It's been a long time, but here we go! Niantic has officially announced that Pokemon Go is about to get a map update. In this update, we can look forward to more map-accuracy, with roads and buildings showing up that weren't available during the last update that happened three whole years ago. In conjunction with this, Niantic has promised that we will see more spawns for rural players, as well as more spread-out spawns in cities. This should make the game easier to access for many, while encouraging more exploration for everyone. But here's the question, what effect can we expect this to have on general gameplay?
The Pros
As stated, this update is likely to be pretty good for players who don't live in a busy area. Hopefully this will also lead to more spawns in other out-of-the-way areas like some nature preserves that tend to be a bit barren so that we can actually enjoy the game when we're out exploring. Hopefully, this will also make it more feasible for Pokemon Go groups to pop up in small towns and other communities that generally need to drive to their nearest city in order to play with any sort of regularity or volume.
The Cons
Are you one of the lucky individuals who lives on top of a spawn-point, where you can wake up in the morning and immediately discover 5-10 Pokemon waiting for you? Well, that may change in the near future. With Pokemon spawns more spread out, chances are that many Pokemon hot-spots are going to be a bit less crowded than they are now. Chances are that spawn-points won't entirely disappear, but they will probably be a bit less common.
Full Announcement
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Trainers,
It’s been three years since our last map update. Since then, both Pokémon GO and the world around us have changed.
To continue bringing you an experience that connects your exploration of the world around you with what you see in Pokémon GO, you may notice some changes to the in-game map over the next few weeks. The map will more accurately reflect the environment, and different Pokémon will appear in a greater variety of places.
These updates are intended to bring the world of Pokémon GO closer to what you see around you.
Global map refresh
The Pokémon GO map will undergo a visual refresh to more accurately reflect the real world and how it’s changed since our last update. After this update, you may begin to see local changes from recent years appear on the map. This may include the removal of old roads or the appearance of newly constructed buildings.
Pokémon will appear in more areas
Soon, different Pokémon will appear in even more places than before. In densely populated areas, this could mean that you’ll see the same numbers of Pokémon as before, but they’ll be spread out more evenly. You may also see Pokémon appear in different locations. For Trainers in rural or rapidly expanding areas, this may also increase the number of Pokémon that appear overall.
Thank you for continuing to play Pokémon GO! We hope that these updates will make your adventures more exciting.
Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change. Be sure to follow us on social media, opt in to receiving push notifications, and subscribe to our emails to stay updated.
—The Pokémon GO team
