Simple Pokemon Go feature rework would solve “inactive” Gym problem

Meg Bethany Koepp
Simple Pokemon Go feature rework would solve "inactive" Gym problem

Pokemon Go players have long been frustrated about the inability to remove their ‘mon from inactive Gyms, but this could be fixed with a simple rework that Trainers are urging Niantic to add.

Gyms have been a staple feature of the Niantic mobile title since its release in 2016, whether that’s going to them for a Raid, to spin a PokeStop, or battle rival teams.

The feature has always had one flaw, though – you can’t take a Pokemon out of a Gym once you’ve placed it until it’s knocked out by another player.

Pokemon Go
Some rural players have had their Pokemon stuck for months.

Pokemon Go Gyms need a rework to solve inactivity problem

If you look on forums such as Reddit, it doesn’t take long to find a Trainer talking about how long they’ve had a Pokemon in a Gym for.

User ‘MyRedditFitness’, for example, claimed that their son’s Ditto had been in a Gym for 19,009 hours and counting back in January 2022 – that’s 792 days the player had been unable to use their ‘mon.

Another revealed that they’d gotten a streak of 102 days before another fan came along and knocked it out.

With the issue being without a solution for years, players are calling for a fix, especially for those who live in rural areas who have had their ‘mon stuck for months.

“A recall button would be nice,” user ‘Reasonable_Cap_4477’ commented on yet another post that brought up the issue on March 28.

While it’s a simple resolution, it just goes to show how little effort Niantic would have to put in to solve a problem that has been plaguing Trainers for what feels like forever.

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With all this said, it is currently unclear whether Niantic will ever implement a fix for the issue. They set up a task force in 2021 to listen to the community so there is hope.

For now, don’t ever put a Pokemon in a Gym that you use regularly because you just may end up locking it in for months at a time.