Niantic Acknowledges Issues With Pokemon GO Avatar Update: “We’re taking this seriously”

To say the Pokemon GO Rediscover Yourself Avatar update wasn’t well received by players would be an understatement. When the new avatar models and customization system were revealed, online forums were flooded with critical feedback, with the overwhelming majority of vocal players expressing their distaste for the new avatars.

While many players may think their efforts are in vain, the uproar has caught Niantic’s attention.

Niantic Appreciates “Candid Personal Opinions”

According to a report from Pokemon GO Hub (an outlet unaffiliated with Niantic), a representative from Niantic reached out and asked for feedback directly. This, in and of itself, served as proof that Niantic was interested in collecting the thoughts of the Pokemon GO community, especially regarding the quality of the recent Avatar Update.

Pokemon GO Hub reported that after they had submitted their feedback, Niantic responded, “We’re sending all of your feedback to the Product Team and the folks who worked on the Avatar system; we’re taking this seriously and really appreciate you sharing your candid personal opinions/follower opinions.”

This may seem a bit out of character for Niantic. The developers of Pokemon GO have implemented several controversial changes since 2016 (notably the removal of a wealth of QoL features formerly implementers during the 2020 pandemic) and have done so unapologetically. So, to see a representative respond to the criticism by asking for direct feedback is something Pokemon GO players may not be familiar with.

Pokemon GO Hub notes that Niantic did not make any promises regarding what they will change but did state that some issues had already been fixed, including those that resulted in NSFW imagery.

Whether this interaction with community members will result in actual changes is yet to be seen. Still, we will keep our readers updated if and when Niantic makes any changes to the Pokemon GO Avatars.