Niantic have announced a few small changes to Pokémon GO which will make the game a little easier to play now everyone is locked in their homes and not allowed to wander around outside.
The safety of our global player community is our top priority. COVID-19 is challenging us and the world to adjust. We’re putting our focus on expanding features and experiences in our games that can be enjoyed in an individual setting and that also encourage exploration!
— Niantic, Inc. (@NianticLabs) March 13, 2020
We will also be making the following changes to Pokémon GO which are effective starting now until further notice.
A one-time purchase bundle of 30 Incense for 1 PokéCoin. Incense will also last for one hour.
1/2 Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed into Incubators during this time period
PokéStops will now drop Gifts more frequently
Pokémon habitats will increase and more Pokémon will be appearing in the wild
The Pokémon GO Abra Community Day event has also been postponed, as has the Pokémon GO Safari Zones in Liverpool, St. Louis and Philadelphia.
Trainers,
We have made the difficult decision to postpone Pokémon GO Safari Zone events in St. Louis, MO, USA; Liverpool, UK; and Philadelphia, PA, USA. We are looking into alternate dates and will provide an update as soon as possible. Please see below for more information on each event.
Safari Zone St. Louis
Details for the Safari Zone St. Louis postponement were previously announced here.
We will refund the amount paid by Trainers if they request a refund of their tickets via in-app support. Deadline to request a refund is March 25, 2020 at 11:59pm PT. If you do not request a refund, you will be able to use your existing ticket for the rescheduled Safari Zone.
As an added bonus for those who retain their tickets, we will activate the Safari Zone Pokémon encounters and Special Research globally during the original scheduled event hours (in your local time zone) so that you can still enjoy the event from wherever you are in the world. Only ticket holders will be able to experience this bonus event.
No action is required to keep your ticket and participate in the global gameplay. We will email ticket order purchasers with the updated event information and next steps.
Safari Zone Liverpool
We will refund the amount paid by Trainers if they request a refund of their tickets via in-app support. Deadline to request a refund is April 15, 2020 at 11:59pm PT. If you do not request a refund, you will be able to use your existing ticket for the rescheduled Safari Zone.
As an added bonus for those who retain their tickets, we will activate the Safari Zone Pokémon encounters and Special Research globally during the original scheduled event hours (in your local time zone) so that you can still enjoy the event from wherever you are in the world. Only ticket holders will be able to experience this bonus event.
If you purchased a City Explorer Pass add-on, the increased Incense and Lure Module duration, as well as the reduced Egg Hatch Distance, will be activated globally during the original event weekend, in your local time. The City Explorer Pass will work as originally planned with Explorer Raids and Field Research tasks—as well as the increased Incense and Lure Module duration, and reduced Egg Hatch Distance—during the rescheduled Safari Zone event. For more information on the City Explorer Pass, please visit the Niantic Help Center.
No action is required to keep your ticket and participate in the global gameplay. We will email ticket order purchasers with the updated event information and next steps.
Safari Zone Philadelphia
We will refund the amount paid by Trainers if they request a refund of their tickets via in-app support. Deadline to request a refund is May 6, 2020 at 11:59pm PT. If you do not request a refund, you will be able to use your existing ticket for the rescheduled Safari Zone.
As an added bonus for those who retain their tickets, we will activate the Safari Zone Pokémon encounters and Special Research globally during the original scheduled event hours (in your local time zone) so that you can still enjoy the event from wherever you are in the world. Only ticket holders will be able to experience this bonus event.
If you purchased a City Explorer Pass add-on, the increased Incense and Lure Module duration, as well as the reduced Egg Hatch Distance, will be activated globally during the original event weekend, in your local time. The City Explorer Pass will work as originally planned with Explorer Raids and Field Research tasks—as well as the increased Incense and Lure Module duration, and reduced Egg Hatch Distance—during the rescheduled Safari Zone event. For more information on the City Explorer Pass, please visit the Niantic Help Center.
No action is required to keep your ticket and participate in the global gameplay. We will email ticket order purchasers with the updated event information and next steps.
Sincerely,
The Niantic Live Events Team
Source: Niantic
