This New Pokemon Go Feature Could Be a Huge Game-Changer (But It Might Be Too Hard to Use)

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Since its release in 2016, Pokemon Go has always faced a key challenge. The game is designed to get people outdoors, exploring places like parks and cities to find Pokemon. However, not everyone has easy access to these locations or a local community of players. Therefore, the game’s creator, Niantic, constantly works to find a balance between features that require going out in the real world and options for those who play from home or in rural areas.

Niantic, the company behind Pokemon Go, has consistently adjusted the game to balance what players want with its goal of encouraging real-world interaction. Recent changes, like remote raid passes and increased Pokemon appearances in areas with fewer gyms and PokeStops, have definitely made the game easier to play. The latest addition, remote trading, has been highly anticipated, but like many new features in Pokemon Go, it’s proving to be more complex than players expected. Whether it will significantly improve the game remains to be seen, even for dedicated players like myself.

Remote Trades Help Solve a Huge Pokemon Go Problem (In Theory)

Similar to other Pokémon games, Pokémon Go aims to foster a sense of community and connection among players. However, many who continue to play the mobile game often find themselves lacking real-life connections. Although events like Pokémon Go Fest and Raid Days gather players in the same place, these gatherings don’t consistently lead to meaningful interactions. As a result, many players end up with several Pokémon Go Research Tasks that have gone unfinished for a long time.

As a big Pokémon Go fan, I’ve run into this issue a lot: some of the Research tasks really rely on trading Pokémon with a friend. Things like the Dual Destiny or Jump-Start Research lines specifically ask you to trade three times. You can even get trade-based Field Research tasks at PokéStops! But for a long time, you had to be physically with another player to actually make the trade happen. It meant a lot of us had those tasks just sitting there, unfinished for months, even years, because finding the right time and person to trade with wasn’t always easy.

Remote trading was introduced as a solution to a long-standing problem in Pokemon Go. While many players lack local in-person communities, the game has a thriving online presence with active groups on platforms like Reddit, Facebook, and Campfire. Players have been connecting online for years, and now they can technically trade with these friends within the game, helping them complete research tasks and obtain region-exclusive Pokemon. However, despite launching globally on December 11th, very few players have managed to meet the difficult requirements to unlock the feature.

Forever Friends Is a Grind That Will Take Months to Achieve

While you can now trade Pokémon remotely in Pokémon Go, it’s not automatic. You first need to become ‘Forever Friends’ with another player. If you’ve already built up a lot of Best Friends, you’re ahead of the game, but reaching this highest friendship level still takes time and effort.

To become friends with other players in the game, you can exchange gifts and team up for activities like Raids, Max Battles, and Party Play. However, many of the fastest ways to build friendship require you to meet up with people in real life, just like the old trading system did.

I’ve been really enjoying how much easier it’s become to max out friendships in Pokémon Go! Even without being able to raid or play together in person, things like the new Weekly Challenges let me team up with friends remotely and get a big friendship boost. Sending gifts is still a great way to build up those levels with people I’ve never even met! It does take a bit of work to get enough points for a remote trade, though – it’s not super quick, but definitely doable.

Becoming ‘Forever Friends’ requires 90 Friendship Points after you’ve reached ‘Best Friends’. Unlocking the ability to trade with your Forever Friend also takes 90 Friendship Points. After that, each trade opportunity requires another 90 points. You usually earn only 1 Friendship Point per friend daily, but Weekly Challenges give you 7 extra points. So, if you’re already Best Friends, it takes about 90 days to become Forever Friends, and another 3 months to unlock your first trade.

It makes sense that Niantic wants players to work for Remote Trades. Their main goal with Pokémon Go is to get people connecting in person, and trading is a good reason to meet up. However, it feels like Niantic has made earning these trades overly difficult, which could discourage players. It’s frustrating to have so much to do before even trying a new feature designed to make the game easier for those who don’t have a lot of local players. While Remote Trades are a great idea, the system might need some adjustments to truly succeed.

Trying to make your first Remote Trade in Pokémon Go? Share your experiences and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-12-21 17:42