Pokemon Go is adding a new visual feature for captured Pokemon, and fans are confused

This is a bit of an odd announcement.

Image via Niantic

Niantic continues to add more niche content to personalize how players enjoy Pokémon Go, with the game’s latest new feature giving anyone the ability to further memorialize where they catch certain Pokémon—and fans are already questioning why it is being added.

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Starting with Pokémon Go Tour: Hoenn – Las Vegas, the ticketed in-person event running on Feb. 18 and 19, players will be able to collect Location Cards.

Location Cards won’t be causing the Pokémon Go community to cheer or riot, but it is an interesting new feature revolving around catching Pokémon at specific locations. Niantic is referring to them as “souvenir backgrounds” that can be collected starting with Go Tour: Hoenn – Las Vegas and will eventually be rolled out through other events and mechanics.

Image via Niantic

Location Cards will essentially be the Pokémon catching equivalent of Postcards, where players will participate in raids and receive a Location Card from that raid location. These Location Cards will be displayed on a Pokémon’s page if they were captured there and will “rotate with the previous Pokémon Summary page background.”

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Outside of a new visual flair, there is no real impact for this new mechanic, which is being met with very bland reactions from fans who actively play Pokémon Go.

The general reaction from the community seems to be players thinking this will be another gimmick no one will really care about outside of the most dedicated Pokémon collectors. It is being likened to the Mega Pokémon Portraits and Pokémon size features that have previously been added, though many think it is even less exciting. 

Many players who will be attending Go Tour: Hoenn – Las Vegas are also not really impressed with this news, with one Reddit user simply stating that they “can’t imagine I’ll care about this while I’m out there.” 

Until the RNG elements of where these Location Cards will appear and the wider rollout of the feature, this will likely come and go with little fan fair. But it could end up being a fun little addition if Niantic does keep including it, especially as part of bigger events.

Author
Image of Cale Michael
Cale Michael
Lead Staff Writer for Dota 2, the FGC, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and more who has been writing for Dot Esports since 2018. Graduated with a degree in Journalism from Oklahoma Christian University and also previously covered the NBA. You can usually find him writing, reading, or watching an FGC tournament.