'Pokémon Go' Players Will Be Allowed To Nominate Places To Become PokéStops

Niantic has announced that it will be rolling out a new feature to “Pokémon Go” that will allow players to nominate a location to become a PokéStop. The new feature is being rolled out as a beta and it will only be available initially in Brazil and South Korea.

“Coming soon, we’ll be rolling out the first beta test of the new PokéStop nomination system! This will be the first time that Trainers will be able to submit locations in ‘Pokémon GO,’” Niantic said in a blog post. “Submissions will be evaluated for future inclusion in the game.”

Aside from being limited to “Pokémon Go” players in Brazil and South Korea, those who wish to participate in the beta must also be a level 40 Trainer. Those who have “Pokémon Go” child accounts are also excluded from the beta. Niantic has already set up a webpage detailing the rules and guidelines on how to submit a PokéStop nomination.

To nominate a destination, “Pokémon Go” trainers will have to take a photo of the place and provide a description for it. Additional photos may also be required to provide more context as to where the place is located. Users will also have to provide a title and additional interesting information about the location. Users are expected to explain exactly why the place is important and why it should become a PokéStop.

All the information that the trainers will share about their PokéStop nominations won’t be displayed publicly if they ever end up becoming real PokéStops. The information will simply be used by Niantic to determine whether the destination is worthy of becoming a real PokéStop.

Niantic also provided some helpful suggestions on what types of places are ideal candidates. The developer suggested that users nominate places that have a lot of people, like public libraries, places of worship and major transit stations. Niantic is also encouraging trainers to nominate locations that have “an interesting piece of art or unique architecture.”

There is also a long list of locations that won’t be eligible candidates to become a PokéStop. The list includes places that don’t have safe pedestrian access, private residences, schools, temporary public displays and adult-oriented stores. Locations that may interfere with operations of fire stations, police stations or hospitals are also considered to be ineligible.

The new PokéStop nomination system should be a welcome new feature in “Pokémon Go.” One of the most common complaints about the game is that some areas (specifically rural areas) don’t have enough PokéStops and Gyms, as pointed out by Comicbook.com. This new process should help in solving that issue, while also giving players a chance to nominate a place they feel deserving to be a PokéStop. Niantic said that it plans to expand the availability of the nomination system in the future.