Pokemon GO has made a bit of a name for itself when it comes to including content and providing new experiences for its players. Some of these events have become staples, synonymous with the mobile ARG, like October’s upcoming Community day. Others have happened seemingly out of nowhere, such as when Meltan was first teased in the game. The latest change, however, may have some players scratching their head due to the scale of the change.

Beginning September 25, Pokemon GO players the world over began reporting strange activity, from disappearing Pokemon to strange spawns, with enough evidence mounding to confirm that a major global spawn shift has occurred. What this means is that players will be discovering that some areas that were once great for Pokemon spawns are now worse, new spawn areas in general, and also some areas that were once okay are now great. The sheer size of this scale of change isn’t fully explained.

Thus far, the following details have been revealed concerning Pokemon GO’s global spawn change. First, the spawns have definitely changed globally, meaning that certain areas were not skipped for some reason or another, and it’s a change that seems to be affecting the system, not particularly a region thing. Many reports increase a buff in spawns in areas like parks and non-residentials; in other words, Pokemon GO spawn points are being moved to areas with higher in-game cellular activity. If there’s a popular location in town, there’s a chance it’s about to get even more popular.

Many reports also suggest that spawns were moved from where there was an overpopulation of Pokemon in comparison to the player count. Some spawns were just reduced, others doubled, but many seem to come in multiples of 4 spawns. There are also some reports of Pokestops “drawing” nearby spawns closer to the location, but this is only limited, anecdotal evidence. For now, Pokemon GO spawns still correlate with Ingress Prime XM, which can be used for an accurate visualization.

Technically terminology aside, many are likely asking how this Pokemon GO global spawn shift will affect them. The sweeping changes have happened to everyone from coast to coast, state to state, and country to country, meaning there is no one who is unaffected, but for some it could be worst. There are those who will benefit from this greatly, there will be those who, while different, have not necessarily been positively or negatively influenced, and there are those who will not benefit so well from this.

For rural players, this could prove to be a death knell, which is disappointing for those who were hyped about the Gen 5 Pokemon in Pokemon GO. It’s worth mentioning that not every rural community could fall into this, but for those who are extremely remote but are lucky enough to have good spawns in some areas, it’s not looking good. Because spawns have shifted toward cellular activity and have attempted to be balanced with population, there are some who will see small spawns already reduced or decent spawns disappear altogether.

On one hand, this is incredibly unfortunate as many will not be able to catch as much nearby, but on the other hand, many already go to more populated urban areas to play. Of course, that doesn’t make it much better, but the full verdict on this is not out yet. One silver lining is that, aside from different spawn locations, this won’t be messing with Pokemon GO Gen 5 region exclusives so much.

In the middle, there’s a good chance that many Pokemon GO players will not be positively or negatively impacted. They will just be affected, meaning while they will have to find a new spawn location when they’re playing, that may prove to be the extent of it. The sweeping changes mean everyone is affected, but it doesn’t mean that everything is changed to the same degree.

Finally, there are some who will definitely benefit. Pokemon GO players who live nearby popular locations may see their nearby spawns doubled, they may see an increased number of spawns, and/or they not see much negative influence. But this will most likely occur in urban areas. Rural areas, as aforementioned,may still get the worst, but that may be unintentional or there may be some currently unconfirmed correction for these areas.

Ultimately, everyone IS affected somehow, as these changes continue to shake things up across the board, but the degree will vary. Considering Pokemon GO’s gen 5s were just added recently, the upcoming Community Day and other events, and the addition of Mime Jr., this massive change does speak to Pokemon GO’s reputation of always having something going on.

Pokemon GO is out now in select regions for Android and iOS devices.