As the northern hemisphere returns to the colder months of the year, Niantic has made the choice to return the previously instated bonuses that were established early in the year in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With social distancing requirements and travel restrictions in place across much of the United States, to say nothing of the globe as a whole, Pokemon Go was in rather a poor position at the start of the pandemic's spread due to its nature as a game that rewards travel first and foremost. The result of this poor mix was the cancelation of several events, including the much anticipated Aeroblast Lugia raids that we were just recently able to take advantage of.
In order to combat this and breathe new life into a game held captive, Niantic implemented several consolation bonuses in order to make the game easier for many of us to play. And now these bonuses have returned in order to once again alleviate some of the burden that players may face as Covid-19 cases rise once again. These bonuses include:
- Incubators have had their distance requirements reduced
- The distance at which players are able to initiate trades has been increased
- The effectiveness of Incense has been increased
- Buddy Pokemon will now bring gifts when you're running low
We do not currently know how long these bonuses will last, but it is confirmed that they will continue into June of 2021, and that we will be given at minimum a one month warning before they come to an end.
As always; stay safe while playing! The Pokemon Go Community has done great things and survived this pandemic to this point, so we can continue doing so until this thing is finally under control!
