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A new year means a new wave of content for everybody's favorite monster-collecting mobile game, Pokemon GO. While Niantic has already done a great job laying down a roadmap for the first month of new content, many players are longing for some serious additions and changes to the game in the coming months.
Hopefully, Niantic plans on making 2024 the game's best year yet, considering how monumental the year prior was for the main series. There are many choices for new content and changes to existing features Niantic could bring into the game. Here are some things that would be great to see in Pokemon GO in 2024.
5 chages Niantic should make to Pokemon GO in 2023
1) Fix alternative forms
As many players already know, Pokemon GO features a very odd and impractical way to handle monsters of different forms. In the main series, most monsters can swap their forms at will. However, GO treats both forms as individual creatures, highly constricting the versatility of this mechanic.
This design philosophy in handling alternate forms greatly impacts Legendary and Mythical Pokemon with this mechanic, like Genesect, Giratina, and Deoxys. Now, players have to waste long periods of time completing 5-star Raids to get each form. This can be even more of a headache if Niantic chooses to region-restrict these raids like they have done in the past.
A simple button to let players exchange candies or stardust to change forms would solve this problem.
2) Add the rest of the Mega Evolutions
Niantic did a great job with a focus on Mega Evolutions for some events in 2023. Adding a total of nine in the year, there were some select choices the raiding community surely enjoyed, like Mega Rayquaza and Mega Diancie. However, there are still several Mega Evolutions that are not included in the game.
While it is understandable for Niantic to want to save the debut of both Mega Mewtwos for a grand event, players have been waiting for the remaining Megas long enough. Even Mega Lucario, the Mega many players see as the original Mega Evolution, has yet to make its debut in Pokemon GO.
3) Revert Remote Raiding
Remote Raiding was introduced as a way to give players a way to participate in gameplay during the 2020 pandemic. Since things have died down, Niantic is seeing a significant dip in profits from their sponsors, who pay them for the valuable location data Niantic provides. As such, many changes have been made in the last couple of years to remove the accessibility this feature has provided.
With the release of real multiplayer content like Party Play and the Campfire app, players have been open to in-person raiding a lot more. As such, it may be time to revert some of these nerfs made to Remote Raiding to give those who may not be able to leave the house at the very moment a raid is going on a fair chance to get in on the fun.
4) Upgrades to quality
One of the biggest issues with Pokemon GO is the game's lackluster sound and visual quality. Although the main franchise has never been known for its stellar visual appeal, some significant strides were made in the recent Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games, marking the first time the models have received significant updates since their debut in Pokemon X and Y on the 3DS.
The game features an ear-grating soundtrack that has many players turning off the music entirely. Since modern Pokemon games are famous for their amazing soundtracks, GO fails in this department and is in desperate need of an update.
5) Arceus
The most anticipated Mythical Pokemon may be arriving to Pokemon GO very soon. With this year bringing the Go Tour: Sinnoh event, Arceus has been teased a few times by Niantic themselves. However, one thing that has not been considered is how the developers will handle each of Arceus' 18 different forms.
Niantic may have to make some serious changes to how they handle the different forms of Arceus, considering the sheer number of different forms that would have to be programmed into the game. Since its debut is inevitable, players will have to wait and see how the developers will handle the situation.
