Pokemon Go to launch in more markets, the “3-step” tracking removal explained

Earlier today, Niantic took to the Pokemon Go Facebook page to explain why the so-called “3-step” tracking was removed in the latest update for the game, as well as to assure fans that it will be launching in more territories in the near future.

The “3-step” tracking system was used to alert players of nearby Pokemon with little footprints displayed under critter silhouettes in the bottom right corner of the screen. Their number was either 1, 2 or 3, depending on how far away the Pokemon was. While this sounds convenient on paper, the feature rarely worked in reality, and Niantic decided to remove it altogether with the latest update. However, if the Facebook post is to be believed, the feature will probably return to the game, once it has been fixed to function properly.


The Pokemon Go team also used this opportunity to assure fans of the game that it will be launching in other territories. Only Brazil was explicitly mentioned in the post, but it's a safe bet that Niantic will try to reach as many markets as possible with its latest mobile gaming sensation. This part of the post also refers to the bumpy launch of the game, which was plagued by server and stability issues, seemingly blaming them on “third-party services”.



Unfortunately, there is of yet no comment from the developer as to why some third-party Pokemon tracking apps were banned and removed from the App Store and Play Store.

source: Pokemon Go (Facebook) via AndroidCentral