Pokémon Go Solstice Event Gym Shutdown: 5 Things You Need To Know

Pokémon Go gyms are finally being revamped as part of the Pokémon Go Solstice Event. The game’s parent company, Niantic has temporarily shut down all Pokémon gyms since Monday.

The gyms haven’t been permanently shut down, Niantic indicated Saturday on Twitter.

“In preparation for some exciting new features, we’ll be temporarily disabling Gyms starting June 19. Stay tuned for more information,” it tweeted using the official Pokémon Go account.

Read: Pokémon Go Solstice Event: Fire-Type, Ice-Type Pokémon, More XP, Lucky Eggs And More

If you have been playing the game regularly and are wondering what is happening in the game, here’s what you need to know. Pokémon Go gyms were expected to help create competitive game play between the three Pokémon Go teams, but over time the feature has been heavily criticized since, because of the way the gyms were designed. Every gym used to get filled with some high-level defenders and some hackers who could access them using bot accounts, while many players used to be shut out. It also used to take very long to capture a gym, leading to many players giving up halfway.

Niantic, it seems is paying heed to players’ issues with gyms and has shut them down to re-work the setup. The company had repeatedly indicated in the past it was working on a new gym setup, which would take care of such issues.

While Niantic hasn’t made any announcements about the features of the new gyms, here are some of the rumored features of the new gym setup:

Co-operative Game play: Co-operative game play simply means every player is not just on his own but can actually team up for the benefit of both his/her and other players. Niantic has been pushing for the feature, although many players have instead requested for one-on-one game play.

Berry maintenance: This feature is expected to stop players’ from clogging a gym with powerful Pokémon. The feature would require players to keep feeding their Pokémon else they would go dormant and get replaced by active Pokémon in gym battles.

Raids: This feature is expected to make players work together to defend Pokémon gyms. Chances are this might be encouraged by either opposing teams attacking a gym or maybe making players work together to defend the gym against a roving Pokémon attacking it.

Limiting Pokémon of one species : Many gyms have over time become a cluster of power Pokémon which means that all other Pokémon are left out which discourages players from trying to capture such Pokémon. This might change, since there might be a limit to the Pokémon of one species in a gym with the new Pokémon Go update.

Gym Mechanic improvement: Niantic CMO Mike Quigley said at the company’s press conference in May, “You know, the gym mechanic is something in Pokémon Go which we really, really want to improve, so that’s gonna be the next big area for us...The capture mechanic is fun, but you’re a lone wolf, you’re going out there on your own. Maybe you’re with friends, but there’s not that, kind of, connected experience. We think there is an opportunity for collaboration in that area, but more to come on that.”
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The gym renovation is expected to encourage players to work together in collaborative game play and other features. Niantic’s effort seems to be to encourage fledgling player interest in the game.