Pokemon GO fans have some major content to look forward to in April. The Season of Alola's series of Special Research will continue, taking fans to the next island in the Alola region's archipelago. The mid-April research will no doubt be accompanied by the release of some new monsters. Aside from that, Pokemon GO will also feature two different Community Days in April: first players will get increased Mudkip encounters through a Community Day Classic, and then a second event will introduce Stufful to the game. However, fans should note that Niantic is making some significant changes to Community Days in April too.
For some time now, Pokemon GO Community Day events have been six hours long, rather than the original three hours. This change came in 2020 alongside a wealth of other Pokemon GO tweaks meant to empower fans playing from home during COVID-19 quarantines. Niantic has now announced that it's returning to the original three-hour time limit, and although it provides an argument for why it's reverting to the old structure, Niantic's case isn't enough. Longer Community Day hours are better for Pokemon GO overall, since they give all fans a better opportunity to participate, even if they can only play for a little while.
Pokemon GO's Community Day Reversion
Alongside the Stufful Community Day announcement, Niantic revealed that it would shorten Community Days once more. Niantic's reasoning for the change is twofold. It claims that its data shows that only five percent of the Pokemon GO community would participate in Community Days for more than three hours, meaning the extended window of time didn't serve much purpose. Niantic also says that Pokemon GO players have found that the community is more visibly active during a three-hour limit than a six-hour limit. Niantic's change is meant to foster the previous sense of togetherness and Pokemon GO enthusiasm that shorter Community Days captured.
Niantic's argument misses the real value in longer Community Days. Not every Pokemon GO player is consistently available on a Saturday afternoon, meaning the traditional Community Day times are hard to meet. Players who have work hours and other obligations during the standard event hours find it much harder to partake in the celebration's opportunities. A six-hour time limit makes Community Days more accessible by giving Pokemon GO fans with busy schedules a better chance at catching a few event Pokemon. These fans are the ones who really benefit from longer events, rather than those who participate for more than three hours. The Pokemon GO community is better unified when everyone has a good chance to participate in events, rather than when everyone has to play within the same short time allotment.
Supporting the Pokemon GO Community
Niantic seems to know that shorter Community Days will adversely affect some fans, because the upcoming Stufful event is packed with bonuses. Pokemon GO fans can expect to earn additional normal Candy and XL Candy, rack up various XP bonuses, get more mileage out of their Incense, and much more. Valuable as these bonuses might be, the fact remains that some Pokemon GO fans will have a much harder time accessing them, since the Community Day will be so much shorter than recent events.
Accessibility is important in video games of all kinds, and it takes many forms. Extending the duration of an in-game event is a simple form of increasing accessibility, but an effective one. Giving players more time to participate in a special opportunity is a great thing, which is why Pokemon GO fans will miss the extended Community Days so much. Niantic may not be willing to reverse this major change to Pokemon GO anytime soon, since it seems to have prepared an argument for the change and tried to make up for the impact, but it ought to reconsider its stance. Pokemon GO fans are eager to participate, and it's up to Niantic to make that easier to do.
Pokemon GO is available now for Android and iOS devices.