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Pokemon GO has been embroiled in controversy due to recent changes to the remote raiding mechanic. Not long ago, Niantic instilled a hard limit on how many remote raids can be joined per day, as well as increasing the Pokecoin cost for Remote Raid Passes. As part of the upcoming Water Festival event, players were less than thrilled with the inclusion of Lake Guardians as regional raids.
According to Niantic, the Water Festival for Pokemon GO from June 6-12, 2023, will feature Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit in 5-star raids. However, these region-locked Pokemon will only be raidable in specific locations, which has drawn the ire of some fans like -OGJRICH- on Reddit, who expressed dissatisfaction with the inclusion after the recent remote raid nerfs.
Responses to this Pokemon GO post were met with mixed responses, as some players pointed out ways to raid the Lake Guardians without spending money while others lamented Niantic's handling of the game.
Pokemon GO fans debate Niantic's inclusion of Lake Guardian Raids in 2023 Water Festival
The Lake Guardians Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf have long been regional exclusives in Pokemon GO, and the three are some of the few Legendary Pokemon that can be found in the wild.
Adding them into raids presents an opportunity to catch the creatures without relying on in-game spawning for wild species. Still, considering that each member of the trio can only be raided in certain regions, some players aren't thrilled at the prospect of having to remote raid for them after Niantic's recent changes.
Though it's still technically possible to get Remote Raid Passes in Pokemon GO without spending real-world money, the process isn't easy. Trainers can acquire the passes by completing seven-day research breakthroughs or collecting Pokecoins by defending gyms.
However, some players don't exactly have thriving communities that are still active in-game. This complicates the prospect of getting Remote Raid Passes without spending money on microtransactions, which many were quick to point out.
Multiple Pokemon GO fans made a very strong point in the comments that, realistically, grinding for Pokecoins or completing a week's worth of research to get a Remote Raid Pass is an uphill task depending on their location.
Furthermore, the Water Festival itself, including the Lake Guardian raids, will only be available for six days. Succeeding in a remote raid also doesn't guarantee that the Lake Guardians will even be caught, as players can always miss their Premier Ball throws, or the legendary creatures could break free from capture attempts.
Fans speculated that this new collection of regional raids was Niantic's attempt to see how many Pokemon GO enthusiasts would be willing to spend money on Remote Raid Passes. However, others theorized that Niantic's intention was to have players roam the map more often to find the raids, presumptively allowing them to collect location data that can be sold to advertisers and generate revenue.
A few players were even more cynical, stating that Niantic would continue to strongarm the fanbase because many refused to quit the game.
Despite the criticisms, Niantic appears to be pushing ahead with its plans. Some players may miss out on the opportunity to catch the full collection of the Lake Guardians as a result. Still, the developers may prioritize the remaining playerbase willing to raid these legendary creatures.
Despite impassioned pleas from the #HearUsNiantic campaign, it appears that Pokemon GO's creators will stick to their intentions and attempt to suppress the criticism.
