As the world slowly drags to a halt amid this coronavirus pandemic, companies are allowing employees to work from home, Itay issued a lockdown, schools are being closed, and countries are starting to see residents avoid social interactions. But Pokemon GO, an incredibly popular mobile game developed by Niantic is one that encourages its users to step outside, explore, and even find real-life gatherings take place.
Thankfully, Niantic is aware of this self-isolation that’s becoming common across the world, and in a statement to Polygon, Niantic says that the studio is, “prioritizing updates to Pokémon GO features and experiences that can be enjoyed in individual settings.” Pokemon GO will be increasing habitats, allowing players to see more monsters nearby without having to leave the house to find them.
The company has also added a 99% discount on incense packs for a limited time, meaning you can grab 30 incenses for 1 gold coin. In addition, those in-game consumables will now last for an hour. Incense packs, when activated increase monster spawns around the player’s discoverable area.
Pokémon GO is selling 30 Incenses – which bring Pokémon to your location without having to move – for 1 coin.
This is for people immobilised during the #COVID19 crisis to effectively still be able to play (though it is a one-off!) pic.twitter.com/e1rkeai6LU
— Ryan Brown
(@Toadsanime) March 13, 2020
There’s also a change being made to how incubators work. Usually, these require the user to walk a certain number of steps to hatch the egg, revealing a Pokemon. However, for the time being, Niantic has announced that “Trainers can hatch Eggs twice as fast,”. Furthermore, PokeStops, which are specific points in your area, such as a shop, church, or maybe a landmark are going to dropping gifts more frequently.
Niantic has stated that all of these changes to the mechanics of the game and the sale of the incense packs will remain in effect until “further notice.”
Niantic has also postponed upcoming community events, including its Abra Community Day event. Meanwhile, current events, such as the first season of Pokemon GO’s Battle League will allow players to compete with one another without having to be in the same place. The upcoming “Special Research adventure that’s to debut in Genesect will require takes that can be “completed by individuals,” according to Niantic.
Speaking about the COVID-19 pandemic, Niantic says, “While we’ve made these updates based on the current global health situation, we also encourage players to make decisions on where to go and what to do that are in the best interest of their health and the health of their communities,”. Don’t forget, if you are isolating yourself, you can take photos of your Pokemon to pass the time!
Pokemon GO is available on iOS and Android devices.
The post Pokemon Go Gets Changes for Those Isolating Amid COVID-19 Outbreak by Ben Bayliss appeared first on DualShockers.