Why Pokemon GO Remote Raid Pass Didn't Get a Push Despite Its Popularity

One of the biggest changes in Pokemon GO in recent years came in the form of Remote Raiding. Prior to the arrival of Pokemon GO remote raid pass, the only way trainers could take part in raiding in the game was through in-person participation. While raiding with your community is indeed a rewarding experience and sits well with the game's philosophy of going out in the real world to experience the game, for a lot of players, especially those who live in rural areas, catching legendary Pokemon or 5-star raid bosses from raids was not feasible due to their location and community constraints.

Pokemon GO remote raid pass was introduced after the COVID-19 restrictions came worldwide. Niantic wanted trainers to still enjoy raiding from the comfort of their home, along with other changes in the game that allowed trainers to catch Pokemon and take part in the events normally without needing to go out.

This was a long ask from the community, especially among the players who wanted to take part in raid battles, but their location restricted them from doing so. Niantic introduced the feature into the game, offering a free remote raid pass every day to every trainer around the world.

Over the years, the remote raid pass in Pokemon Go has risen in popularity and almost became just another feature of the game. However, after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, we have seen multiple changes to remote raid passes that nerfed the popular feature of the game. What went wrong?

In this post, we will take a look at the reasons why Niantic nerfed Pokemon GO remote raid pass after the COVID-19 restrictions were removed.

What is Pokemon GO Remote Raid Pass?

A Pokemon GO Remote Raid Pass basically allows the trainers to join raid battles, shadow raids, and max battles from practically anywhere without needing to be physically at the gym or the power spots.

To participate in the raids, a trainer first needs to receive an invite from someone who can access the gym either in person or remotely. Here are the steps to join a remote raid:

• Look for a raid, shadow raid, or max battle in your nearby screen or in the map view.
• Once you have found the invitation or the raid itself on your map, tap on the raid and enter the raid lobby.
• Select the remote raid pass to join the battle remotely.
• Battle with other trainers or solo and take down the raid boss, and win raid rewards.

Reasons Why Pokemon GO Remote Raid Pass Was Nerfed

Now that you know what Remote Raid Pass in Pokemon GO is and how popular it is within the community, let us take a look at the reasons why Niantic nerfed Remote Raid Pass:

• Not a Traditional Experience: Niantic has come out and said that the remote raids came to be used by the community way more than the company expected. People were doing 40-50 legendary raids from their home every day with barely any participation in in-person raids, which was the traditional experience that Pokemon GO intended. If you’re looking to improve your raid teams after these changes, our best Pokemon in Pokemon GO guide will help you build the strongest counters for each boss.
• Sustainability Issues of the Game: Niantic also mentioned that there were too many imbalances caused in the game economy and player behavior. One of the things that was pointed out was that the players were levelling up too quickly, and the model was not sustainable.
• Bringing back the Core Concept: Pokemon GO is meant to be played and enjoyed by going outside, just like how the anime was. The game is tied to community-building and real interaction. Remote raids reduced the need to go out, and Niantic wanted to push back towards what made the game unique.
• Encouraging in-person raiding: Above all, Niantic wanted to influence in-person raiding once again. To do that, they have increased the rewards from in-person raids.

How did Niantic Nerf Pokemon GO Remote Raid Pass?

Niantic nerfed Remote raid pass in Pokemon GO through a series of changes that they have implemented over time. However, the biggest changes to remote raid passes that were announced on 30th March, 2023, changed everything: