Pokémon Go adds new PokéStop contest feature this week

Pokémon Go celebrates its seventh anniversary this week with the rollout of a fresh new feature: contest-like Showcases.

Hosted at specific PokéStops, Showcases act as local leaderboards for Pokémon with particularly impressive stats. First up will be a contest to find and show off your biggest sized Squirtle.

Up to 200 Pokémon can be entered into any PokéStop Showcase, with in-game prizes offered for those who rank highly - including premium items such as Star Pieces and Incubators.

Once entered, you can continue to better your own entry by switching out your Pokémon for one with even more impressive stats - if you find one.

The idea is these Showcases will feature Pokémon species currently highlighted in an ongoing in-game event - and I can see this encouraging me to go out and harvest yet more of a particular species.

I'm keen to see how common Showcase stops are - and how many people I'm going to have to try and contend with.

The feature is somewhat similar to the local leaderboards offered in developer Niantic's newly-released but now-shuttered NBA All-Stars app, which it announced the closure of last week alongside hundreds of job losses, and the cancellation of the company's upcoming Marvel game.

Pokémon Go, which remains lucrative, is safe.

This summer, the app has released a number of new features to try and win over fans, such as Shadow Raids and the Master Ball. Next up is a route-mapping feature, designed to let players suggest interesting Pokéwalks.

If you want to learn how to enter Showcases and switch Pokémon, check out our PokéStop Showcases guide.