Pokemon Go players shocked by “poor taste” baby memorial Pokestop
The Pokestop approval process has let a few puzzling stops slip through the system, but players are dumbfounded after seeing a pre-term baby memorial being an in-game attraction, many saying it is in “poor taste.”
Pokestops have been the lifeblood of Pokemon Go since its release in 2016. These beacons let players know where they can find Pokemon spawns, free items, and the occasional Team Rocket battle. They also attract players who want to use Lures or who are hunting for Kecleon.
Niantic would later implement a way for high-level players to submit their own Pokestops for approval. And while the approval process has left many confused, it has resulted in rural areas becoming more playable spaces.
But on the other hand, this has allowed several Pokestops to be approved that have left players scratching their heads. Whether they feature inappropriate content or are plain nightmare fuel, some Pokestops are better left unapproved.
Pre-term baby memorial turned into Pokestop
The Pokestop was spotted by Reddit user huamanticacacaca who captioned their post, “Some things just should not be Pokestops. Damn.” The screenshot included the stop’s postcard featuring a picture of a headstone.
The comments agreed, with many players confused as to how this stop was even approved. “How did this get approved, but my local church didn’t?” one user asked, as churches are oftentimes the easiest landmarks to get approved.
A trainer who claims to have experienced a similar loss was also taken aback by the stop. “I lost twins when I was seven months pregnant, and they are buried in a similar place as this. I agree that some places should be off-limits and places of peace, not playing games. This is poor taste.”
However, not everyone thought the Pokestop was disrespectful. Some argued that the stop brought awareness to the reality that “not every pregnancy results in a living baby.”
Others took the opportunity to share their own grudges with Pokestops in their towns. One user claimed all of their Pokestops were either churches or World World 2 memorials. They stated, “It’s a borderline hate crime to be sending WW2 tanks to a German or a church to an Arabian.”
That said, the pre-term baby memorial doesn’t violate Pokemon Go’s Pokestop guidelines. Churches and memorials are often easier to get approved than other local hotspots, which means desperate players are often more apt to submit them for review regardless of what they’re memorializing.