Pokemon GO players are organizing a «strike» to protest unpopular changes Niantic is making to the game. The strike, more accurately described as a short-term boycott, comes in response to Niantic's upcoming price increase on Remote Raid Passes but also protests the game’s monetization policy in general.
Niantic launched its popular augmented reality game Pokemon GO in 2016, allowing players to catch, train, and battle Pokemon by walking around in the real world. One of that year's most popular and profitable mobile apps, it saw more than 500 million worldwide downloads in 2016 alone. It accrued over a billion downloads by 2019, with over $6 billion in revenue by 2020. Niantic has kept the game going with regular events and updates adding new content. While many of these new features are regarded as improvements to Pokemon GO, the same cannot be said for its monetization policies.
Pokemon GO Announces Spring Into Spring Event
Some Pokemon GO players are attempting to organize what they are calling a «strike» to make Niantic reverse its recent price hike for Remote Raid Passes. These passes allow Pokemon GO players to participate in raids without being physically present at the location. According to a post on the Pokemon subreddit, Pokemon GO's monetization has only worsened over time, with Niantic over-charging players for loot boxes and items. The post claims this is partly due to fans' unwillingness to stand up to Niantic and asked fans to participate in a Raid strike for one week after the change goes into effect.
The post explains how participants in the boycott will not purchase any Boxes, Remote Raid Passes, and Premium Raid Passes for seven days after the price increase. The organizer hopes that Niantic will
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