A massive Pokemon Go datamine compiled by sleuths on the Silph Road subreddit has unearthed traces of routes and their rewards, as well as new challenges such as an almost dog show-esque Pokemon comparison.
Reddit user martycochrane compiled the most recent findings in a neat, not-so-brief write-up. The main attraction was the new route feature, which, according to the datamine, would introduce a new type of challenge and routine to the game. Routes, based on what we’ve seen so far, are essentially player-created paths that connect hotspots, landmarks, Pokestops, and other in-game bonuses to create a fun and profitable path to take while playing the game. All of this is unofficial and subject to change, but it appears to be the augmented reality equivalent of creating and uploading a custom level.
Completing a route would result in the awarding of a route badge, and each route would be peppered with trade opportunities, collectible stamps and postcards, and potentially tappable rewards such as candies and coins. Route badges appear to be the feature’s main collectible. They’ll appear to show who created a route in the first place, how many times you’ve cleared a route, your fastest clear time, and what stamps you’ve earned along the way.
Routes may also include or launch a new type of contest known as the Compare Challenge. It’s pretty much what the name implies: you enter one (or possibly more) Pokemon into a contest based on parameters like height, weight, or HP. If your Pokemon is the smallest, thickest, shortest, or whatever, you win the challenge and receive… something? This is one of the more ambiguous features in the datamine report, so there are still many unanswered questions about rules and rewards. The most pressing question is probably whether this challenge can only be waged against NPCs or if players can compete against one another. With more details appearing in datamines, there’s a good chance these features are nearing completion, so hopefully, we’ll get an official answer later this year.