The ongoing pandemic has changed the way we live our lives, confining many of us to our homes - and, despite the easing of the lockdown measures in several countries, being locked inside is still a reality for many of us. This situation was not a big change for some dedicated gamers - they were already spending most of their free time inside, in front of their computers.
Pokémon GO players, in turn, didn’t have it so easy. The game relies on people going out to hunt but due to the spread of the virus, now everyone would rather stay inside and play games at the
7Sultans Casino than go out to catch ‘em all. But Niantic, the developer behind Pokémon GO, didn’t abandon its fans due to them being confined to their homes. Instead, they
adapted their real-world gaming titles to the new reality.
New features for the new reality
With people locked in their homes, going out and taking steps can rarely be counted toward their daily exercise goal. So, Niantic decided to track their indoor movement instead. Chores like cleaning and exercise like running on a treadmill now count toward game achievements thanks to the improved Adventure Sync features in the games. For those missing the great outdoors, the developers have added the possibility to revisit their favorite places virtually within their games.The social features in the games are also being boosted to allow more meaningful interactions in their virtual worlds. In Pokémon GO, Niantic has enhanced the in-game virtual social features to allow players to team up with their friends and go on Raid Battles together. Also, they plan to add live events to the mix in an effort to reimagine the Pokémon GO Fest this summer.
GO Battle League
Niantic added a new form of gameplay in GO Battle League, one that allows players to join from all over the world - including their homes. The walking requirements for the participants have been reduced from 3km - which was easy to achieve in the pre-Corona times - to zero. Plus, they have reduced the cost of Incense and Poké Balls to help people catch Pokémon without having to go far from the safety of their homes, while still being able to catch Metagross and Pikachu Libre. At the same time, Niantic has added new Pokémon to the rewards, including Stunfisk (Rank 4), Rufflet (Rank 8), and Scraggy (Rank 9). Go Battle League Season 2 has been delayed by a few days due to technical issues that were left to be solved.
