Pokémon Go Players Write Open Letter Asking for the Return of Pandemic Changes
In an open letter, Pokémon Go players ask Niantic to reinstate the COVID-19 accommodations in order to keep players safe and the game accessible.
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Pokémon Go players want game developer Niantic to re-implement the changes made to accommodate the realities of social distancing and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Nicholas Oyzon posted an open letter on Twitter, asking Niantic to reinstate the game’s COVID-19 accommodations. The letter was signed by 28 of Pokémon Go’s most influential players; altogether, they have a Twitter following of 1.18 million. It was posted under the hashtag #HearUsNiantic and quickly trended. At the time of writing, the letter has over 2,800 retweets and 7,600 likes.
Dear @NianticLabs, Your players deserve to be acknowledged. We need to know that you #HearUsNiantic. pic.twitter.com/oXowT0iKzn
The letter detailed nine ways the COVID-19 accommodations helped players, discussing how the accommodations allowed them to stay safe and to socially distance themselves throughout the pandemic. It also highlighted the ways the changes made Pokémon Go a more inclusive and accessible game.
“Many disabled Trainers could now interact with locations that previously excluded them from the Pokémon Go community,” the letter explained. “Trainers with autism and sensory conditions could engage with the community from a more accommodating distance. Allowing them to play with the community but not be overwhelmed by large crowds or triggering locations.”
The letter also described how the changes promoted “greater courtesy and respect to [non-players] in the community by way of not crowding or blocking entry to businesses, private property, playgrounds, emergency services, places of worship, or memorials.”
This letter isn’t the first time Pokémon Go players protested the end of the game’s COVID-19 accommodations on Twitter. Prior to the open letter, the hashtags #BoycottNiantic and #PokemonNoDay began to trend on Twitter, encouraging users to not play the game or spend money in the game’s store.
In June, Niantic announced the end of the COVID-19 accommodations which officially ended with the game’s most recent update. Along with other changes, the update halved the distance at which players could spin Pokéstops. With the spread of COVID-19’s Delta variant increasing, many players are now concerned about their ability to socially distance while playing Pokémon Go.
The letter concluded by asking Niantic to make the “increased interaction radius” a permanent feature in the game. The developer responded to the letter on its official blog, stating, “We appreciate your letter and all of your feedback. We hear you. We are humbled by your response. Not every game has such a passionate, global player base that we’re fortunate enough to have.”
In the blog, Niantic explained plans to put together “an internal cross-functional team to develop proposals designed to preserve our mission of inspiring people to explore the world together, while also addressing specific concerns that have been raised regarding interaction distance.” The developer further stated that it will share the team’s recommendation’s “by the next in-game season change” and will reach out to “community leaders in the coming days to join us in this dialogue.”
Originally launched in the summer of 2016, Pokémon Go can be downloaded for free through Google Play and the App Store.
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