Pokémon Go promotes play from home with new lockdown-era changes

Pokémon Go has made additional changes, effective until further notice, as more of the world enters lockdown to combat coronavirus.

A new 1 PokéCoin bundle offering 100 Pokéballs is now available to claim from the in-game shop, meaning players need no longer go outside to visit a PokéStop to replenish their stash.

This was a popular request from Pokémon Go fans, and one of several potential additions Eurogamer highlighted in our look at the game in its current state just yesterday.

Gifts will also become a major Pokéball source, with changes now in place to allow you to open up to 30 gifts per day and carry up to 20.

XP and Stardust, meanwhile, will be tripled for your first Pokémon catch of the day to reward you for logging in from your sofa.

The current 30 Incense and 100 Pokéball bundles will be offered until next Monday, 30th March, when they will be replaced with another 1 PokéCoin bundle. This will then rotate weekly until further notice.

Finally, this month's Lugia raids have been called off.

All the above is on top of all previous changes, which remain effective globally until further notice.

Next, developer Niantic has begun contacting Safari Zone ticket holders, instructing them to "play inside". (The physical events are postponed, but in-game bonuses will still take place at their original times.) The below email was sent to a ticket holder for the St. Louis Safari Zone in the US, but we're expecting similar advice for Liverpool attendees in the coming days.

^{Image credit: Silph Road}

Incense activated by ticket holders during the event will last eight hours and be "even more effective" than its currently boosted state. Research quests can also be completed "wherever you can play".

Finally, Niantic last night lifted the lid on an in-progress development feature to let you view ongoing events, live bonuses and daily streaks in-game via an upcoming "Today" tab. This may prove useful in these times of unprecedented change.

Last night, the UK government announced stringent new measures to curb the coronavirus' spread. All non-essential businesses, including games retailers, will close. Citizens can only leave the house for a short list of essential reasons, including one session of exercise per day. Gatherings of more than two people not from the same household are banned.

In other words, stay inside, and play at home.