In the early days of Pokemon Go, you could only really find wild spawns near PokeStops and Gyms. For players who live in rural areas or can’t easily leave the house, this made the game pretty difficult to enjoy. In recent years, Niantic has made some huge improvements that made Pokemon Go more friendly for at-home play. Adventure Sync made it easier to hatch eggs during your day-to-day, and Remote Raids let you partake in battles from home. It’s still a “go outside and play” game, but there are more ways to enjoy Pokemon Go at home.
One of the biggest improvements to Pokemon Go in recent years was the increase in wild spawns further from PokeStops and Gyms. Those who live in more remote areas or who often play for home were actually able to catch Pokemon. I saw this myself, with many Pokemon popping up on screen when I open the app from my rural home. I have even caught debut Pokemon at home, which wasn’t possible until recently. But suddenly, many Pokemon Go players aren’t seeing those wild spawns anymore, and it’s a huge issue.
Pokemon Go Wild Spawns Apparently Dramatically Reduced with Recent Update
Image courtesy of Niantic
Over the past few days, Pokemon Go players have noticed some changes to the mobile game. It seems related to a January 6th update, which arrived ahead of the Pinch Perfect event. Updates like this roll out pretty regularly, but this one has caused quite a stir for two reasons. First, it marked the official end of the McDonald’s-sponsored Gyms, which have now vanished from the Pokemon Go map. But it also seems to have massively reduced the number of Pokemon spawning in the wild, especially in areas without Poke Stops.
Since January 6th, Pokemon Go players on Reddit and across social media have been sharing the sudden lack of wild spawns. Many players are noticing that they’re only seeing 1 or 2 Pokemon on the map when opening Pokemon Go. Before the update, half a dozen Pokemon or more would spawn when opening the game, even in rural areas. And players like me who don’t often get out to more populated spaces aren’t very pleased.
This looks to be happening pretty much across the board, with most Pokemon Go players noticing a lower spawn rate than before. Many players report submitting tickets to Pokemon Go support, hoping that this is a glitch that will be resolved. At first, responses seemed largely to offer troubleshooting tips for trainers. But more recently, Niantic has begun responding to say that the team “is currently investigating this issue.”
It’s not clear if the vanishing spawns are a glitch or simply an intended reduction in the spawn rate. Pokemon Go does sometimes tweak the pool of wild Pokemon and spawn rates along with it. However, the massive reduction in number is definitely not great for people who aren’t frequently near Poke Stops. Given that Niantic is apparently investigating, player feedback just might make a difference in this case. That said, the Niantic Support account has not yet made any public-facing statements about plans to do anything differently with the reduced Pokemon Go spawns.
Nearly 10 Years In, Pokemon Go Still Struggles to Balance Remote & In-Person Play
Image courtesy of Niantic
When it launched in 2016, Pokemon Go had a unique goal. Get people out of the house to play a game that requires interacting in real life. And that summer did indeed see players getting out to explore the novelty of seeing Pokemon appear in “real life.” But from the start, this model has been a drawback for certain players. When I lived in the city, I didn’t really notice a problem. I could step out my apartment door and find several Pokemon stops, with Pokemon nearby. But not everyone has that option, and it limits the Pokemon Go audience.
During 2020 in particular, Niantic had to try and find a balance between the original “get out and play” model and support for rural and at-home players. Things like Remote Raids help let those who can’t easily leave the house get more out of Pokemon Go. But the Remote Raid Pass cost and cap have remained a controversial issue ever since they were introduced.
Another longtime pain point for Pokemon Go players has been trading. Until very recently, you could only trade Pokemon in person. For those living far away from other players, this was a big issue. The introduction of remote trades late last year looked like a huge step forward for rural players. It’s a bit tricky to use in practice, but the option does at least exist now… in theory.
Wild spawns have been a similar struggle. When Pokemon Go increased the rate of wild Pokemon in more remote areas, many players felt like Niantic was finally listening. I can remember the day I opened my app and saw my avatar surrounded by wild Pokemon, even at home. It has encouraged me to get back into opening the game regularly. Now with just a few days of massively reduced spawns, myself and many other players who live in more remote areas are already pulling away from the game.
Hopefully, Niantic will turn the volume back up on wild Pokemon spawns in Pokemon Go soon enough. There will still be issues with balancing play for remote and in-person players. But in this case, suddenly seeing fewer Pokemon on the map again feels like a major step back, and one that doesn’t have a clear reason behind it.
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