Pokemon Go was originally designed to get players out of the house and on the move, but they have achieved the total opposite for one lucky Pokemon Go player.
The process for applying for a PokeStop in Pokemon Go is fairly simple. You only need to cross the threshold of level 38 to be deemed experienced enough to submit a request, and if it gets approved, you should find a stop in that location shortly afterward.
One lucky Redditor was surprised to find their request not only got approved but received a major upgrade as well. Apparently, the suggestion was so good that Niantic decided it deserved its own gym.
Here’s what it looks like.
Pokemon Go places a gym next to a player’s house
We can see in the screenshot that the gym is directly next to their house, and if you ask me, that makes them the unofficial gym leader for their town.
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While we’re not sure exactly why this happened, it’s hard to complain about the result.
There are many small towns and neighborhoods that seem to be virtually empty in Pokemon Go, and Niantic’s willingness to work with the players and allow them to shape the game is pretty unique. While the company has had some misfires in the past, putting more power in the players’ hands is rarely a bad idea.
Niantic is in a delicate spot right now. Much of the community is still upset over the August decision to revert a feature that doubled the interaction range of in-game activities. This was set in place back in November of 2020, as concerns about the global health crisis continued to rise, and many players were still relying on it to feel safe while playing the game.
It’s going to take more than just a few Pokestop upgrades to get back into good graces with the player base, but little upgrades like this might be enough to keep the tides calm until they can provide more major improvements down the line.