Pokemon Go community begs Niantic to “let go of 2016” to improve raids Dexerto

Zackerie Fairfax

❘ Published: 2022-10-18T17:40:05

❘ Updated: 2022-10-18T17:40:23

Pokémon Go players have been left with a sour taste in their mouths following the debut of Elite Raids, blaming the poor launch on Niantic being “stuck in the past”.

On October 15, Niantic released Elite Raids in Pokémon Go. These new raids would appear in gyms as eggs with a 24-hour countdown. Once the eggs hatched, players would have 30 minutes to fight and capture Hoopa Unbound.

And while some players managed to defeat Hoopa, not everyone was able to gather enough trainers to take on this mythical Pokemon. To make things more frustrating, Niantic made Elite Raids only take place in person.

But for some players, especially in rural areas, gathering a group of players large enough to take on any Raid is a challenge. This led to a number of players begging Niantic to put the past behind them and accept the utility of Remote Raid passes.

Niantic is stuck in 2016 and Pokémon Go suffers

While players seem a bit divided over Niantic’s underuse of Remote Raid passes, many players expressed disappointment with the lack of Remote Raid support during Elite Raid’s debut.

Some players believe that these complaints stem from laziness and that coaches played well for years without Remote Raid passes. However, others argue that times have changed, and Niantic’s approach to raiding needs to change, as the developer appears to be stuck in the glory days of Pokemon Go.

“It’s not 2016 anymore,” Reddit user bapsmcgee wrote. “Pokémon Go’s main tenants are community and exploration, but Niantic needs to approach them differently.”

They went on to state that the Pokémon Go community is “too specific” compared to what it once was, making it difficult (or impossible) to hold gatherings in smaller communities. “Not only is it a logistical nightmare for most players, but it can lead to unsafe and uncomfortable situations.”

And a dive into the feedback shows that a large number of gamers feel the same way. “Every time I play, I feel like I’m being punished,” one user added. Another said: “It’s not the massive game everyone and their mom are playing anymore.”

BapsMcGee offered a solution that has been echoed by many trainers for months. “Pokémon Go should encourage global and remote interaction instead of clinging to the lost era of 2016.”