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Pokémon GO has removed from Epstein Island after fans made the disturbing discovery.
The augmented reality (AR) mobile game overlays digital Pokémon creatures onto real-world locations. Players can battle and capture Pokémon creatures, develop their own Buddy Pokémon and participate in Raid Battles with other players. The app's locations are said to be easy to access and aim to encourage 'physical activity and social interaction' among the players, the game's description noted.
Released in 2016 by Niantic in partnership with Nintendo, the popular game boasts 5 million to 9 million monthly players and over 15 million reviews on the Google Play Store.
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Central to the game are PokéStops, which are real-world spots like historical landmarks or monuments where players can gather in-game items.
However, users are allowed to manually submit PokeStop locations for other players, which, as with anything user-led, there's always someone to ruin it for the rest of us.
A digital landmark on Little Saint James, the private Caribbean island once owned by the late convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, was recently removed from the game.
Pokémon Go fans on Reddit were among the first to realise that the location vanished after being 'in the game for years,' with many wondering why it was there in the first place.
Moreover, a Pokéstop was reportedly located directly on the island itself, which is quite unsettling, especially as Epstein survivors continue to speak out following the release of over three million files related to his crimes.
According to the subreddit r/PokemonGoSpoofing, players created a 'Sun Clock' Pokéstop by spoofing their location to access Epstein Island digitally.
However, because it's a private island with no public access, having a Pokéstop there violated Niantic's Terms of Service. Several screenshots from players and Reddit threads dating back a year confirm the existence of the Sun Clock Pokéstop.
Just a couple of days ago, one X user showed the Pokéstop on Google Map's coordinates of Epstein Island.
Niantic has reportedly now removed the location from the game.
Furthermore, Epstein appears to have been aware of Pokémon GO's existence. Players who searched through batches of his emails released publicly by the US Department of Justice found supposed evidence.
An email dated 13 July 13 2016, a week after the game's launch, shows Epstein writing to Sheikh Fahad Bin Hamad, the second son of Qatar's former Emir.
"Check out pokemon go if you have not already the first of augmented games," the email read.
