Gen VIII legendaries hit with pre-release nerf in Pokemon GO, players point out inconsistencies

Pokemon GO has made a surprising pre-release adjustment to the highly anticipated Gen VIII legendaries, Crowned Form Zacian and Zamazenta. According to Redditor u/aznknight613, ahead of their debut in their Crowned forms, both Pokemon received stat reductions and this has sparked discussions within the community.

"Crowned Form Zacian/Zamazenta's stats have been nerfed"

Crowned Form Zacian/Zamazenta's stats have been nerfed byu/aznknight613 inTheSilphRoad

Zacian's base attack has been reduced from 332 to 295, while Zamazenta's base attack dropped from 250 to 231. Additionally, their base defense took a hit, with Zacian going from 292 to 282. While many players anticipated some form of balance change, the inconsistencies with the base forms and the unexpected shift in their viability have triggered mixed reactions.

The stat nerf has raised questions about the potential impact of these Pokemon in both PvP and PvE formats. Considering that Zacian and Zamazenta were poised to become meta-defining in their Crowned forms, the community is now debating whether Niantic has made a fair move or if the nerf was excessive.

The inconsistencies between the base and Crowned forms have also left players perplexed, especially as the base forms were not adjusted when the same nerf was applied in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

u/JibaNOTHERE2 highlighted that the Crowned forms’ stat nerfs align with the changes made in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. However, they pointed out a critical inconsistency — the base forms of Zacian and Zamazenta had also been nerfed in the mainline games, but since they were released in Pokemon GO prior to the adjustment, their stats remain unchanged.

Comment byu/aznknight613 from discussion inTheSilphRoad

This discrepancy has led to a situation where Crowned Form Zamazenta has a lower CP than base Zamazenta, despite still having a higher stat product.

Adding another perspective, u/Dragonfruitx1x expressed confusion over the reaction of some players, questioning why there was outrage regarding the stat reduction.

Pokemon GO players raise interesting perspectives regarding the subject matter (Image via Reddit)

In their view, expecting Crowned Form Zacian or Zamazenta to remain untouched was unrealistic, especially since these legendaries were already breaking competitive balance.

Meanwhile, u/CookieblobRs approached the discussion from a gameplay efficiency standpoint.

Comment byu/aznknight613 from discussion inTheSilphRoad

Without a Sunsteel Strike equivalent, they believe most players would default to Duskmane Necrozma as a superior choice in raids.

On the other hand, u/Careless_Minute4721 proposed a potential middle ground.

"Maybe if Behemoth Bash is a two bar move compared to Behemoth Blade if it were made a one bar move kind of like what they did with Freeze Shock/Ice Burn for Kyurem? Although it would it would probably need good base power and fast attack window to make up for Zama’s lower attack"

Drawing a comparison to how Kyurem’s Freeze Shock and Ice Burn were handled, they suggested that tweaking the moves’ base power and energy costs could offset the nerf and keep the Pokemon viable.

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The task of balancing Pokemon GO Legendary Pokemon

Crowned Form Zacian and Zamazenta as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Niantic has always faced challenges when introducing overpowered legendaries to Pokemon GO, and Crowned Form Zacian and Zamazenta are no exception. Their introduction was expected to significantly shift the PvE and PvP meta, especially with the potential of Behemoth Blade and Behemoth Bash, making them top-tier raid and battle contenders.

That said, the pre-release stat nerfs have placed Niantic under scrutiny, as some fans believe the balancing measures were not consistent across all forms.

The decision to reduce the attack and defense stats of Crowned Form Zacian and Zamazenta mirrors the balancing approach taken in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but the lack of adjustment to the base forms in Pokemon GO has puzzled many players.

Niantic now faces the task of ensuring that these Crowned legendaries remain appealing and competitively viable without overpowering the meta. Whether this balancing act will succeed remains to be seen.

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The pre-release nerf to Crowned Form Zacian and Zamazenta has sparked heated discussions within the Pokemon GO community. While some appreciate Niantic's move to keep the Crowned forms from overrunning the meta, others point out the inconsistency of not touching the base forms even as they received similar nerfs in the mainline games.

While Niantic is gearing up for the GoFest 2025 release of these legendaries, the community will certainly be keeping a close watch on how these changes affect their viability both in PvE and PvP combat.

In the future, it will be important for Niantic to strike a balance while keeping these legendary Gen VIII icons thrilling and coveted additions to the game.

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