Here’s how ‘Pokemon Go’ is adjusting to the coronavirus pandemic

Pokemon Go has received several major updates to make it easier to play without leaving home as many of us are stuck inside until the coronavirus pandemic is under control.

Some of the changes to Pokemon Go include extra XP, the ability to carry more gifts, and cheap bundles.

Be sure to check Pokemon Go every week for a new 1 PokeCoin bundle in the shop.

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There are obviously more pressing concerns right now than catching Pokemon on our phones, but as we all settle into our new quarantine realities for the next several weeks or even months, any distraction is a welcome one. That's why we thought it would be a good idea to see how Pokemon Go developer Niantic is tweaking its game to account for the fact that no one is going outside and walking around for the foreseeable future.

Reports about Niantic "prioritizing updates to Pokemon Go features and experiences that can be enjoyed in individual settings" began popping up earlier this month, and on Monday, the developer revealed some of the changes that are being made to make the game easier to play from the comfort of your home.

According to the official Pokemon Go website, these changes are being made to the game until further notice:

3x Stardust and XP for your first Pokémon catch of the day: Be sure to activate a Star Piece and Lucky Egg to maximize your rewards.

Changes to Gifts: The number of Gifts you can open daily will now increase to 30, and the number of Gifts you can carry in your inventory will increase to 20. Gifts will also contain more Poké Balls.

Rotating 1 PokéCoin bundles in the shop: New 1 PokéCoin bundles will be available in the shop each week as one-time purchases. The contents of these bundles change weekly. Right now, a 1 PokéCoin bundle is available for you that contains the following: Poké Balls x 100.

The 100 Poke Ball bundle and a 30 Incense bundle will be available in the shop until Monday, March 30th at 1:00 PM PDT / 4:00 PM EDT. At that time, a new 1 PokeCoin bundle will take their place.

In addition to all the changes listed above, Niantic increased the number of habitats on the map so that monsters are more likely to spawn close by so that trainers don't have to travel to find them, boosted incense to last an hour, made eggs hatch twice as fast, and upgraded PokeStops so that they drop gifts more often.

Pokemon Go might not be as popular now as it was in the summer of 2016 when it first launched, but there are plenty of people all over the world who still log on every day to catch Pokemon, take control of gyms, and join their friends to battle in raids. It's nice to know that they won't have to put themselves at risk to keep playing.

Image Source: Niantic

Jacob started covering video games and technology in college as a hobby, but it quickly became clear to him that this was what he wanted to do for a living. He currently resides in New York writing for BGR. His previously published work can be found on TechHive, VentureBeat and Game Rant.