Rumor: Pokemon GO's Controversial Avatar Update was Reportedly Rushed

gamerant.com:

A recent rumor suggests that the highly controversial recent change to Pokemon GO's avatar system may have been significantly rushed, with speculation that the changes being reverted is unlikely. The massively popular monster-catching mobile game has teased plenty of changes coming to the game as part of its "#RediscoverGO" campaign. The major updates to the game are expected to focus around both player experience and the franchise's original 151 Kanto Pokemon, with an overhaul of in-game avatars already launching. Now, however, new reports are suggesting the avatar changes were rushed out.

Pokemon GO's recent avatar changes have been the subject of significant criticism and backlash from fans of the game. Many have criticized the new avatars for losing much of the flavor and appeal of the original avatars, often calling them «lifeless» or feeling that they do not match the game's artstyle. Pokemon GO has even been the victim of review bombing following the changes, with fans expressing their discontent with the new models. Now, a recent interview from one of the game's volunteer beta testers contains some bad news for Pokemon GO fans.

As reported by Dot Esports, an anonymous interview with a Pokemon GO tester has revealed the strained timeline for the game's newest update. According to the interview, the overhaul of the game's avatar system was only tested for a few months before release. The tester reveals that the beta test for Pokemon GO's new avatars was only implemented «three to four months ago» and suggests that Niantic made few changes from the original beta version. The full release of the feature also reportedly came as a surprise to other users within the test group.

The interview offers a bleak outlook at the potential for changes to Pokemon GO's controversial avatar update, citing the lack of communication with Niantic. The anonymous tester shares that Pokemon GO has often seen test features go live with little notice to the beta team, inciting