In Pokémon GO, a trainer suddenly loses a route that was apparently very popular. Trainers are puzzled: What is going on?
What are routes? In Pokémon GO, the route feature has been available for several months. Here, trainers can create specific routes, basically walking paths, that can be followed.
These are supposed to bring spawns and, for example, the coveted Zygarde cells. But creating them is not that simple: There is a approval process. If one wants to create a route, it first goes into review at Niantic before it is activated.
However, just because a route has been approved once, it apparently does not mean that it will definitely remain in the game. This is shown by a trainer whose popular route has now apparently been rejected, even though many used it.
Route with over 90,000 trips suddenly gone
What is the problem? In the subreddit TheSilphRoad for Pokémon GO, user Artistic_Barracuda posted a screenshot from Sydney. His route “Museum of Contemporary Art to Sydney Opera House” connected two popular places in the city and has apparently already recorded 91,776 trips, or uses from players, (via reddit).
But now the route has apparently been removed. The trainer cannot explain why, and apparently there has not yet been an official explanation.
However, fellow players in the subreddit report similar problems that apparently occurred because players filed false reports of routes.
User Faladyne reports (via reddit) that some trainers apparently use the report function to remove routes again. His suspicion: Probably someone reported the route because he didn’t get a Zygarde cell and was annoyed because of that.
He knows such an example from his community: Where I am, someone always makes sure that routes are deleted.
This has even led to him and other players who like to create routes becoming hesitant in that regard. And other players agree:
- I had a player here who reported 3 routes of mine and submitted them again, claiming they were ‘private locations’. This route was the first in the area and very popular, said user JULTAR (via reddit).
- If it’s just one person in the community, I don’t understand how a single bad evaluation is enough to overturn all other successful community trips, a user notes (via reddit): I wish this were better regulated at Niantic.
- Probably someone reported your route. Maybe someone who is mad at you because you took over a gym or something stupid (via reddit)
Whether trolls who want to spoil other players’ game experience are actually the reason for this is currently open. We will keep you updated on this point if official information becomes available.
Overall, the review system for routes has recently caused question marks in the community, as there have been some strange decisions regarding routes.
How is it with you? Have you encountered such problems with routes? Let us know in the comments!
