Pokémon GO Players Express Strong Objections Following Avatar Customization Update, Citing Feelings of Unattractiveness.
Before the update, Pokémon GO avatars were based on either a male or female model, with players able to select from various skin tones, hair colors, styles, and eye colors. Some clothing options and poses were restricted by gender, with slight variations available. Towards the end of March, a few players received a glimpse of the upcoming customization enhancements.
The new features allowed players to freely choose between male and female facial features and wear any clothing, with women’s attire often labeled as “fitted.” Additionally, a wider array of hair styles, hair colors, eye colors, skin tones, and new sliders for adjusting height, weight, and other characteristics were introduced. Notably, adjustments to the “chest” slider now affected breast size rather than pectoral muscles.
However, the preview was met with disappointment from players. “@colddarkparks” expressed dismay, asking, “What’s happened to the female avatars’ figure!? Why now so masculine!?” The user declared an end to their spending on avatar items if the changes became permanent, sharing comparison pictures illustrating the alterations made by the update.
In contrast, the original female avatar seemed to feature a narrower waist and wider hips. Addressing another user, @colddarkparks mentioned that adjusting the slider didn’t alleviate the issue.
@BlackCat_Dandy encapsulated the sentiment shared by many users regarding the preview. “Welp, #PokemonGo players are having a bad day, Niantic silently released an update that changed everyone’s avatars for the worse, removed paid poses and items, all because… they wanted to add ‘better diverse character customization.’”
It’s worth noting that while some avatars experienced glitches when wearing specific items, paid items were not universally removed from accounts. Moreover, many of the most glaring issues were addressed by users themselves, as it appeared that the avatar’s default state set all sliders to 50%.
However, female avatars were observed with less pronounced hips, with some appearing to adopt the default male pose rather than the female one. Male avatars featured softer facial features, and there was a general dissatisfaction with how clothing appeared on the new, awkward frame.
As an experiment, this writer attempted to recreate the original default female avatar after the update became available to all users. Despite adjusting the sliders to their minimum and maximum values, the new avatar could not match the thin waist or wide hips of the original female avatar.
On April 15th, Niantic, the developer of Pokémon GO, launched their “Rediscover GO” campaign, introducing new features aimed at enticing former players back and enhancing the experience for current ones.
The initial phase of the campaign focused on enhancing avatar customization. On April 17th, Niantic proudly announced, “Trainers, your avatar can now look even more like YOU! We’re excited to announce that new avatar customization options are now live in Pokémon GO!”
Instead of sparking enthusiasm for the game, Niantic’s tweet stirred up a storm of criticism, prompting players to provide unfiltered feedback. Players showcased avatars with lifeless expressions, awkward stances, ashy skin tones, and buttocks so diminished they appeared unnatural.
Adding to the frustration were numerous glitches. Avatars set to maximum fatness would often clip through their own clothes, sometimes even without reaching maximum size. Headphones would dent the avatar’s skull, some avatars would become bow-legged, and chunks of the model and textures would be missing altogether.
Even when the avatars functioned as intended, users couldn’t help but poke fun at or be amused by the maximum fat characters, while others genuinely welcomed the addition of diverse body types. Some users shared images of three female avatars, comparing them to a scene from the Powerpuff Girls where three men attempt to imitate the titular characters.
Accompanied by a widely circulated image of a female avatar adorned in Mewtwo-inspired attire, an unflattering before-and-after comparison encapsulated nearly all of the grievances. @LukeVonKarma pleaded, “If you want context on how terrible this change was, look at this update Pokémon GO did to avatars in the game.”
Expressing disdain, the user continued, “I hate to be like ‘lol it looks like AI art’ but it’s pretty horrendous,” before adding, “Pokemon GO please reverse this horrible update.”
“There hasn’t been a Japanese IP that has undergone more Westernization than Pokémon,” lamented @politicalawake. “Literally one of the most appealing things in Pokémon besides the Pokémon themselves is the Anime-stylized Trainers.”
Another user, X, highlighted, “Realism equals the death of escapism.”
Pokémon YouTuber Lewtwo also shared a selection of upset players — a mere fraction of what they’d seen. “literally every pokemon go post over the last 24 hours has felt like a f—–g funeral this s–t is unreal man.”
In late March, Lewtwo drew attention to players’ long-standing negative responses to Pokémon GO’s Twitter account, which allegedly included bots, persisting for “literal years” prior to the recent controversy.
Mark Kern, a former Blizzard Entertainment team lead turned consumer advocate, emphasized players’ desire for “fantasy ideals,” noting that unattractive avatars were not inclusive as Niantic may have intended. Kern further attributed the blame to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives.
“The Pokémon GO avatar changes are pissing off ALL REAL WOMEN who got their trainers DESTROYED by unnecessary DEI changes. This wasn’t to appeal to women; it already appealed to women. DEI and ESG initiatives ruin games and will cost [Pokémon GO] MILLIONS. No butts, no waist, no hips, and here’s a CHAD JAW!”
Kern further emphasized Niantic’s location in San Francisco, a city known for its left-leaning stance supporting DEI initiatives. He highlighted the developer’s collaboration with consultancy firm GaymerX and The Pokémon Company’s search for a DEI director.
A “high-ranking” Niantic employee communicated with the fan website Pokémon Go Hub, stating, “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.”
However, this might not be entirely accurate. In an interview on r/TheSilphRoad, self-proclaimed as “Reddit’s #1 spot for Pokémon GO discoveries and research,” an individual identified only as J.D. (John/Jane Doe), purportedly a member of a feedback server, claimed that Niantic was aware of the issues before the launch. Furthermore, they suggested that the company might be unwilling to take corrective action.
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