Niantic now testing new Pokemon Go PokeStop feature in some locations

Pokemon Go has announced that the upcoming feature being added to PokeStops, called Showcases, is going to be available early — but only in some locations.

The Pokemon Go developer, Niantic, has teased that two new features are in the works for Pokemon Go: PokeStop Showcases and Route Creation.

The developer allowed trainers attending the 2023 Summer Game Fest in-person event to try out this feature early, which only lasted for a couple of days.

Now, Niantic has announced that PokeStop Showcases would be available to try out “for a limited time,” but only throughout one region of the world.

Niantic testing new PokeStop feature in one region

The confirmation comes by way of the official Niantic Support Twitter account, which said, “Trainers in New Zealand, you’ll be able to experience a new feature at select PokéStops for a limited time.”

Although the tweet was vague on what “new feature” would be tested, it mentioned that trainers would be able to “enter Pokemon” and “see how they rank” in comparison to other Trainer’s monsters.

While details about PokeStop Showcases are still somewhat scarce, we do know that trainers who visit these special PokeStops will be able to submit Pokemon in contests of different categories.

One of the examples Niantic gave was a contest surrounding who could enter the biggest Pokemon. Additionally, fans know there will be a variety of different contest categories once PokeStop Showcases are fully released.

Unfortunately, the information surrounding this testing period is pretty vague. At the time of writing it’s unclear which PokeStops will host this feature and how long players in New Zealand will be able to test out Showcases.

There’s also no word as to whether or not Route Creation will also enter a similar beta testing period. For now, those players in New Zealand should be on the lookout for special PokeStops to get a feel for Showcases ahead of their official debut.