Niantic Removes Pokestop from Epstein's Former Island

Niantic, the developer of the augmented reality game Pokemon Go, has removed a virtual landmark known as a Pokestop from Little Saint James, the private Caribbean island once owned by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The action followed widespread online attention after players discovered the feature and used location-spoofing tools to access it digitally, despite the island's restricted access.

The Pokestop, labeled "Sun Clock" and depicting a sundial structure on the island, surfaced in player discussions on platforms like Reddit and X around February 7, 2026. This came shortly after the U.S. Department of Justice released nearly three million pages of documents related to Epstein on January 30, 2026. Those files included emails from Epstein in 2016 recommending the newly launched Pokemon Go to associates, including Sheikh Fahad Bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and author Deepak Chopra. In one message to Chopra, Epstein described the game as "the first of many augmented reality games" and speculated on similar apps that could detect personal auras via smartphones.

Little Saint James, a 70-acre property off the U.S. Virgin Islands, was sold by Epstein's estate in 2023 for $60...