A Niantic Labs survey has prompted concern among Pokémon Go players after asking how they would react if Gyms no longer awarded PokéCoins. The question does not confirm a planned change, but players fear losing one of the game’s main free-currency sources could reduce Gym participation or cause some to stop playing.

Players can currently earn up to 50 PokéCoins a day when a Pokémon is removed from a Gym, at one coin per 10 minutes of defence; earning the maximum requires eight hours and 20 minutes. The system is harder to use in rural areas with fewer Gyms, leading some players to call for a rework or alternative daily coin-earning methods. PokéCoins pay for items such as Raid Passes, avatar cosmetics and gameplay boosts, and are the only affordable source of currency for many regular players.