‘Pokemon Go’: Niantic announces changes to fix Mega Evolution
The introduction of Mega Evolution to “Pokemon Go” wasn’t perfect and Niantic has acknowledged that. In an effort to make it more accessible for players, the company announced changes to the feature’s mechanics. Some of them are active now while others are in the works.
The most important update in the works is this: Walking with your buddy can earn Mega Energy. This can be a sea-change to the feature depending on how much Mega Energy is doled out. By walking, players are no longer bound to raids to get Mega Energy. Sure, it could take a long time to earn enough to Mega Evolve (more on that later) but it’s better than the costly alternative.
The other updates in the works are creating ways to earn Mega Energy “through research tasks and other gameplay.” It’s a vague statement but as long as the tasks aren’t tied to raids and if they give players a decent amount of Mega Energy, that could be a worthwhile adjustment.
The last change in the works is tied to Mega Evolution but not focused on energy. Niantic is working on a way to give bonus candy when catching a Pokemon of that same type as a Mega-Evolved one. This could be an incentive to Mega-Evolve Pokemon such as Lucario, Mewtwo or Rayquaza if they’re ever part Mega Raids. Other rarer Pokemon such as Audino, which can be caught in the wild could benefit from this as well.
The adjustments being made right now are as follows:The Mega Energy requirement for a Pokemon that has already Mega Evolved is down to 40. The previous cost was 50. In addition, the amount of Mega Energy coming from Mega Raids is increased. Reports on the Silph Road subreddit said that players are getting 60 Mega Energy from raids. Another report I heard on the Pokemon Go Bay Area Raids Discord found that players can earn 70 Mega Energy. That can make the process worth it.
Niantic is also working on other changes. It’s a first step toward fixing a feature that holds promise for the game.