, Niantic's smash-hit augmented reality title, is in hot water after the company has decided to roll back quality-of-life improvements added during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
These features were designed to promote social distancing while making it viable to play the game at home, which previously required you to physically walk around outside in order to play. With these changes being rolled back, disappointed fans have organized a boycott in protest.
Before the pandemic gripped the world and forced most countries into some kind of lockdown, Pokémon GO promoted physical activity by tasking players with walking around in the real world and catching Pokémon, fighting at gyms and visiting Pokéstops via the AR game app on their mobile device. Inherently, Pokémon was a social game, and players would frequently meet in real life at hotspots like Pokéstops and gyms.
When social distancing became a necessity to curb the spread of the pandemic, Pokémon GO had to change to adapt to a world where players were mostly stuck at home. Niantic rolled out a set of convenience features making it possible to get the full experience out of the game without leaving your home, and these features struck a cord with the community - 2020 was the most profitable year for Pokémon GO.