In a significant development within the Pokemon Go community, The Silph Road Team, a popular resource among enthusiasts, has announced its intention to cease operations. A year ago, Niantic, the game’s developer, stepped in to sponsor The Silph Road Team when operational costs were escalating beyond manageable levels. This timely sponsorship allowed the team to continue their services while keeping their web resources free from advertisements.
Niantic’s sponsorship period for The Silph Road has ended. Coupled with rising financial constraints and the current state of the game, the team has decided to wrap up their operations, marking the end of a memorable chapter.
It’s important to note that the /r/TheSilphRoad subreddit will continue to operate, as its moderation team works independently from The Silph Road Team, ensuring the subreddit remains active.
However, The Silph Road’s various tools, programs, websites, social channels, and community resources will gradually be retired. The Community Map, Nest Atlas, and other game resources on TheSilphRoad.com were made inaccessible starting from May 12th, with the Travelers Cards remaining functional until August 1st. The Community Ambassador Program will continue under Niantic’s sole operation, while the Silph Arena (Silph.gg) will remain fully operational until the current season concludes. The Silph Research Group will also continue its research activities, sharing their findings directly on the subreddit.
The last day for community event check-ins will be May 21st. By August 1st, the final season of Silph.gg will conclude, Travelers cards will be archived, and the last remaining Silph services will cease to exist.
The Silph Road Team expressed their gratitude towards hundreds of team members who dedicated their time to create a global platform for Pokemon lovers. During its seven years of operation, The Silph Road Team has seen some remarkable achievements, including hosting over 135,210 PvP tournaments, recording 1,671,245 event check-ins at live meetups staffed by 29,314 in-person volunteers, and engaging 821,308 subscribers to /r/TheSilphRoad subreddit.
Despite not having a business model or in-app purchases, and being entirely a grassroots initiative, The Silph Road’s impact on the Pokemon Go community has been significant. As this chapter closes, the team members are looking forward to embarking on their next adventure, leaving behind a remarkable legacy in Pokemon history.
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