Dear Niantic Explorers,

As some parts of the world return to lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’d like to share our thoughts on how and why we’re continuing to make adjustments to the play experience in Pokémon GO.

First, we hope that you are staying well during this challenging time. In March, we shared our initial approach in response to COVID-19, and we want to acknowledge how the situation around the world has changed quite a bit since then. Some countries and regions have improved substantially, while others are re-entering various degrees of lockdown because of spiking infection rates.

We’re constantly monitoring the situation and want to provide the best experience possible for Trainers. As such, we want to continue to make changes to Pokémon GO that balance the original intent of the game (to enable people to explore, exercise and engage with each other socially) with the realities of the situation the pandemic has caused.

Yesterday, we updated Pokémon GO’s temporary bonuses globally, and announced that we’ll be keeping them in place through at least June 2021. Furthermore, we’ll be giving you at least a month’s notice before the bonuses are ended. You can read about those specifics here. These changes are designed to allow Trainers to continue to enjoy the core components of Pokémon GO. We don’t want you to miss out on any of the exciting additions coming to Pokémon GO, but we also want to stay true to the nature of what Pokémon GO is designed to be.

As always, we encourage you to be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Where safe, Pokémon GO can be an engaging way to enjoy outdoor exercise. Socially-distanced exercise, such as walking outdoors, is encouraged by several global and national health organizations, including the WHO and CDC. As with all of our evolving adjustments this year, we hope that these recent changes will make it that much easier for you to enjoy Pokémon GO during these challenging times.

We thank you for reading, for playing and for sharing your thoughts and feedback with us. As always, we welcome your feedback on these changes.

–The Pokémon GO team