Hello Niantic / Wayfarer Team,
I’m writing as a Pokémon GO player who has been playing on and off since 2016. I’ve stuck with the game for years because I genuinely enjoy it, and I continue to invest my time and money into it.
My concern is the experience for players like me who live in rural township areas.
Where I live, there are very few eligible Wayspots, PokéStops, Gyms, Routes, or other locations that support normal Pokémon GO gameplay. That creates a disadvantage that has very little to do with how much effort I put into the game.
A player living in a city or dense suburb may be able to walk outside—or sometimes simply stay home—and have access to several PokéStops, Gyms, raids, research tasks, Routes, item replenishment, showcases, and event opportunities.
Meanwhile, rural players can spend the same money, participate in the same events, and put in the same effort while having dramatically less access to the infrastructure the game is built around.
I want to be clear: I am not asking Niantic to ignore safety rules, private-property restrictions, or Wayspot eligibility requirements.
I understand why those rules exist, and I want to work within them.
What I am asking is whether Niantic has considered providing additional legitimate options for areas where traditional Wayspot eligibility leaves players with almost nothing.
For example, could there eventually be:
- Additional consideration for underserved rural areas
- New nomination categories designed specifically for rural communities
- Community-based Wayspot programs
- Greater flexibility for safe, permanent community gathering features
- Alternative methods of providing basic gameplay infrastructure where Wayspot density is extremely low
- A process where longtime players can request review of severely underserved areas
I believe the issue is bigger than wanting a convenient PokéStop.
It is about whether players in rural communities are being given a reasonable opportunity to participate in the same game.
I have the same access to paid tickets, PokéCoins, raid passes, storage upgrades, event purchases, and other paid features as everyone else. However, geography can substantially limit my ability to benefit from many of the systems those purchases support.
I’m willing to walk, explore, nominate legitimate locations, participate in Wayfarer, and put effort into improving my local Pokémon GO community.
What becomes frustrating is feeling like there may simply be no legitimate path available because of where I happen to live.
After nearly a decade with Pokémon GO, I would really appreciate more than a standard response explaining Wayspot rules. I’m hoping someone can address the larger question:
What legitimate options does a rural player have when their surrounding area simply does not contain enough eligible locations to support the game properly?
And if there currently is no solution, I hope Niantic will seriously consider creating one.
Rural players love Pokémon GO too. We want to explore, raid, participate in events, build our collections, compete, and be part of the community. We just need a fair opportunity to do it.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for considering the experience of players in areas like mine.
Ken
Longtime Pokémon GO Player
