Since the early days of Pokemon Go, our community has had a few major resources that have been utilized and cited time and time again. Websites and other digital media platforms that have sought to blow away the cloud of confusing mechanics that this game has presented since its release back in 2016 in order to give players a real glimpse into the inner machinations that have come together to make up Pokemon Go as a whole. In the early days, the internet was filled with misinformation and baseless rumors that made their rounds constantly and kept players from knowing what was actually happening and what was going to happen. And while we have always done our best to be as reliable a resource as possible from the start, without a doubt one of the premier resources available since their inception has been none other than The Silph Road.
The Silph Road, for the few who may not be aware, is an organized group focused in part on building up a community of players that have worked together to detangle the hidden mechanics of Pokemon Go, demystify the many hidden secrets that Niantic has tried to keep from our eyes, and lead many in our community to a more rewarding reason to play this game that unites us even now. But it's so much more than even that. For a very long time now, The Silph Road in all of its various features and functions have been the collective mind of the Pokemon Go community, with thousands of players coming together like neurons to produce great things. Even Niantic, shut-off from the community though they may be, has been forced to recognize the great work of The Silph Road and has gone so far as to sponsor them; an unprecedented boon that speaks volumes as to just how important this team has long been.
But, sadly, all good things must come to an end.
The Silph Road
In an extremely unfortunate turn of events, Niantic's sponsorship of The Silph Road has come to an end, and they have not opted to continue it moving forward. While I could simply abridge the situation here, I feel that this wouldn't do the hard work of these individuals any justice, so here's the actual post on The Silph Road's Reddit outlining the full situation:
It's a very unfortunate turn of events, as this is a huge loss for the Pokemon Go community as a whole. The resources put out by The Silph Road have long been considered some of the best on the net, so we will sorely miss them. The silver lining to this cloud is the fact that their Reddit will continue to operate, and that their researchers intend to continue their work despite despite this loss.
For this reason, we highly recommend that everyone joins The Silph Road's Reddit in order to show solidarity for their contributions to the community and hard work.
Niantic's Response
Amazingly, Niantic has actually broken their traditional silence when it comes to matters of the Pokemon Go Community and released an official statement in regards to their choice to no longer pursue a partnership with The Silph Road.
Niantic's Letter
Trainers,
For the past year we’ve had the pleasure of partnering with the Silph Road on the Community Ambassador Program. It’s been great working with the team on this project, and it has also been incredible watching the passionate contributors at the Silph Road grow a truly amazing community hub. While we’re sad to see the Silph Road closing its doors, we want to thank them for all they’ve done for the Pokémon GO community in the last six years.
The Community Ambassador Program will continue to move forward into its next iteration. While we are closing applications for the month of May during the transition, community leaders will have expanded opportunities to apply to be a Community Ambassador outside of the Silph Road. Soon, Trainers from across the globe will be able to apply to this revamped program via Campfire, providing opportunities to share and grow their community and receive rewards for gathering in-person to play. We’ll continue to add more opportunities into the program, such as providing unique access and rewards for Community Ambassadors and their fellow Trainers. You’ll still be able to use the Pokémon GO map to share where you can find your local community and play together during special events.
Stay tuned for more updates as we get ready for the future of the Community Ambassador Program, and thank you again to the team at the Silph Road for their energy, passion, and dedication.
Sadly, the message from Niantic is less about the hard work of the community and more focused on their personal plans moving forward, including a temporary closure of applications for their Ambassador Program and updates to Campfire in the near future.
Until We Meet Again
We've lost a lot here today, that fact cannot be understated. However, just like the Silph Road teams that are going to continue their work despite losing one of the more identifying pieces of their team and arguably their home-base, we're going to continue to move on. But, for now, please accept our respect and thanks for all that you've done, Silph Road team. May your future journeys be as great as your previous!
