Pokémon GO has removed a controversial PokéStop that appeared on Little Saint James, the private island once owned by Jeffrey Epstein.
The in game location, reportedly labeled “Sun Clock,” had existed for several years. It is believed to have been imported from Ingress, another augmented reality title developed by Niantic, which relied heavily on user submitted waypoints. Pokémon GO later integrated many of those locations into its own map database.
The PokéStop gained renewed attention after players began sharing screenshots online. Some users spoofed their in game GPS location to access the island virtually, which is a violation of the game’s terms of service. As discussion spread across social media and gaming forums, many players questioned how a site tied to such a notorious history had been approved in the first place.
Following the backlash, the location was removed from the game around February 9, 2026. Niantic, which is now owned by Scopely, reportedly acknowledged the deactivation when contacted by gaming outlets, although no formal public statement was issued.
Community members have pointed out that the stop likely slipped through the approval system years ago due to the crowdsourced nature of waypoint submissions. The incident has reignited conversation about how real world locations are vetted before being added to global augmented reality games.
As of now, Little Saint James no longer appears as an interactive location in Pokémon GO. The situation highlights the challenges developers face when managing user generated geographic data at a global scale.
