Pokemon Go has postponed the planned Safari Zone events in Philadelphia and Liverpool due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. Pokemon Go announced that both events, which were to take place in April and May, have been postponed and would be rescheduled for later dates. Players who purchased a ticket for either event can choose to have their purchase refunded or keep their ticket for entry at the rescheduled event. Those who keep their tickets will still get to experience some of the fun of the Safari Zone event – Pokemon Go will activate the Safari Zone Pokemon encounters and special research during the originally scheduled hours so that players can enjoy the event without leaving their local community. Players have until April 15th to refund their Safari Zone Liverpool ticket via in-app support, and can request a refund for their Safari Zone Philadelphia ticket until May 6th.
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Pokemon Go has now cancelled all three of their planned Live Events for this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused worldwide restrictions on social gatherings. The World Health Organization and other health officials have recommended limiting large gatherings and in-person social interactions to slow the spread of the virus and keep local health systems from becoming overwhelmed.
To help combat the spread of the virus, Pokemon Go has made several notable changes to its gameplay in recent weeks. Not only can players now encounter Legendary Pokemon through the GO Battle League (thus eliminating the need for raids in the short term), Pokemon Go has also removed the distance requirement to unlock GO Battle League Battles. They have also halved the distance needed to walk eggs, lengthened the time that incense works, and increased the number of spawn points in order to help players enjoy the game without traveling too far from their home.
We’ll keep players updated on Pokemon Go and how the app is responding to COVID-19. Let us know how you’re playing Pokemon Go during this time of social distancing or find me on Twitter at @CHofferCBus to talk all things Pokemon.
