Niantic teased something big coming to Pokémon Go soon, and now we know it's a series of updates for the game that will change a few visual and gameplay elements. This "Rediscover Pokémon Go" push includes an overhaul to the avatars that players aren't happy with.
I caught Shadow Cresselia, but I have a warning for everyone! – Pokemon GO Taken Over Event
Niantic has been testing several changes to Pokémon Go in limited markets. Over the course of three weeks, some of these tests will roll out to the game as content updates that impact specific gameplay and visual areas. This includes a change that will slightly replace the trainer avatars designed by legendary Japanese character designer Yūsuke Kozaki with a new set of more customizable models.
When the avatar changes rolled out to a wider group of players in March, hundreds of players spoke out against the new designs, saying they looked “awful” and lacked the same energy as Kozaki’s original work, though others praised the variety of customization options. Now, the visual “doomsday” that those players had hoped Niantic would delay due to the negative reactions is scheduled for April 17, with no sign of an opt-out option.
This means that Niantic is pushing this update live to all players in order to make these new avatars the Pokémon Go standard. Like other controversial changes, this one is likely to be met with more initial backlash from the vocal minority of players on Reddit who are being smacked by the “ugly stick,” while the broader player base takes things in their stride and enjoys the new customization options.