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Most observant Pokemon GO players will tell you that the game hasn't had the smoothest reception going back months or even years, depending on how they look at things. Controversies have piled up in the game's post-pandemic tenure, and fan complaints and petitions have become commonplace. Still, not all hope is lost, and certain changes could still restore some faith in Niantic's flagship title.
While some trainers have effectively given up on Niantic making certain changes to Pokemon GO, some tweaks and improvements still have a non-zero chance of happening even if they're incredibly unlikely. These same changes could win fans over, be they current or recently departed, and it doesn't hurt to examine some of the most obvious changes that could have this effect.
Note: This list is subjective and reflects the opinions of the writer
5 unlikely Pokemon GO changes that would win over fans if they were implemented
1) Reverting remote raid pass nerfs
The Pokemon GO remote raid passes were one of the heralded implementations in 2020, allowing players to come together and raid tough boss Pocket Monsters no matter where they were at the time. However, the post-pandemic era saw these raid passes receive a limit on their uses and become much more difficult to acquire in general without spending Pokecoins.
It was a decision that spurred an entire (albeit temporary) boycott movement among players, and fans still criticize Niantic about it to this day. Although the developer has stuck to its guns and espoused the intent to keep players raiding more often in person, reversing the remote raid pass changes would be a massive win for the community.
2) Improving customer support
While it's understandable that customer support can be strained when millions of players are actively playing a game like Pokemon GO, Niantic makes more than enough revenue to keep a stable support staff employed. Be that as it may, many players have expressed frustration with automated AI chatbot responses that don't resolve their issues, if they get a response at all.
Simply speaking with another human being about an in-game issue can go a long way to ensure customer satisfaction, even if the player doesn't get everything they hope for in their conflict resolution. It certainly beats the alternative of attempting to explain a problem to a program that may not understand the situation.
3) Relaxing the quantity of event tickets
Even though it would be counterproductive to Niantic's monetization practices, many Pokemon GO players have grown tired of nearly every event or new season pushing tickets that require real-world money to purchase. For many trainers, the rewards they're able to get from paying real money aren't worth the asking price. Other players simply don't want to pay for access to certain Pokemon debuts.
It's gotten to a point where many trainers have called Niantic's monetization predatory. For them, they should be able to catch any Pokemon they like or access other gameplay content without forking over money.
Niantic has to make some revenue to keep its operation going, but pumping the brakes on pushing out so many tickets might not be the worst idea in the world.
4) Adding a gym defender recall feature
As Pokemon GO's popularity has dwindled in many lower-population communities, gyms have become a potential hazard for players to navigate. Some trainers have reported placing a Pokemon to defend a gym only for it not to be defeated by another player, leaving it to languish for months or even years in the gym with no way of being recalled back to its trainer.
Put plainly, a gym defender recall feature is desperately needed, especially for players who live in rural environments where defending gyms can be drawn out. Niantic can keep the Pokecoin accumulation cap in place if they'd like to prevent abuse of the recall feature, but it's an addition that's sorely needed regardless.
5) Removing the limit on opening daily gifts
Currently, Pokemon GO players can only open 20 gifts from friends per day, and that's become an issue for many fans. While Niantic is unlikely to change this limit since it would cut into their revenue (players at their gift cap are more likely to use the in-game shop for items), it's something they should at least consider to keep the existing community thriving and stocked with items.
There is still a limit on how many people trainers can have on their friend lists. Moreover, players can only send their friends gifts once per day, so there's still an unspoken limit on how many can be opened daily.
However, trainers shouldn't be penalized for making the most of their friend lists and attempting to build bonds with other players.
