Hello Wayfinders,
The experiment continues! In the upcoming days, Explorers in selected areas of the United States of America may notice some newly added Wayspots in Pokémon GO. Just like last time, these Wayspots have been added to the map as part of our continued experiment to enhance gameplay and increase accessibility in areas with low Wayspot density.
As a reminder, we’re adding Niantic-generated PokéStops in these areas to help Trainers level up faster, become Wayfarer eligible sooner, and start nominating even more locations in their area for a richer game experience!
Key Details of the experiment:
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What’s new? The only change coming in this part of the experiment will be the addition of the USA to the experiment countries.
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What’s appearing? Niantic-generated PokéStops at pre-selected street corners and bus stops.
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Where are they appearing? These Wayspots will appear in areas around the United States of America.
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The USA is a large country, can you be more specific? Yes, by the USA we mean all 50 states but not any US territories. For example, California is eligible to see some of these new Wayspots but Puerto Rico will not.
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What will happen to the previous experiment Wayspots added to IT, FR, ES late last year? These will continue to contribute to the findings of this experiment. Unless successfully reported, they will remain and continue supporting the local community.
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How long will this part of the experiment last? We expect to continue monitoring the existing Wayspots in IT, ES, FR and the newly added Wayspots in the USA for the next several months.
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What will they be called? Similarly, these locations will continue to have clear, easy-to-spot titles like “Street corner at [street name A] and [street name B]” and “[bus stop name]”.
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What about photos? Each of these locations will soon feature a distinctive Niantic generated Wayspot photo.
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Can you edit them? We will continue restricting edits on these Wayspots. If you have feedback about the title, image, location, or description for any of these Wayspots, please share them with us in the forum and our team will review.
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Can they be reported? Yes, if you find that a St. Corner or Bus Stop Wayspot is not safe, you will be able to report it like you would any other Wayspot in the games.
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Are ALL street corners now eligible? Nope! Wayspot nominations by Wayfinders still need to comply with Wayspot criteria. Niantic generated Wayspots like these are meant to address game play gaps in areas that need them.
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Can Wayfinders nominate street corners in these test countries? No, Wayfinders should not nominate street corners in the USA, IT, FR, ES or any other country at this time.
What are the next steps?
As always, we’ll be monitoring key metrics over the coming months to gauge the success of this experiment. We continue to welcome your thoughts on these efforts, whether you are in the directly affected regions or not so feel free to drop a post on the forum!
Stay tuned for more updates!
-The Wayfarer Team