Pokemon GO fans are furious right now as Niantic has to remove the extended range feature from the game. The is feature was in the game since the pandemic hit the world. It gave Pokemon GO users the comfort of playing from the safety of their homes.
The Reddit handle, r/SilphRoad, is the most popular Pokemon GO community out there. In an open letter, players from the SilphRoad Pokemon GO community reached out directly to Niantic, asking them to keep the extended range feature. As the new Delta variant of COVID-19 slowly begins to spread, it’s not a good time to remove that feature that allowed players to keep up with the game from home.
“Dear Niantic, Community and Creators alike wish to voice our concern and disappointment over recent changes to the Pokestop interaction radius reduction in Pokemon Go,” the letter begins. “While the Pokestop/POI interaction radius was increased due to an unprecedented global pandemic, the flow on effects of this in-game change have had a far greater positive impact on the community.”
Dear @NianticLabs @PokemonGoApp @johnhanke @Pokemon,
The Pokémon GO Community has been waiting patiently for an answer in the last few days, but sadly, many trainers have walked away. We seek your attention & respond as the Community really needs it now.#HearUsNiantic #PokemonGO pic.twitter.com/mpcJtJI9Jo— BrandonTan91 #HearUsNiantic (@brandontan91) August 5, 2021
It’s not the only thing being able to play from home. Beyond that, the players also mentioned that the extended radius feature offers road safety, accessibility for disabled players.
Niantic had previously increased the PokéStop and Gym interaction from 40 meters to 80 meters, considering the safety of players. But now, it reverted to 40 meters as Niantic wants people to connect to real places in the real world and visit places worth exploring. However, the players are safe and comfortable playing in increased radius especially considering the new Delta variant of COVID-19.
Other prominent players are using the hashtag #HearUsNiantic on Twitter to get Niantic’s attention.
I’m going to set aside my opinion here and share a concern from the community. Although Niantic touts its community as one of its biggest strengths, they haven’t done as much as acknowledge us on this matter.
So, @NianticLabs, I ask you to hear us out. #HearUsNiantic pic.twitter.com/ABR11bG7A8
— Leek Duck (@LeekDuck) August 5, 2021
Niantic later responded to the fans’ open letter.
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