PHILIPPINES – Pokemon Go is now available in the Philippines, along with 15 other countries in Asia and Oceana. According to the game’s official Facebook Page, Pokemon Go is now officially available from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Trainers in 15 new countries and regions across Asia and Oceania can now officially download Pokémon GO from the Play Store or App Store. Discover Pokémon in the world around you!
Countries and regions include: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau
The roll-out comes amid criticisms after developer Niantic Labs rolled out an update removing the 3-step feature in the “Nearby” function that shows the distance between a player and Pokemons in the area.
Previously, the game displayed anywhere between 1 to 3 footprints to represent distance.
The removal of this in-game feature was done without warning. After failing to communicate with the community, disappointed players went out in a massive exodus, prompting Apple to urge Niantic to talk to its community after receiving a large amount of refund requests.
An official statement has since been posted on the game’s Facebook page explaining the situation.
Earlier this week, developer Niantic cracked down Pokemon GO hack sites and third-party trackers, most notably PokeVision.
Last month, local provider Globe Telecoms announced that it will offer up to 7 days free access to Pokemon GO once it goes live in the Philippines.