Pokemon GO's reported Remote Raid change leaves trainers unhappy

Niantic has already had a shaky February regarding Pokemon GO, and the recent debacle over the Hoenn Tour event in Las Vegas is just one indicator. Even worse, alleged proposed changes to the Remote Raid system have left many players even more irritated with the direction of the mobile title.

Remote Raids, wherein players use a Remote Raid Pass to engage in raiding while not being present at a gym, have had a tumultuous existence in Pokemon GO. Their initial debut was heralded as a huge win for players who lived in remote areas, and the usefulness of the raids was magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic when health ordinances kept everyone apart.

However, Niantic has phased out the ability to raid remotely in Pokemon GO in recent months. The next proposed change may heavily alter players' views of the developer going forward.

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Pokemon GO players cry foul at Niantic's proposed Remote Raid changes

Remote Raids have been harder to come by since the early days of 2022, and this has persisted in 2023.

Niantic has stated that this choice was intentional, as they implored Pokemon GO players to meet up in the real world and battle raid bosses together. However, fans in rural parts of the world (or those with extreme weather) have felt maligned by the change. Other players have stated that real-world interactions have been, at times, distasteful and even dangerous.

Despite this feedback, some players noticed a recent change in the text of Remote Raid Passes before it was removed in-game. This descriptive text pointed to a hard limit on how many Remote Raids players could participate in per day.

If trainers weren't already furious at the phasing out of Remote Raids, this latest bit of news might very well put them on the path of anger toward Niantic.

Some Pokemon GO fans have praised the idea of Remote Raids being limited, believing that it will bring players together again.

However, others pointed out that this can be accomplished without nerfing Remote Raids. According to them, players who want to meet up in real life and raid can continue to do so. However, trainers who are in remote areas or who have other obstacles to meeting up in person should also still be able to participate.

It should be noted that Niantic has not confirmed that the change is coming to Pokemon GO. However, the presence of the in-game text change has left many fans assuming the worst is coming to Remote Raids.

Given the long string of controversies surrounding paywalls, lackluster event content, and shoddy real-world event organizing, this change will likely turn even more players away from the game that once captivated the world.

Many trainers have opined that instead of making Remote Raiding more difficult to do, Niantic could simply add bonuses or extra incentives to in-person raiding. This would give fans a reason to meet up and raid in person while allowing those unable to head out to in-person raids to continue enjoying the experience without penalty.

Given many fans' animosity toward Niantic, the developer sorely needs something to convince the playerbase that the game is in good hands. However, this potential change to the Remote Raid system will likely upset more players than it pleases.

If the daily Remote Raid cap does indeed arrive, some Pokemon GO fans may decide that this move is the last straw.