Trainers around the world will now be paying more for in-game items beginning October 5, 2022, in Pokémon GO, according to a recent blog post shared by Niantic.
The increase in the Pokecoins price is due to App Store price tier changes. Despite the issue taking place on Apple devices, Niantic is keeping things in balance by increasing costs on Android platforms.
- Read more: Pokémon GO Tier List
These changes not only affect Pokémon GO but also affect Pikmin Bloom and Ingress, Niantic’s other games on the market.
For Pokémon GO specifically, Pokecoins represent the in-game currency. In order to be able to purchase necessary items like Raid Passes, increased storage, and certain cosmetics, players need to have lots of Pokecoins in stock. Although you can accumulate them for free by taking over and defending Gyms, the maximum you can earn per day is 50.
Pokémon GO monetizes the experience by incentivizing players to purchase Pokecoins with real money. This expedites the time needed to be able to afford items.
Which regions will be affected by the change?
Each of the following regions will see a price hike for Pokecoins.
- Chile
- Egypt
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Pakistan
- Poland
- South Korea
- Sweden
- Vietnam (*)
- All countries and regions that trade in Euros
Players in Vietnam will also be affected by both corporate income tax (CIT) and value-added tax, with rates of up to 5%.
Takeaway
The community of Pokémon GO players is extremely disappointed to see these changes put in place. A price hike makes the experience less inviting than it would be otherwise.
Niantic could find a happy medium to the issue by increasing the daily cap of coins earned by keeping Pokemon stationed at Gyms. However, this cap has not been raised since the game launched back in July 2016.