Some Pokemon GO players are thinking that Elite Raids may have been secretly nerfed, adding a new item to the list of reasons the community is frustrated. In recent weeks, Pokemon GO has been in the spotlight, but rather than for positive reasons like new Pokemon and new features, Niantic's game has been attracting attention for several controversies.
The most notable current controversy is the changes to Pokemon GO's Remote Raids, which has caused some in the community to boycott Pokemon GO and generated a lot of criticism directed at Niantic. In particular, disabled players and players from rural areas have shown their dissatisfaction with the new limitations, making the gaming experience more tricky. Even moments to celebrate, such as Regieleki's debut in Pokemon GO, were cause for controversy. Regieleki-related Elite Raids were scheduled on Easter Sunday, which also did not please some players.
Now, Pokemon GO players are debating whether Elite Raids may have been secretly nerfed. Elite Raids are highly challenging Pokemon GO battles that appear in special Raid Eggs in Gyms during special events. Reddit user skewtr says on the subreddit TheSliphRoad that since Regidrago's debut in Pokemon GO, the base catch rate of Elite Raids has been reduced from 6% to 2%. Skewtr says they thought the catch rate nerf was a bug, but according to the user, Regieleki's Elite Raids had the same rate.
In the comments on Skewtr's post, other users gave their opinions on the possible nerf. While several users insist that there was no nerf, Reddit user RabidRathian says they noticed the same thing as skewtr. The user reports having difficulties capturing Regieleki even though they made excellent throws, with the Pokemon escaping a few times. According to them, players in their group also had problems, and even though they were hardcore players, several failed to get the legendary even after three tries. Another user expressed their frustration specifically with the game's catch rates, as sometimes no matter what the player does, Pokemon will escape. The user also questioned whether the chance of catching a Pokemon in Pokemon GO is defined randomly.
Nerfs to features in online games are regular, and even "secret nerfs" are not uncommon. In Pokemon GO's case, however, they add yet another potential reason for players to become disheartened by the game. Niantic has not commented on the matter, but it continues to generate theories among Pokemon GO players. Despite the divergence of arguments, the comments on the publication seem to agree that Pokemon GO needs more transparency.
Pokemon GO is available on Android and iOS.