The Pokémon GO Nearby tracker is expanding, reaching "most regions of the world," Niantic has officially announced.
The hugely popular Pokémon GO launched this summer with a Nearby tracking feature, which allowed players to see which and how many Pokémon were close by. Niantic then removed the feature and, after a wave of criticism from disgruntled players, it replaced it with Sightings back in August.
'Pokémon GO' Nearby vs. Sightings
While Pokémon GO Sightings rolled out to replace the Nearby feature, it didn't offer the same perks. The new feature did allow players to locate Pokémon, but only when PokéStops were nearby. For players who didn't live around any PokéStops or have only a few in their close vicinity, the Sightings feature didn't really do the trick.
Users continued to complain about the removal of the Nearby feature, and many even stopped playing the game altogether. Giving in to popular demand, Niantic finally brought back thePokémon GO Nearby feature in November, albeit it was released only on a limited basis.
'Pokémon GO' Nearby Feature Expanding
Niantic has now announced that the Nearby feature is now available globally, for Trainers to test, reaching "most regions" where Pokémon GO is available. This should come in handy for players who don't live near any PokéStops, especially those in rural areas. With the new Nearby feature, players will be able to track Pokémon even if no PokéStop is in close proximity.
'Pokémon GO' Sightings Update
Niantic has also added some changes to the Sightings feature, which now also allows players to locate Pokémon in regions with only a few PokéStops.
"To provide a better experience when searching for Pokémon in the real world, we have also made some changes to the way the Nearby Pokémon feature functions when there are only a few PokéStops in range," Niantic announced, without offering additional details.
The new changes for tracking Pokémon in Pokémon GO have already been implemented in both the iOS and Android versions of the game, so downloading the latest update should bring in a nice surprise.
A bigger treat is en route, however, as Niantic is expected to release a major Pokémon GO update on Dec. 12. The upcoming update will bring more than 100 new Pokémon, as well as Pokémon genders, costumers and more.
For players who want some extra help in the game, the Pokemon GO Plus accessory has also become available for preorder again, both on Amazon and Best Buy.
