The outbreak of COVID-19, or coronavirus, is spurring plenty of adjustments around the world, and now Niantic is hopping on the safety-precautions bandwagon with both Pokemon GO and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. The change is in response to concerns about the gameplay of Pokemon GO and Wizards Unite, seeing as they involve the player community going out and exploring in a way that isn't so feasible during a time when public places around the world are closing down for the time being.
In the gaming industry alone, events are being postponed or canceled altogether left and right; first the Game Developers' Conference, and now E3 along with many esports events and smaller conventions. Even some workplaces have been instituting a work from home policy for the foreseeable future until the coronavirus danger has passed, so it's unsurprising that Niantic is adjusting its games to be played in more individual settings.
Niantic broke the news by releasing a statement over Twitter, also posting links to Pokemon GO and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite's respective websites where a full list of changes are listed. In terms of events, the Pokemon GO Abra Community Day, originally scheduled for March 15, has been postponed; meanwhile, in the Wizards Unite world, the game's March Community Day event has also been postponed indefinitely. That seems to be the only major change in Wizards Unite for now, but Niantic has made several gameplay adjustments to Pokemon GO effective immediately, which will remain in effect until further notice.
In Pokemon GO, Niantic will be instituting changes including a one-time purchase bundle of 30 incense, for the cost of 1 PokeCoin, and incense will last for one hour (rather than 30 minutes). Eggs placed into incubators will have the distance normally required to hatch them halved, meaning that players should be able to hatch their eggs without such lengthy travel required. PokeStops will also drop gifts more frequently, and habitats will increase, meaning that more Pokemon will be appearing in the wild.
It's entirely possible that more changes will be instituted, considering the threat of coronavirus, but that's the extent of Niantic's changes for now. Those changes should at least make it easier for Pokemon GO players to be homebodies more often while still enjoying the game.
Pokemon GO and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite are both available on most mobile devices.
Source: Pokemon GO