Pokemon GO players are reporting their phones' batteries are rapidly draining following a recent game update, among other issues.
As a mobile game that expects players to be constantly connected to the internet, Pokemon GO will inherently take a toll on a user's mobile data connection. However small that toll has become over the years, the resurfacing battery draining issue has become a much more immediate cause for concern for players, considering it can negatively affect a device many people rely on for more than just games.
The rapid drain in stored battery charge has caused noticeable effects, with some players having to charge their phones more times per day than before. Some players theorize this could be caused by the Adventure Sync feature, but for most players Adventure Sync did not cause a significant change to battery consumption until the most recent update. To make matters worse, some users are finding that the GO Battle League is causing their phones to overheat. One creative user resorted to using an ice pack to keep their phone cool while playing GO Battle League sets.
Similar battery-draining issues have surfaced much earlier in the game's lifespan, so Pokemon GO rapidly depleting device batteries is not without precedent. It is, however, no less concerning for players who also rely on their phones for services besides the game, such as texting or GPS. Mobile games that require the player to be constantly online need to be careful about battery life, so the player will not have to uninstall the game to preserve their phone through the day.
The battery drain issue is an important problem with Pokemon GO that is already frustrating players, and needs to be fixed soon. Without a fix, some users who need their phones functional for work and other communication may have to uninstall the application, though one Reddit commenter pointed out that force closing the app may work as well. Those who uninstall might move onto other live mobile games like Ingress, or quit playing AR mobile games entirely, which could take a chunk out of Pokemon GO's profits.
Especially considering the recent backlash over lootbox-like mechanics being added to the game, Niantic Inc. will need to maintain a stronger commitment to keeping their playerbase happy, as well as polish and test updates more before release to make sure no further serious issues arise in the game. Some players affected by the battery drain issue are threatening to uninstall the game over it, while others are scrambling to find the cause so they can keep playing.
Pokemon GO is available now for mobile devices.
Source: Reddit