Anyone who started playing Pokémon Go from the very beginning will surely remember the glorious summer of 2016 when you couldn’t go out without seeing large groups of happy Pokémon Go players discovering the joy of interacting with and catching Pokémon in the real world.
However, venturing outside to play Pokémon Go is not always possible, especially at this time, as many players have to self-isolate due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In light of this, Niantic has made a few changes to the game that allow coaches to continue aiming for the best, even when it is not possible to get away from home.
Changes happen over time, so we’ve put together this guide on how you can continue playing Pokémon Go from your home that we’ll continue to update as Niantic changes the game.
How Covid-19 affected Pokémon Go
The coronavirus has swept through every country in the world, leading to the declaration of a global pandemic. As a result, several countries have declared a national lockdown preventing people from going out and thus significantly reducing the gameplay of Pokémon Go significantly.
It’s easy to poke fun at the idea that Pokémon Go players can’t visit Pokéstops or gyms, but one of the positive things that emerged with the advent of the game was how life-changing it was. people for the better – players exercised regularly. , it improved mental health and developed communities and friendships. As a result, the lockdown will have been a blow to the health and well-being of many Pokémon Go players.
The developers of Pokémon Go, Niantic, have acted to prioritize the safety of their players and have extended, delayed and then canceled many of the events he had announced. In particular, the game’s Community Day, Raid Hour, and Safari Zone events were discontinued because they encouraged massive player gatherings – while other raid events were also canceled “until further notice.”
Beyond that, Niantic has also done its best to make the most of a bad situation by implementing a set of drastic changes to Pokémon Go’s gameplay that are designed to allow players to always get their Pokémon patch. Go from the comfort of their own homes.
What can you do on Pokémon Go from your own home?
Niantic has made a lot of changes to the house so that you can play Pokémon Go without venturing outside. Initially update Released on March 12, Niantic made the following changes:
- The duration of incense has been reduced from half an hour to an hour
- Hatching distance for eggs has been halved
- Pokéstops now drop more gifts than usual
- Gift inventory limit increased from 10 to 20
- The number of Pokémon that appear in the wild has been increased
- A packet of 30 incense was made available in the store for the greatly reduced price of a Pokécoin.
In another update March 23, other changes have been made to the game. A new Pokécoin pack has been made available – this time for 100 Pokéballs. The Pokéball and Incense packs have been made available until March 30, but these bundles are replaced weekly (read on to learn more). In addition, the following changes have also been made.
Safari Zone ticket holders receive in-game bonuses for playing at home, which include eight-hour incense and a guarantee that all Safari Zone tasks can be accomplished from home. The Genesect event has also been adapted so that anyone purchasing the event ticket can complete it from home.
Niantic also announced a new feature called ‘Day view‘ which brings together a whole bunch of useful information like streaks and current events in one place to allow players to better keep an eye on their game.
As the Lugia Raid Week was canceled, a update On March 30, a new Pokécoin pack was added, available as a one-time purchase and containing 50 large balls. Remember that these Pokécoin packs rotate weekly, with content changing weekly. These prizes are no longer in the game.
“We continue to prioritize updates to Pokémon GO features and experiences that can be enjoyed in individual contexts,” Niantic wrote in the update. “Events may vary in some areas until further notice.”
On March 31, Niantic launched a other updates, including changes to Pokémon Go Gym interaction distances to allow players to “team up in raid battles from home.”
“The distance at which you can interact with Gyms has been temporarily doubled, allowing you to be further away from Gyms and other Trainers when challenging Raid Bosses,” Niantic wrote. “This change also allows you to spin photo discs in gyms if you are within the doubled distance; however, this will not change the distance required to spin photo discs on PokéStops.”
Another update from Niantic introduced on April 15 features the Remote Raid Pass – which can be purchased individually from the in-game store for 100 PokéCoins.
The Remote Raid Pass allows Trainers to join Raid Battles as soon as they start, as long as the raid is in the Raid Nearby View or the Map View. Only one Remote Raid Pass will be required to join the raid, and you will only be able to hold a limited number of Remote Raid Passes at a time. Additionally, only a certain number of remote players can join a raid at a time.
At launch, those fighting from a distance will have the same attack power as those fighting in person; however, this increase is temporary, with Niantic saying it will be reduced “later”. After that, those who fight in person at an in-person gym will have higher attack power than a trainer fighting from a distance. Ranged Raid Battles will still count toward raid-related Research and Achievement Medals.
“We will be adjusting this functionality over time, including the ability to invite friends to raids regardless of their location, as well as the mentioned adjustment to trainer attack power from remote sites and the number trainers who can reach remotely, ”Niantic said.
Additionally, players will receive a bonus Field Research task every day – without having to run a Pokéstop, and a new buddy system has been implemented that sees a “buddy” venture out to Pokéstops for you to collect. gifts. And, if that’s not enough, you’ll be able to power your Pokémon faster: with the ability to give your Pokémon all the candy and stardust it needs to fuel it to the desired CP level at the same time.
Finally, trainers will be able to stack as many Star Coins, Lucky Eggs, and Frankincense as they wish to use – up to 200 of each item. So you can stack the activation of several elements at the same time.
In May, Niantic has confirmed that it will end its 1 PokéCoin packs but, in order to make it easier for players to obtain items, it is still possible for friends to bring you gifts from PokéStops, allowing players to send and receive gifts with friends to receive items like Poké Balls and Berries. There is also a daily bonus field research task that you can access without having to spin a PokéStop, which can be completed to earn items. Finally, the distance from which players can spin a PokéStop has been doubled for a limited time.
Those who wish to participate in the Go Battle League will also see some changes that make home play more possible. For the second season of the Battle League starting in June, Niantic continues to forgo the march and pay entry requirements. Additionally, players who are not close friends in the game will no longer need to be physically close to each other to fight and will be able to send fight requests to good friends and above. Trainers can now also initiate battles using QR codes that can be used regardless of friendship levels and distance.
Sure June 2, Niantic announced that this would allow inviting friends to the Raids, regardless of their location. The feature is currently rolling out, but when available, players joining a raid in person will see a + button in both public and private lobbies. Pressing this button will allow them to invite up to five friends to join the Raid as well. People invited to raids will see their invitation via a push notification or in their nearby screen. Accepting the invitation will allow them to enter the raid hall, although their ranged raid pass is not used until the battle begins.
Niantic too ad that its annual Pokémon Go Fest taking place July 25-26, 2020 will be a completely virtual experience, allowing players to participate in the traditionally in-person collaborative event wherever they are.
A ticket purchased at $ 14.99 / £ 14.99 for the event will cover two days of play and Niantic said he is working on a microsite “that will bring some of our favorite event activities to trainers around the world. team lounges in a Pokémon GO Fest in person, this site will allow players to take a break from catching Pokémon and interacting with other trainers, participating in fun giveaways, and getting upgrades about the event. ”More information on this feature is expected closer to the event.
Tips and tricks for playing Pokémon Go at home
While the above changes made by Niantic certainly make Pokémon Go a lot easier to play at home, there are a few other tips and tricks you can do to make Pokémon Go playing from your home a bit easier.
If you are in a place of detention that allows for daily exercise and there are gyms and Pokéstops within walking distance of your home, we recommend that you plan a walking or cycling route that takes them integrity – but only if you can do it safely.
Pokémon Go also has many amazing online communities, including many local groups. It is definitely worth checking them out. You can add them all as friends, fight them, and send each other gifts to keep your supply of Pokéballs and Eggs during lockdown. Plus, when it all blew up, you’ve got a whole new community of friends to meet!
And that’s all! Play Pokémon Go from home and stay safe!