Pokemon GO players were outraged this week when developer Niantic released changes to the EX Raid battle invite system. Players were being invited to EX Raids taking place at either Gyms that they had only visited once, Gyms that are thousands of miles away from them, or Gyms where they have never even participated in a normal raid. Fans were concerned about the new system and its potential to encourage more GPS spoofing and many called upon Niantic to explain.

It seems that Niantic has heard Pokemon GO players' complaints loud and clear and has now published an explanation about the situation to the game's official blog. In the post, Niantic explains that when it released an update to the EX Raid invite system, it also introduced a bug. The bug has since been fixed and future invites will only be sent if a player has completed a raid at that particular Gym.

While Niantic was at it fixing the bug the devs also made some changes to the EX Raid system. For starters, Niantic will increase the number of Gyms that meet the criteria to host an EX Raid battle (adding to the number of parks and sponsored locations) and increase the average number of Pokemon GO players invited per Gym. Players with higher level Gym badges are more likely to receive an invite at that Gym while "Trainers who complete more Raid Battles (at any location) the week before EX Raid Battle invitations are sent will now have a greater chance of being selected."

Pokemon GO EX Raid invite changes controversy

Niantic's latest update on the matter will be fantastic news to those with longstanding frustrations about the feature. For example, Pokemon GO players have previously discovered tricks to getting EX Raid invites.

Players argue that they shouldn't have to figure out ways to get around the system and that it should just be clear how they can increase their chances of getting an invite. Niantic's comments certainly make a big difference on that front.

Moreover, the developer apologizes "for any frustration the latest batch of invitations may have caused" and says that it will continue to monitor feedback and encourages players to share their thoughts on social media. Fans have also been asking for greater transparency so if Niantic sticks to its word, the developer should be able to win back disappointed players.

Pokemon GO is available for Android and iOS devices.

Source: Niantic