All the Changes Made to Pokémon Go So You Can Play From Home

Pokémon Go is still one of the most popular mobile apps in the world. Ever since its launch in 2016, the augmented reality game has been downloaded millions of times. It has even changed the way users play mobile titles on their smartphones. Yet, the current COVID-19 pandemic has had a big impact on the experience. After all, Pokémon Go usually works by having players walk around outside, interacting with places and people in the area.

But with individuals now having to stay at home, the normal functions of Pokémon Go are not feasible. So developer Niantic has reworked many aspects of the app in order to make it playable from home. Here, we cover the ways in which Pokémon Go has been altered so you can play without leaving the house.

Pokémon appear more frequently

The first major way that Niantic has switched up Pokémon Go is to increase the spawn rate of creatures. Pokémon generally only appear as users move around in the real world. That’s changing somewhat with the spawn rates increased. This means that Pokémon should appear more frequently on the in-game map. The wild creatures will also show up in locations they normally wouldn’t giving players more chances to catch them at home.

Remote Raid Passes, so you don’t have to visit the gym

Raids were some of the most requested features in Pokémon Go before they eventually launched. The timed events occur regularly but usually require a player to go to a specific gym. In order to get around that limitation, Niantic is introducing Remote Raid Passes. These items will allow anyone to join an ongoing raid that shows up in their nearby menu. They can then battle with their Pokémon and the events will count towards any rewards and badges.