Players are unhappy with the changes Niantic has been making to Pokémon GO over the past few months. Content creators for the mobile game are now also feeling the frustration of the developers’ decisions. Australian Twitch streamer FleeceKing shared the hurtful messages he’s getting for supporting the game.
Why are people so unhappy? Niantic hasn’t made itself very popular with trainers lately. In particular, the changes to long-distance raids that were introduced during the corona pandemic caused frustration.
But also an event to launch Ignivor caused criticism and even the postcard feature was ruined in the eyes of some players. The anger does not only hit Niantic, but also supporters of the game.
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Player receives hate mail for purchasing a ticket
Who is the player? “FleeceKing” is not only the biggest Twitch streamer on Pokémon GO, but is also considered the first trainer to reach level 50 in the game. The player, like many others, was critical of the changes to the long-distance raid system (via Twitter).
What is this news? On April 28, FleeceKing shared a collage of messages he received for purchasing a ticket to Pokémon GO Fest 2023. In the news, he is called a hypocrite, insulted and ridiculed. One message even says he should have taken his own life.
“You can do both”
How does FleeceKing react? The streamer explains how much this news would hurt him. In a stream the same day, he elaborated on the situation and said he needed to put some distance to his mental health.
FleeceKing also stressed that just because he bought a ticket didn’t change his more critical views:
If you’re a sane person who really cares about our game and community, then it doesn’t matter how many Shinys are released, how many Pokémon are released, what GO Fests are held.
The reality is, if the game means enough to you, then don’t forget the long-distance raid changes, then don’t forget Niantic’s hideous choices. I think people forget that you can do both.
The streamer says he really only has two choices: abandon the game entirely, or make the most of it. Given that FleeceKing is a full-time content creator and his content consists almost entirely of Pokémon GO, retiring is hardly an option for him.
We at MeinMMO asked you whether you still collect pocket monsters on your mobile phones as diligently as before after the changes in Pokémon GO over the past few months. Almost 2,000 of you answered, you can find the results here:
Almost 2,000 MeinMMO readers revealed whether they still play Pokémon GO just as often after the recent changes