It's not just the stiry in a vacuum that gave up either, the game on the whole seemed to give up halfway through. Routes became more empty, time between gyms shorter, the actual content of said gyms becoming more and more empty until finally just not actually have a last gym period.
Its like they made the game in order and ran out of time. Which...I woul believe.
https://twitter.com/OocWTC/status/1348011667976699904?s=19