'Pokemon Go' update news: Devs entice inactive players back with gifts

Promotional photo for "Pokémon GO's" 2016 Holiday event Niantic Labs

Apparently "Pokemon Go's" player base is on a continuous decline, which is why its developers have been trying to catch back its inactive players by offering some risk-free incentives.

Developer Niantic has come up with a solution for its dwindling, albeit still massive, player count in "Pokemon Go." The development studio is now offering two Super Incubators and a Premium Raid Pass to inactive players, who have reportedly been notified via email. The former allows Pokemon eggs to hatch much faster while the latter gives players a chance to take on the formidable raids of the augmented-reality (AR) game.

The said email contains a code which players can redeem in order to get the rewards. The code will only stand for three days, however, so players are advised to claim it immediately. Apart from the code, the email also explains the upcoming features of the game, which are the dynamic weather system and the new Gen 3 Pokemon.

Whether or not this move can bring players back and alleviate the decreasing number of players in the game remains to be seen, but the rewards are free anyway and do not require anything else aside from logging in and redeeming the code. Niantic is hopeful that this will give players more reasons to return to the game or continue playing.

Still, Niantic has much to regain, since approximately four out of five players have quit the game this year, putting the number of users who left at around 20 million, with 10 million of them leaving during September. Apparently, the game's constant stream of updates, legendary Pokemon, raids, and holiday events were not enough to make players stay, meaning the developers will be having a rough time with "Pokemon Go" next year if they don't manage to recover the lost players.

Website BGR suggests that Niantic may still have a chance at getting back the player base once it introduces trading and gym battles, though it might not be long again once they start losing the players.

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