Niantic has launched a Pokémon Go web store in certain countries, allowing players to purchase in-game currency, PokéCoins, directly from Niantic, by-passing Google and Apple’s stores, and their 33% cuts, entirely and offering discounted prices as a result.

The web store has been advertised as the “best” place to buy PokéCoins, and it offers special deals and exclusive offers, as well as up to 1000 bonus PokéCoins with every purchase. The store is available at store.pokemongolive.com, and the PokéCoins can be used to purchase bundles and other items from the in-game shop.

Last night, users in certain countries began receiving emails about the store’s launch. However, while the page is accessible from the UK, it is not currently possible to purchase coins through it yet.

The timing of the webstore’s launch is also noteworthy, coming less than a week after Niantic made the controversial decision to limit the game’s popular Remote Raids. While the ability to perhaps be able to purchase Remote Raid Passes at a closer real-world cost to those before the price-hike last week might be somewhat welcome, it’s unlikely to take away the sting of the rest of the Remote Raid changes such as daily participation limits.

The negative response to the Remote Raid changes even prompted a widespread social media campaign, promoted by Serebii.net’s Joe Merrick, called #HearUsNiantic to go viral last week. The campaign, in particular, focuses on the accessibility issues for players with disabilities, as well as those who live outside of cities or are working adults. All of whom have been disadvantaged by the change in limiting Remote Raids.

So far, Niantic’s only response to the changes has been a comment to Eurogamer by Niantic VP Ed Wu, who described the changes as addressing an “imbalance” in the game’s economy after Remote Raid passes were introduced during the pandemic. 

“The world has largely moved back outdoors and Remote Raid passes have come to dominate the overall experience of playing in a way we never intended. It’s become essentially a shortcut to playing the game. We’ve seen an imbalance because the current price of Remote Raid passes is matched to the Premium Battle Pass which is distorting the game economy, and making the game unsustainable in the long term.

Ed Wu