“The audacity!”: Pokemon GO community reacts to latest avatar update tweet

Pokemon GO’s recent avatar update has sparked a wave of criticism from the game’s community, culminating in heated discussions on social media platforms. The crux of the discontent revolves around what many players perceive as a downgrade in the quality and appearance of player avatars following the latest update released by Niantic.

A recent post on X by Pokemon GO's official account, which highlighted the new feature of customizing an avatar's eye color, was the tipping point for many. The tweet seemed ill-timed and tone-deaf as it ignored the broader criticisms from players about the overall deterioration in avatar quality.

The backlash was encapsulated concisely in a Reddit thread by u/cjjones07, who expressed disbelief and disappointment at the post:

“The AUDACITY! Of this post. Somtimes things like this is just VERY poor taste while the whole community dislike this update.”

The AUDACITY! Of this post byu/cjjones07 inpokemongo

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Upset Pokemon GO players are unhappy about Niantic's latest avatar update

The Reddit post started a heated discussion regarding Pokemon GO's recent update (Image via Reddit)

Players were quick to point out that the ability to change eye color was not only previously available but also trivial compared to the pressing issues introduced with the new avatar designs.

Redditor u/SmugReddMan noted:

“The best part is that the old avatars could ALREADY change eye color. I distinctly remember adjusting mine to my liking.”

u/BuffyComicsFan94 clarified that the number of eye color choices had increased:

"If I recall correctly, we used to have 5 to choose from, now we have 20. Unless the old version had a button for more options that I just missed"

However, this minor enhancement failed to appease the community. u/eltanin_33 expressed indifference:

“I don't want to look at my character so why would I care about the eye color?”

A common sense of frustration is evident among Pokemon GO players (Image via Valve)

The community's frustration is further highlighted by u/ArwingElite’s sarcastic comment about the irrelevance of the eye color update, humorously describing their avatar:

“Because THAT is what was wrong with my tall, lanky, carbo-loaded, babyfaced monster. His eye color.... Good talk, Niantic”

u/Alleggsander criticized the developers for being out of touch:

“Even if you couldn’t do it before the update (which you could), imagine being so out of touch to think advertising a basic feature that has been in gaming for decades is exciting news.”

Despite the overwhelming negativity, some Redditors like u/Mermaidluvly remain hopeful that future updates will address the concerns. They suggested potential improvements such as more customization sliders for different body parts and an enhanced color palette for hair and eyes:

“Some hair colors I loved before the update now look dull and bland. I hope they add prettier shades for hair colors. And maybe perfect the skin tone options.”

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In response to the uproar, it seems imperative for Niantic to take swift action to address the criticisms. The community’s reaction to the Pokemon GO update underscores a broader issue of a disconnect between player expectations and the game developer’s recent updates. As the company looks forward to maintaining its player base and keeping the game engaging, listening to user feedback and making the necessary adjustments will be crucial.

As it stands, the Pokemon GO community continues to watch closely, hoping that their feedback will not fall on deaf ears and that future updates will restore the former glory of their beloved avatars.