Campfire very quietly started rolling out last week, and I noticed it when I saw a rather peculiar grey icon in-app near my Daily Adventure Incense.

I tapped on it. I was met with a black loading bar that didn’t seem to do anything, so I left my phone where it was for a couple of minutes. Then, when I looked at it again, I had a map displayed on my screen with PokéStops and Gyms laid out. So?

What Is Campfire?

Campfire is essentially a way for Pokémon GO players to socialize with their local community. It’s not just a social app, though. Right now, it’s most beneficial use is to help you find nearby players to fight Raids with you. Especially when primal raids like Kyogre and Groudon occur, it’s important that you have enough Trainers in your battle group to ensure Raid Boss defeat.

Should I Download Campfire?

If you’re looking to link up with other Trainers locally, Campfire is a great way to find nearby Trainer-hosted events that you can join. Additionally, the social aspect is great to keep all of your Pokémon GO communications in one place.

Personally, I haven’t downloaded Campfire yet—I have friends I see regularly who already play, so we’re typically able to play as we’d like without yearning for new friends. But, it might be useful for at least one of your friends to take one for the team, so that when your core group needs the extra help for a raid, they can light a Flare.

Campfire links up with other Niantic apps as well, so if you have more than just Pokémon GO, it might be worthwhile.

But for now, I’m okay just being able to see the nearby Flares within Pokémon GO, without needing all of the other features the full app has to offer.