The Pokémon GO Exploration Bonuses will bring a massive change that will benefit the players. The global pandemic made Niantic bring changes in their game’s model, following the protocols. Players had to move around to visit PokéStops and meet new friends to raid each other. It is hard for the players to meet and go outdoors during the pandemic. Hence, the developers have considered all the feedback and brought changes accordingly.
Niantic announced the following three things in their blog post:
- The arrival of new exploration bonuses.
- Removing or changing last year’s bonuses.
- Plans to keep some of the bonuses added last year.
Pokémon GO New exploration bonuses details
A new set of exploration bonuses will roll out for Trainers to test first in the U.S and New Zealand by the end of July. Trainers will get:
- Two free Raid Passes per day from spinning Gym Discs.
- Increment in Incense effectiveness while moving.
- Guaranteed gifts as gifts while spinning PokéStops so long as there’s room in their gift inventory.
- 10x bonus XP from spinning a PokéStop for the first time.
These bonuses expire with the end of Season of Discovery, on September 1, 2021. However, some of the bonuses might remain in the next season, along with the new ones.
These bonuses might be available in other countries as well, depending on the safety situation of those nations. Niantic will monitor it and make the decision, depending on them.
Removal or change of last year’s bonuses
Niantic is planning to remove or change some of the bonuses from last year. Niantic will make no changes until after Pokémon GO Fest in July. They will remove them first as a test in the U.S. and New Zealand starting at the end of July. It will happen on a rolling basis in other nations and regions over time. However, new exploration bonuses will be introduced at the same time.
The changes from the last year being removed are:
- Incense effectiveness added to draw in Pokémon more often, in spite of not leaving home. It will be introduced at the standard level while stable and increased effectiveness will soon kick while moving.
- Gifts from Buddy Pokémon will no longer be frequent to encourage Trainers to go outside, to receive supplies from spinning PokéStops.
- The distance interaction of PokéStop and Gym will shift back to the standard distance but can be increased during future events and as part of certain features.
Last year, Remote Raids gained a lot of importance in the game. This time, Niantic is planning to continue evolving them, to find the right balance between remote play and in-person play.
More information related to this will be coming in the near future. Most of the in-person raid modifications will be made for the eventual return of EX Raids.
Keeping some of the last year’s bonuses
Niantic has chosen to keep back some of the changes from last year as several countries and regions begin to open back up. These changes will be made for the “foreseeable future” of Pokémon GO.
Some of the changes going to remain are:
- Incense time will remain at 60 minutes.
- No walking requirement for GO Battle League.
- Players can challenge any Trainer remotely with a QR Code. However, the requirement to battle with friends remotely has been lowered to Good Friends.
- Players can have 20 as the maximum number of Gifts one can carry in their Item Bag at a time.
- Trainers will have a chance to open up to 30 Gifts per day, up from the previous 20.
- Players will continue to earn three times the Stardust and XP their first Pokémon catch of the day.
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