Niantic, the developer behind popular mobile game Pokémon GO, has quietly removed bonus Ultra Ball boxes from Community Day rewards. Although Pokémon GO's audience and cultural impact has arguably shrunk since the game's launch in July 2016, it has still enjoyed a great amount of success. However, despite Pokémon GO's record-breaking revenue, some players are taking issue with Niantic's communication regarding some aspects of the game.
Community Day is a reoccurring, monthly event in Pokémon GO. Introduced in 2018, Community Day celebrates the community of Pokémon GO with a special Pokémon, which will know a move exclusive to that event. Additionally, the events can include other bonuses, such as increased XP, Stardust, or faster egg hatching. Among the game's many events, such as Raid Battles and Spotlight Hours, Community Days are a consistent source of rewards for Pokémon GO's player base.
Related: Every Pokémon GO Community Day From September to November 2022
Recently, however, players have noticed something missing from the Community Day rewards. As reported by TheGamer, free boxes containing 30 Ultra Balls, which had been included in Community Day rewards, have seemingly been removed with no announcement or notification. Hardly the first time Pokémon GO fans have complained about controversial changes made by Niantic, the removal has sparked further discussion about the developer's perceived lackluster communication, as well as growing community discontent with Niantic's decisions regarding the game. Particularly, in The Silph Road, a subreddit dedicated to Pokémon GO, a post by user SparklinStar1440 has community members noting a "bad relationship" with "poor communication" between Niantic and Pokémon GO players.
The removal of Ultra Ball boxes isn't the first time Niantic has made undocumented changes to the game. Community members have also noted the recent unannounced removal of weekly one coin boxes, although the boxes had been announced as a bonus in the last season, and as such were not guaranteed to be carried over to the next. With previous changes to Pokémon GO having caused player backlash, some users speculate that the unannounced removals are an attempt to avoid criticism on the part of Niantic.
Regardless of whether the lack of announcement is intentional or an unfortunate oversight, there does seem to be a general disconnect between Pokémon GO's community and the developer. Although Pokémon GO has certainly enjoyed high profits over the years, it has also garnered no small amount of criticism, and the game has suffered a sizable drop in the size of its player base since the time of its release. If Niantic would like for Pokémon GO to stay successful and engaging for its players, it would perhaps do well to improve its communication with its community.
Sources: TheGamer, SparklinStar1440/Reddit