"Why has Niantic abandoned Galar?": Pokemon GO player questions lack of content around Gen VIII

Pokemon GO began rolling out creatures from the Galar region and Generation VIII back in 2019 when Galarian Weezing was the first one from the region to be introduced. However, much of the Galar Pokedex remains unimplemented, and many trainers are confused as to why. A Redditor, u/True-State-4321, asked:

"Why has Niantic abandoned Galar?"

Many of Galar's species remain absent from Pokemon GO (Image via u/True-State-4321/Reddit)

True-State-4321's post echoed many sentiments shared by Pokemon GO players in the past several months. While the Paldea region of Generation IX has seen numerous Pokemon and themed events released, Galar from Pokemon Sword and Shield has languished in obscurity, as the Sword/Shield core series games' 5-year anniversaries approach.

Most notable is the fact that while every other generation's starter Pokemon are represented, Galar's starters of Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble remain absent from Pokemon GO. Some Galarian regional variants of existing Pokemon like Weezing, Meowth, Stunfisk, Darumaka, and The Legendary Birds are available, but several creatures introduced in Sword/Shield are still missing.

Pokemon GO fans have panned the heavy Kanto region focus in recent months (Image via Reddit)

Trainers have crafted several theories about why the Galar region is still so heavily absent in Pokemon GO. Many fans took aim at Niantic's focus on Generation I and the Kanto region over the past several months, while others suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic may have had a hand. Some suggested that Paldea was rushed into GO to capitalize on Pokemon Scarlet/Violet, Generation IX's first titles.

Pokemon GO fans discuss why many Galar region 'mons are still missing (Image via Reddit)

With GO's eighth anniversary just a few days away, it seemed like a perfect time to introduce more Generation VIII content, but the 8th Anniversary Celebration event is bereft of anything from the Galar region. It's understandable for members of the community, including those who are fans of Generation VIII, to wonder what the holdup is.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.

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It's past time for more Generation VIII content in Pokemon GO

Pokemon Sword and Shield are approaching their fifth anniversary (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Even if Niantic isn't implementing Generation VIII content in GO during the game's eighth anniversary, the fifth anniversary of Pokemon Sword and Shield and the Galar region itself will arrive in November 2024. It's hard to imagine a better time to introduce a sizable amount of Galar's Pokedex to the title, perhaps even with a new Galar region-focused in-game season.

Although GO certainly has plenty of missing Pokemon from other generations of the core series game and the Galarian cover legendaries Zacian and Zamazenta have been introduced, Galar's starters are still missing, and many memorable Galar Pokemon like Corviknight, Appletun, Grimmsnarl, Dragapult, Urshifu, and Eternatus are still nowhere to be found.

Perhaps some theories are true and Niantic intends to add more Galar Pokemon alongside the implementation of the Gigantamax transformations, Sword and Shield's battle gimmick. However, without confirmation from Niantic, it's hard to tell. Whatever the case, it's understandable for players to be confused and frustrated at the lack of the overall focus on Galar compared to other regions.

Hopefully, Niantic has some plans in store for Generation VIII and the Galar region when it comes to new Pokemon and events. It's high time for trainers to enjoy some new content, which the Galar region can certainly provide.