Pokémon Go’s doomsday is looming. The maligned Remote Raid Passes changes, which include a price hike and a daily limit, come into effect on Thursday, April 6, and it could be the beginning of the end.
The price of single Remote Raid Passes will increase to 195 PokéCoins, while three-packs will increase to 525 PokéCoins. Players will also only be able to use five per day, although the limit may be increased for special events.
Players have been on alert ever since the changes were accidentally revealed two months ago, and when Niantic finally confirmed them on March 30, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Fury reached an all-time high. Droves of players claimed to have uninstalled the game, with no plans of ever coming back. Others resorted to boycotting the item shop instead, hoping it would hit Niantic where it hurts.
The stats appear to back it up. The estimated maximum daily player count has already dropped by a third this year, according to SensorTower and Statista. Annual revenue has followed the same trend, too.
There’s still hope, however. Players are begging Niantic to backtrack on it before it’s too late. Others are convinced Niantic devised a scheme to increase the price of Remote Raid Prices more than expected, only to drop them later to seem like the good guys, which, while malicious, is a better outcome than dealing with the proposed price.
It is, of course, nothing more than hearsay until doomsday rolls around.
If nothing changes before then, it could potentially nuke the Pokemon Go player base even more, perhaps to the point of no return. If Niantic does change their tune to appease the masses, however, those on the fence might be willing to return—at least until the next thing ticks them off.
We’ll know for sure in three days’ time.
