Niantic Disables PokeStop and Gym Contributions for Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go has proven to be a rather resilient game. A big part of the title's success can be [...]

By Marc Deschamps

Pokemon Go has proven to be a rather resilient game. A big part of the title's success can be attributed to the excitement of discovering new PokeStops and Gyms scattered throughout the real world. Developer Niantic had hoped to make players a bigger part in the process of selecting and updating those locations through the Wayfarer Tool, but it seems Pokemon Go fans were a little too eager to help. Just a few days after the option was launched, Niantic issued a statement on Twitter alerting fans that they would be disabling the feature, as they were worried the demand would cause stability issues. The developer does plan to bring the option back, but there is no information when, at this time.

The evolution of Pokemon Go has been quite interesting to see. Launched in the summer of 2016, the game quickly took the world by storm, reinvigorating interest in the brand for both lapsed fans, and those who had never played a game in the franchise before. The game's success even led to a bidding war that resulted in this year's live-action Pokemon: Detective Pikachu film! Pokemon Go was fairly bare bones at launch, but Niantic has added a number of updates to the game since, including trading, battles and, of course, PokeStops and Gyms.

PokeStops and Gyms can be found at several major and minor landmarks throughout the world, and Ninatic is constantly adding new ones, and even subtracting some. Because there are so many, several PokeStops and Gyms feature outdated images or information, misspellings and, even worse, some are located in places where Pokemon catching simply isn't socially acceptable, including places of worship and cemeteries; that might be acceptable in Lavender Town, but people won't be as understanding in real world locations!

The idea of allowing players to serve a role in helping establish and clean up these PokeStops and Gyms is certainly a smart one. After all, the game still has millions of active users, and it makes sense to shop that role out. Hopefully, Niantic can get the option back up and running so players can make the PokeStops and Gyms the best they can be.

Are you a fan of Pokemon Go? What locations do you want to see become PokeStops or Gyms? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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