Shortly after the pandemic started last year, Pokemon Go altered several mechanics, including allowing people to access Pokestops and gyms — which give items like Poke balls and potions — from further away. This change made the game easier to play while practicing social distancing, made certain stops that would otherwise require trespassing easier to access, and made the game much easier to play for people with disabilities. Alongside the other changes, this helped Pokemon Go thrive in the pandemic, generating almost $2 billion in revenue in 2020
These changes were announced as temporary, and last month Pokemon Go announced they would be reverting the range for New Zealand and the United States in August as a “test.” The reaction to change was received very negatively and despite rising cases of Covid in the US this change went into effect today. The two major Pokemon Go subreddits, /r/pokemongo and /r/TheSilphRoad, are currently full of complaints from players and the …