In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Niantic, the developer ofHarry Potter: Wizards Unite,Ingress Prime, andPokemon GO, announced via its website that it will be making substantial changes to all three. The collective aim of the updates is to make Niantic’s games easier to play while much ofits user base is quarantinedinside of their homes.
This is an especially important move for Niantic, asWizards Unite,Ingress, andPokemon GOare rather unconventional for video games, revolving around users moving around the real world and utilizing augmented reality. In its statement, Niantic reaffirmed its commitment to encouraging outdoor interaction while also acknowledging that current circumstances don’t permit such activity.
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Niantic has already made several changes across all of its games, though it seems that the developer is both implementing and looking into various other methods to both entertain and maintain its user base. InPokemon GO, gifts have been upgraded, multiple deals on items are available, and thewalking component of the Battle Leaguehas essentially been removed, since the required distance players need to walk to participate in the League was lowered from three to zero kilometers.
Likewise,Wizards Unitebuffed gifts while making Foundables, potion ingredients, and Spell Energy more accessible from home. In the world ofIngressmeanwhile, Portals can be hacked more times before burnout with a faster cooldown, and the Sojourner Medal’s daily requirement can be met by recharging a Portal.
The post also detailed various planned changes, usingPokemon GOas an example. Niantic stated that it would be improving the ways users can socialize in-game, announcing thatPokemon GOplayers would soon be able to participate in raids from their homes. In addition, Adventure Sync’s indoor tracking is being improved.
Other future updates were also mentioned in a more conceptual manner. Niantic is looking into various methods to “help players virtually visit and share memories about their favorite real-world places,” while also finding ways to makevarious live eventsavailable from home. More concrete details were said to be “coming soon.”
Interestingly, despite the title,Pokemon GOhas actually seen anincrease in revenue during quarantine. Nonetheless, to close, Niantic stated that, like many people around the globe, the developer is looking forward to when people can return to normalcy and in-person interaction.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite,Ingress Prime, andPokemon GOare all currently available on mobile devices.
