Pokemon Go To Remove Shared AR Feature, & Nobody Knows What That Means

Image via Niantic

Niantic Support announced that Pokemon Go will stop supporting the Shared AR Buddy Experience feature starting with the next app update Based on player reactions, it seems getting rid of this little-known feature is a good move.

Over the last few years, fans have had mixed reactions to some of the features added to Pokemon Go, particularly buggy ones like Routes. Even so, Niantic seems more prone to adding on than removing or adjusting features, which makes it a little surprising to see their announcement about removing the Shared AR Buddy Experience. If you’re wondering what the heck that is, you’re not alone.

Related: Pokemon GO Winter Holiday Event Part 1: Dates, Pokemon Debuts, Bonuses, and More

Niantic Nixes Shared AR Buddy Experience

Niantic Support announced on X (formerly Twitter) that, starting with the next update, players will no longer be able to use the Shared AR Buddy feature.

Trainers, Pokémon GO will be ending support for the Shared AR Buddy Experience with the upcoming release (293.0). Thank you for understanding!

— Niantic Support (@NianticHelp) December 11, 2023

In response, players primarily had one thing to say, and that was “Um, what is the Shared AR Buddy Experience?” Even as someone who has been playing from the very beginning, I have no idea what Shared AR is or what it was used for in the game.

In case you are as confused as I was, let’s briefly cover what the Shared AR Buddy Experience was. This was yet another feature designed to get players to meet up IRL. You could scan a QR code and then take photos of your own and your friend’s Pokemon in an AR experience that was, as the name suggests, shared. While a virtual Pokemon photoshoot sounds fun in theory, it doesn’t reflect the reality of many Pokemon Go players, who are more connected with the online community than with anyone IRL.

Not surprisingly, fans are mostly in agreement that no one is going to be too upset with Niantic for nixing this aspect of the game. As one commenter put it, “The three people who use Shared AR are in absolute shambles right now.” Other responses praised the company for actually removing a feature it seems that no one was using, given the fact that almost no one seems to know what it even was.

Pokemon Go players are also taking the thread as an opportunity to once again share the other things they’d like Niantic to remove, including Pokemon Showcases at PokeStops and the limit on remote raid passes. No word on whether any of that is in the works yet, since Pokemon Go is busy promoting their Winter Holiday Part 1 event that was also announced today.

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