PokéMiners, one of the most reputable Pokémon Go dataminers in the scene, discovered a new image embedded in the code on April 25 showing a treasure map and a pair of binoculars sitting on top of a rock overlooking what appears to be Central Park and the New York City skyline.
The Twitter leak sparked talks between fans who are convinced it could mean one of two things: the long-awaited routes feature could be added, or the upcoming Go Fest event could take place in New York City.
The first, routes, are a feature fans have wanted for a long time. If they do end up being added, the idea is they’ll be paths trainers can walk down, engaging in battles, talking to NPCs, and finding items along the way—much like how they work in the core series.
It’s not the first time they’ve been referred to in leaks; previous ones have pointed towards Routes Badge, Route Activities, Route Stamps, new NPC dialogue systems, and more.
As for the Go Fest event, which is expected to be the biggest Pokémon Go event of the year, there was some speculation it could take place in Vancouver, Washington after references to the event appeared on a website called Visit Vancouver WA, the official destination marketing organization for Vancouver and Clark County. Niantic debunked those rumors. Because this new leaked image seems to show Central Park, however, fans think it could mean the event will take place in New York City instead.
Both possibilities are nothing more than speculative theories at this stage, but fans are nonetheless excited about them, especially the possibility of Routes finally being added. It might not be enough to win players back after the mass exodus caused by the controversial Remote Raid Pass changes, but it could be the first step in the healing process.
It will be interesting to see whether either of the two theories end up being true, or whether the image is referring to something entirely different Pokémon Go fans might have overlooked, like a new treasure hunt event.
Either way, Pokémon Go players should find out soon enough.
