A button could be the answer to Pokemon Go’s avatar problems

Still frustrated by the Pokemon Go avatar update? Here’s how a simple button could be the answer to all of the community’s problems.

The avatar update in Pokemon Go will go down in history as one of the most awkwardly timed updates in the game. It missed the mark with players and left a lot of people feeling both frustrated and upset by their lack of choice in the matter.

It’s still a hot topic in the community at the time of writing, too. Some further changes have been introduced into the game with biomes and backgrounds – which have been received with mixed feelings – but the blocky avatars are still haunting the nightmares of many players.

While Pokemon Go’s team has acknowledged the concerns of players, there haven’t been any changes made to the avatars. It’s unclear whether the avatar update will be rolled back or edited at all – although it’s safe to say it won’t be entirely removed.

One way that Niantic could improve upon this update and keep the player base happy is to introduce a simple toggle system to switch between the classic avatars and its new designs, as well as the map and catch screen changes. Of course, this will seem easier to implement from a player perspective than a developer perspective, but an on-off switch could keep different sections of the community feeling happy and acknowledged.

This idea has been echoed on Reddit too and has gone down well with the community, with many praising the idea and calling for it to be implemented.

In a game that tries to offer players lots of choices with clothing, aesthetics, gameplay style, and more, it’s surprising that an options system hasn’t been implemented yet. Players will almost always opt for titles that offer them more freedom and autonomy, and Pokemon Go could benefit from more of this.

After all, some will be used to the avatar update by now and may even be enjoying it. Rolling back the change entirely is unlikely and could do more harm than good, but giving players the choice to opt in or out of the style changes would be a fantastic move.

It’ll be interesting to see how Niantic reacts to player feedback moving forward from this now-infamous update. Could we see player surveys to gauge responses to future updates? More interaction with the community on social media? 2024 is still set to be a big year for Pokemon Go so it would be great to see more positive changes on the horizon.