5 reasons Niantic may never release Arceus in Pokemon GO

Pokemon GO has introduced a massive amount of Pocket Monsters since its 2016 debut, but some 'mons are still missing from the mobile title. This includes certain Legendary and Mythical Pokemon, and one in particular has remained particularly elusive well past the time it was expected to appear. To be specific, the creation deity Arceus has yet to appear in GO.

For years, Pokemon GO fans have speculated as to when the godlike species will make its way to the game. However, as of late 2023, it still has yet to make an appearance, and it's possible that it might not ever make a debut despite being in the game's code for years.

If Arceus does indeed stay out of Pokemon GO, there are likely more than a few reasons as to why this will be the case.

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5 reasons Arceus may not be included in Pokemon GO

1) Arceus' plate-based elemental forms

Arceus' elemental type changes depending on the plate it is holding (Image via The Pokemon Company)

As of Generation VIII of the main series of Pokemon games, Arceus can hold one of 19 different plates that change its elemental types. One exists for each existing type, and there is also the Legend Plate, which allows it to change the type of its move Judgement. Arceus' 19 different forms being included in Pokemon GO might be something of an overload as a result.

There has certainly been precedent for forms similar to Arceus in GO's past, considering multiple forms of Genesect with different drives are available. Be that as it may, Niantic may simply think that adding so many different forms of a single Mythical Pokemon may not be ideal for the game.

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2) Arceus' immense rarity

Arceus is one of the rarest Pokemon throughout the franchise (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Sure, Pokemon GO has introduced many incredibly rare creatures in its time, including the likes of the Galarian Legendary Birds, Mewtwo, and Mew. However, as the ostensible creator of the entire Pokemon universe, Arceus is often considered even more rare by a fair margin.

It may be difficult for Niantic to introduce Arceus in a way that its incredible rarity is preserved. Simply introducing it during an event or promotion would result in countless trainers acquiring it, which some may argue diminishes the status and rarity of Arceus. This isn't to say introducing Arceus in an incredibly rare way is impossible, but Niantic may have to walk a pretty tight rope to do so.

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3) Niantic has moved far ahead of it

Pokemon GO is already introducing creatures from Generation IX, well beyond Arceus' home generation (Image via Niantic)

Pokemon GO has introduced most creatures in chronological order based on their generation in the main series games. The major exception is Generation VIII, which Niantic seems to have passed over in favor of Generation IX creatures from the Paldea region. This is likely due to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet being relevant, but Arceus originated back in Generation IV and hasn't been seen at all.

Sure, there are plenty of missing Pokemon from various generations to add, but the Sinnoh region creatures of Gen IV debuted back in 2018. Even the region's legendaries like Giratina, Palkia, and Dialga were introduced, but Arceus is still MIA. Could it be possible that Niantic has decided to move on without it? Maybe not, but the possibility does exist.

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4) Arceus' movesets may be an issue

Arceus' learnable moves in the Pokemon series are vast (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Though this hypothetically wouldn't be an issue since Mew is in Pokemon GO and it is a creature that can learn any move, Arceus nonetheless has a deep pool of learnable moves to use. Since this is the case, Niantic may have a tough time determining which moves suit Arceus best within the mobile title to ensure game balance in PvE and PvP environments.

Its signature move Judgement also raises questions as to how it would work in GO. Although it's a Normal-type move by default, it changes type depending on the plate being held by Arceus. Since there are no held items in GO, Niantic would effectively need to code 18 different iterations of the move if Arceus was introduced with its full spectrum of elemental forms.

Arceus' Judgement move may be difficult to implement into Pokemon GO (Image via Game Freak)

Moreover, with the Legend Plate, Arceus can change the elemental type of Judgement to deal super effective damage against its target on the fly. Not only would this likely be tricky to introduce, but it also presents problems for Pokemon GO's balance in battle, giving Arceus a guaranteed super-effective attack regardless of matchups.

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5) Arceus may not live up to the hype

Niantic may be concerned that introducing Arceus to Pokemon GO will be a letdown (Image via The Pokemon Company)

There's no denying that Pokemon GO fans are eagerly waiting for the day Arceus is introduced, but that also carries high expectations. Arceus is the closest thing the Pokemon franchise has to a living god, so if it isn't implemented in a manner that befits its status, players may feel very disappointed.

Niantic is likely very aware of this. Though Arceus has been in Pokemon GO's code for years, the developers are likely waiting for the perfect storm of conditions to arrive to introduce Arceus in its full splendor. However, if Niantic doesn't think it can add the creature to the game in a way that suits its eminence in the series lore, it may continue to hold off indefinitely.

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It should be noted that by most indications, Arceus will eventually make its way to Pokemon GO. This hasn't been confirmed or guaranteed by Niantic as of October 2023, but the mobile title will continue to grow and evolve in the coming years. Though most players would agree that Arceus will arrive eventually, this has yet to be guaranteed and shouldn't be taken for granted.