‘Pokémon Go’: Notification of new Pokémon in parks confirms Nest Migration 27 is here

It’s that time of the month again: The latest Pokémon Go nest migration is here to shake up where all your favorite (and least-favorite) Pokémon spawn. There have been 26 of these migrations since the game’s beginning. Niantic has started reporting these nest migrations via push notifications, but most players get their information about them from fan communities like the Silph Road.

Niantic also confirmed the news with an in-app notification, which is still rolling out to some players.

If you’re looking to help out with these changing spawns, we’ve got the scoop on how to do that.

Pokémon Go nest migration 27: How to use the Silph Road atlas to track and register changing spawns

Every two weeks, a post goes up on the Silph Road subreddit announcing the latest nest migration and reminding players to register new spawns in their area. If you’d like to help, just head to the Silph Road atlas on the community’s research site. Once you register your account, you can start helping fellow players by logging where Pokémon are spawning near you.

It’s a small step, but if you’re already using the atlas and checking the Silph Road regularly, it’ll be easy to start giving back to the community.

Pokémon Go nest migration 27: Niantic can deepen players’ connection to the game by being more transparent about hidden mechanics

In his post on the Silph Road, moderator dronpes said he expected “an in-game push notification in a little while,” and it looks like Niantic’s on track to make good on this — the company sent out notifications alerting players to the changing spawns for both the 25th and 26th migrations.

Niantic tends to remain pretty quiet about the game’s inner workings, and that’s not always a good thing. For instance, Eevee’s chance to evolve into its various Gen 1 forms is directly tied to what biome you inhabit, with its Gen 2 forms locked beyond using it as your buddy for 10 kilometers. You could conceivably figure it out on your own, but it seems a little obtuse to anyone but the most knowledgable of Pokémon Go players.

The point is Niantic announcing the migration in-game is a big step forward. A deeper knowledge of the game shouldn’t be dependent on a player’s ability to seek out external research. If Niantic can capitalize on something as small as alerting players to changing spawns, hopefully it means the company is working toward allowing more casual and less-invested players to get an inside peek at how the game works, thereby boosting interest and building its community.

It’s not huge, but it’s a start.

Aug. 11, 2017, 12:51 p.m.: This story has bee updated.

More Pokémon Go news, updates, tips and tricks

Raids are here — and not just for ordinary Pokémon. Check out our coverage of the legendaries now in-game, Lugia and Articuno. Find out what went wrong at the Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago while you wait for the debut of the European Safari Zones in August and September. Finally, check out some reporting on the issues plaguing rural players a year after launch, how the game created a space for black female gamers and how Pokémon Go can continue to build its community.