As the coronavirus continues to sweep across the globe, Niantic has made several changes to Pokémon GO to ensure the health and wellbeing of players.
The upcoming Abra Community day event has been postponed globally, with a replacement date set to be announced at a later time.
Detailed in a new blog post, Niantic is trying to promote player safety and stay-at-home gameplay with the following steps.
A bundle of 30 incense, which increase the rate at which Pokémon spawn around you, is on sale for a single PokéCoin (which is a 99 per cent discount) and it will remain active for one hour.
Incubators, used to hatch eggs based on how many steps you take, will now require half the usual steps.
PokéStops will be dropping more gifts than usual and Pokémon habitats are increasing to allow players to find Pokémon closer to where they live.
All of these changes will be in effect immediately until further notice. They hope these changes will encourage players, unwell or otherwise, to stay put instead of wandering around.
In a statement to Polygon, the company said the updates are "based on the current global health situation," advising players to "make decisions on where to go and what to do that are in the best interest of their health and the health of their communities."
Niantic is not the only company taking action as coronavirus spreads, as Overwatch League has cancelled all of their live events planned until May.
Massive gaming expo E3, set to take place in Los Angeles in June, has also been cancelled.
