Pokemon Go developer Niantic Labs made some big changes at the beginning of the pandemic. These made the game safer to play with social distancing in mind. Unfortunately, despite scares of a new virus variant, the safety measures are starting to be removed. Some players are not happy, with one disappointed fan creating a petition that has gotten significant support.
What is the Pokemon Go distance change controversy?
The Pokemon Go distance change controversy is the developer beginning to remove the safety measures put in place during the height of the pandemic. The main change was the ability for players to interact with PokeStop and gyms from a much greater distance.
With the safety measures removed, players will need to move much closer to PokeStops and gyms. What with how PokeStops and gyms are often placed in more densely populated areas, like city centers and tourist attractions, it’s understandable why there is concern about pushing people closer together to spin and interact with stops.
A petition with the title “Keep increased PokeStop and Gym interaction distance” has been created by Sword Slash. In the description, Sword Slash states that the petition aims to let Niantic know that “increased interaction distance was one of the best changes they ever made, making the game safer to play and more accessible for all.”
At the time of writing, the distance change petition has been signed over 150,000 times. It’s clear that many members of the Pokemon Go community feel that the safety measures should remain in place.
Niantic has yet to respond.
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