"Just go outside": Pokemon GO community rues in-person Shadow Mewtwo raids

Pokemon GO recently made a decision to cut down on the number of Remote Raids that a single person can do on a single day. They also increased the price of Remote Raid Passes and made some raids 'in-person only.' The recent Shadow Raids are one such raid event, with its highlight being a Shadow Mewtwo that is appearing in raids for the first time, and many players wish to participate in the event.

Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". by u/Qwopmaster01 in pokemongo

However, not making remote raid passes work for this raid makes it near impossible (or at least very difficult) for many players to access it.

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Pokemon GO players are disappointed with Remote Raid Pass changes

The problems with restricting the use of Remote Raid Passes have been highlighted repeatedly since they were implemented. From limiting access for people with disabilities to those living in rural areas, these changes have made playing Pokemon GO a lot harder for many.

Many players were unable to participate in the ongoing raids in Pokemon GO for these reasons. Shadow Mewtwo is one of the most powerful Pocket Monsters in the game, which makes its appearance in raids a great opportunity for players to look for high IV versions of the creature, its shiny version, or if they are really lucky, a Shundo version.

Players took to Reddit to discuss some of the issues they faced in hopes that Niantic would take note and agree to at least engage in discussions regarding the problems. To be noted here is that Pokemon GO's game director Michael Steranka promised to look into the matter after facing backlash for his comments in response to the ongoing #HearUsNiantic movement.

u/Zachos57 spoke about how he created Gyms and Poke Stops in his area, but the lack of players made it difficult to complete high-tier raids like the Shadow Mewtwo one successfully.

Comment by u/Zachos57 from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

Comment by u/Bludandy from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

Comment by u/FlameSama1 from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

u/cirinalynn brought to notice that the area they lived in was affected by a cyclone, which rendered them unable to step out to participate in raids. This highlights another aspect of the limits that "in-person only" places on people, not considering the possibility of such accidents.

Comment by u/cirinalynn from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

Comment by u/cirinalynn from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

This comment, in particular, got a lot of people sharing their perspective on how they feel about Niantic forcing people into corners like this, seemingly without any regard for community feedback on the matter.

Comment by u/marsalien4 from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

Comment by u/Gracie_DeLunac from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

Comment by u/DrPreppy from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

Comment by u/JaozinhoGGPlays from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

The situation in rural areas may be worse, but even city-dwellers have found it hard to find success in finding a suitable number of raiders to take down the powerful Shadow Mewtwo.

Comment by u/RUN-PMT from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

Comment by u/Diadas664 from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

The difficulties of this event also brought Niantic's Campfire app, which is supposed to help Pokemon GO players find co-raiders, under the magnifying glass. There has been dissatisfaction among the community about how the app works (rather doesn't). Players complained that they were unable to find people and the app even crashed incessantly.

Comment by u/ThomasSirveaux from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

Comment by u/Mammoth_Slide_5376 from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

Comment by u/webrage69 from discussion Rural players after the community tells them to "just go outside". in pokemongo

The issues with Pokemon GO and its discord with its player base multiplying with time might prove potentially harmful for the game's future.