Pokémon GO Raises Distance Restrictions With PokéStops and Gyms

According to the official post on Twitter, Pokémon GO has increased the interaction distance of PokéStops and Gyms once again. What will this change bring in the game and how will it resonate with the Pokemon Go community? 

Bringing Back Safety

The distance from now on doubled to 80 meters across the globe, instead of the previous 40 meters, which was updated back in July. You needed to be in this radius for interacting with points of interest in the game. That's the new rule you need to follow to continue your adventures with participating in raids, battling defender Pokemon, pinning Photo Discs, and more.
Actually, this decision is reversing the update developers made a month ago. Niantic decided to bring back the 40 meters radius distance as the COVID restrictions eased. But the decision faced negative pushback from fans for many reasons.

Community Response

The company canceled recent changes on August 1 in the US because players' feedback with popular hashtags explained that it is not the best thing to do at this time. Niantic, in return, formed an "Interaction Distance Task Force" to connect with players and give recommendations. Another significant factor in this situation with radius expansion is benefits for players with disabilities, providing access to otherwise unreachable locations. So, the company decided to bring back the default game radius to encourage users to maintain social distance while playing.

We think it's great to know that creators care about their game and community safety. Are you a Pokemon Go fan? How do you feel about the game developers reversing their decision? Let us know in the comment section below and share this article with your friends if you liked it.