Pokémon GO Avatar Change Controversy

Submission 9,736

Part of a series on Pokémon GO. [View Related Entries]

Overview

Pokémon GO Avatar Change Controversy refers to an update pushed forth by Pokémon GO developers Niantic that was intended to give players greater control over the customization of their player avatars in mid-April 2024. The rework to in-game characters was met with significant backlash, as critics said the update made avatars appear lifeless, have bugs and in some cases appear less feminine.

Background

On April 17th, 2024, Niantic announced an update for Pokémon GO that altered players' avatars on the premise of giving players more control over the customization of their avatars (shown below). The announcement tweet^[1] gained over 1,700 retweets and 4,000 likes, but also 6,300 replies in two days as many players voiced their displeasure with the update.

Developments

The update was quickly and loudly loathed by many in the Pokémon GO fandom. The /r/PokémonGo subreddit, in particular, was flooded with complaints from people comparing their new models to their former models.

For example, on April 18th, 2024, Redditor Educational-Guess866^[2] posted a before and after comparison saying, "Did my girl so dirty," gaining over 2,100 points in one day (shown below, left). On the 19th, Redditor freetxgn3^[3] showcased a glitch in which a model's hands went through her body while holding a cup of coffee, gaining over 530 points in a matter of hours (shown below, right).

Others showcased the updated avatars' bizarre and unflattering crotch areas, including a brief period when the models posed in a way that showed up their skirts, though this was patched out.^[4] For example, on April 18th, Redditor initforthepups^[5] showcased a bizarre avatar crotch, gaining over 430 points in one day (shown below, left). On the 19th, Redditor Luzifer_Shadres posted a meme comparing the new avatars to creatures from Spore,^[6] gaining over 260 points in a matter of hours (shown below, right).

Additionally, some noticed that having the avatar wear headphones would give them a Gamer Dent. For example, on April 19th, 2024, Redditor spinosaurus^[7] showed off this phenomenon in a meme that gained over 60 points in a matter of hours (shown below).