Pokemon Go petition to “Save Remote Raiding” signed by thousands ahead of boycott

In a show of opposition to the upcoming Remote Raid changes, tens of thousands of Pokemon Go players have signed a change.org petition to “Save Remote Raiding.”

March 30, 2023, was a day Pokemon Go players knew was a possibility but hoped the rumors would never come to fruition. In an official blog post, Niantic announced they would be making changes to Remote Raiding, making them less accessible.

These changes include nearly doubling the price of Remote Raid Passes and limiting the number of Remote Raids to five a day. This announcement caused fierce backlash from the community, which Niantic admitted it expected from an update as unpopular as this.

And for the second time in the last three years, players are banding together for a massive boycott of Pokemon Go. Starting on April 6, boycott participants are expected to reduce the time spent interacting with in-game raids for a week. However, other players plan to pull the plug completely, deleting the app once the changes go live.

Petition to “Save Remote Raiding” signed by thousands

While lengthy posts on forums may not grab the attention of Niantic, one player started a petition in hopes of showing how these changes will negatively impact the community. And now it’s close to becoming one of the top signed petitions of Change.org.

User Ali Vongsathian started the petition shortly after Niantic’s announcement. Many petitions have been attempted in recent years, but Ali’s gained traction instantly. At the time of writing, the “Save Remote Raiding in Pokémon GO!” petition is just shy of 20,000 signatures.

In the petition details, Ali wrote, “[Niantic] has not considered what this price increase and limitation means for trainers who do not have the privilege of being able to leave their house to play a game. This includes disabled and differently-abled people, parents, immunocompromised individuals, and many more.”

In addition to Ali’s explanation, several players left comments along with their signatures.

Andi S wrote, “I am disabled and immunocompromised, and remote raids allowed me to play regularly with friends and be an active part of the PoGo community. Taking these away disproportionally penalizes players who are not in a position to physically gather in groups or travel far from home.”

Others harped on Niantic and how their vision for the game is ruining it for rural and disabled players. Some also claimed that the constant nerfs would only encourage spoofers to continue cheating.

Players who wish to show their support for “saving Remote Raids in Pokemon Go,” click here to sign the petition on Change.org.