Sites and apps that allow trainers to locate specific Pokémon have been shut down after game update removes nearby tracking

Pokémon Go players are up in arms after an update to the game removed a feature that helped locate nearby Pokémon and forced third-party maps of Pokémon locations to shut down.



The game’s first big update changed a variety of things about the app, including adding the ability to alter your trainer’s appearance, tweaking the dynamics of curveballs, and changing part of the way gym battles work and improving the way users transfer unwanted Pokémon to professor Willow.

But the change with the biggest impact for the majority of players has been the removal of the footprint distance readings from the nearby Pokémon tracker. At the same time, services including Pokévision, which allowed players to spot where individual Pokémon were likely to pop up, have been forced to shut down.

Pokevision (@PokeVisionGo) Hey guys. We wish we had some news for you



At this moment, we are respecting Niantic and Nintendo's wishes.



Will keep you guys posted



<3

Pokémon Go Reddit user Chopkins9 said: “I looked for 15 minutes with no luck and [the Pokémon] disappeared, now I’m quitting Pokémon Go. What’s the point of this game without tracking?”

Hopps56 added: “This is becoming more frustrating then fun as the days go on … If it wasn’t for having to catch them all, I would of left this game when the tracking first went down hill.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Pokémon Go update removes distance indicators from nearby monster tracking. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

“It was great in the early stages of the game, being able to track down Pokémon you didn’t have, and evolving them. Now it’s like, oh another Drowzee. Great. If I get a few more I can evolve a Hypno with maybe 10 CP higher than the best Hypno I have right now, which is one of a dozen Hypnos I’ve already evolved. It’s just tedious grinding with no real payoff,” said ThomasSirveaux.

“Pokémon Go went from a game that I go out to play, to a game I play when I’m out, to a game I never play,” said Oxgmum, which was popular with the Reddit Pokémon Go community, gaining over 2,500 up votes.

Pokémon Go became an overnight sensation, attracting millions of players while launching in just Australia, New Zealand and the US. It was expanded to Europe a week later, and the home of Pokémon Japan, a week after that. The game has seen more than 100m downloads, and crowds flock to the streets jamming up bridges, roads and even walking into the sea in search of the game’s illusive creatures.

How long Pokémon Go hysteria can last remains to be seen, but it has had a real-world impact on the businesses and areas frequented by players. Pubs, cafes, shops and public spaces have hopped on the bandwagon, encouraging players to spend time in their areas.