Pokemon Go is giving out The North Face x Gucci avatar gear but you have to visit IRL

Pokemon Go is giving out limited edition avatar items in a collaboration with Gucci and The North Face, but you have to head out to real-life Gucci locations to get them.

The limited-time collaboration between Niantic and The North Face x Gucci Collection brings trainer gear based on T-shirts, hats, and backpacks to the game, all of which can be claimed for free by visiting PokeStops at Gucci stores or Pins (pop-up shops which are typically located in parks or larger stores). There are over 100 of these PokeStops around the world right now.

You can check the official site for a full list of the cities where you will be able to pick up your The North Face x Gucci in-game goodies, but if you're in the UK the list is pretty short: London. Granted, heading out to pick up some new items for your Pokemon Go avatar probably doesn't count as necessary travel with the new lockdown in effect, and more locations wouldn't really help with that.

As always, Niantic is asking players to "follow guidelines from local health authorities" when playing Pokemon Go. Even so, incentivizing players to gather in certain heavily populated areas by offering free limited-time items in the middle of a surging pandemic doesn't seem entirely responsible. It's consistent, at least, since you can't buy The North Face x Gucci Collection's IRL items online - you have to go to a Pin store and pick them up in person.

At least you don't need to travel to an urban center to complete the Pokemon Go Unova Collection Challenge.