, Pokemon Go Director Michael Steranka defended the controversial decision: “As much as we want to give players that opportunity [to use Remote Raid Passes], we’ve decided that can’t come at the expense of our mission for the game,” which, he states, is to make players go out and play as a community.
But, fans were quick to refute these statements in a post on The Silph Road subreddit. One wrote, “I’ve definitely been spending less money on the game since that change. I barely raid at all anymore, unless it’s something that I need the Dex entry for.”
More players agreed with this, stating that there has been a huge drop-off in player activity since the nerf, as they claimed that Niantic’s monthly revenue has dropped to an all-time low.
While Niantic had later shut down these claims, many swore that hardly any players gather for events or Raids, and expressed doubts if the change revitalized any in-person communities.
Another added, “Nobody WANTS to play together. The closest we get to playing together is if the weather sucks and some of us go to the mall on Community Day.”
More chimed in to highlight that in-person Raids have no takers and they are enjoying other parts of the game such as the Go Battle League. The changes have also made many quit Pokemon Go, with some mentioning that they are hanging on to it due to nostalgia.
But, even with vocal members of the community disagreeing with the change, Steranka said it was “exactly what they were hoping for.”