Pokemon GO celebrated the game’s eighth anniversary on July 6 by posting an official celebratory illustration. Fans immediately noticed one impossible-to-miss detail — a massive Wartortle, whose large size and overhead purple clouds indicate its appearance as a Dynamax Pokemon.

Fans quickly took the image to mean that we will soon see the Dynamax mechanic, which originally featured as a unique and showy way to temporarily buff Pokemon in 2019’s Sword & Shield games, make its way to Pokemon GO. After a year of wishing for new, exciting additions to the game and frustration with the Rediscover GO avatar updates, players are hopeful.

But not too hopeful, as one player reminds fans, “keep in mind: mimikyu was in the artwork 3 (?) years ago and still isn’t released so keep your expectations low lol.”

Indeed, the anniversary artwork for past Pokemon GO milestones has been a mixed bag of teased features, some of which eventually came to the game and some which turned out to be apparent false promises. Another fan remembers seeing Mega Mewtwo in a previous year’s image, which is one of the few Mega Evolutions still not available in the game. However, others are quick to respond that many features teased in the anniversary artwork have eventually come to the game — even if it took a few years.

More Galar Content on the Way for Pokemon GO?

In addition to the apparent Dynamax tease, there are a few more hints we might finally get more Galar content in Pokemon GO. Close inspection of the art reveals a couple of the Sword & Shield Galar starters, including Grookey and Scorbunny, hanging out in the background. These are highly anticipated additions to Pokemon GO, with many players asking why we have the Paldean Gen 9 starters but still no Gen 8 starters in the game.

Thus far, Niantic has not made any official announcements about future plans for Pokemon GO other than the teases in this artwork. Instead, their blog post about celebrating eight years looks back on a few “favorite features” from the past year. The list includes the addition of Routes and Party Play, two functions that have received a mixed reaction from fans.

If the reaction to a mere suggestion of Dynamax mechanics is any indication, this would be a welcome change for Pokemon GO … if indeed it’s part of the future roadmap for the mobile game.

Pokémon GO is available on iOS and Android.

I did this recently with Pokemon Violet, intent to enjoy the game for its strengths – great music, Pokemon designs, and a fairly decent story – rather than its considerable number of weaknesses. While I could get over the choppy framerate and slow UI this time around, I soon realized I wouldn’t be able to get over the horrid art direction that leaves the region of Paldea incredibly bland to explore once, let alone twice.

From the opening Spanish-themed shores of Cabo Poco to the tiered, Japanese-inspired rice fields of the DLC’s Kitakami region, Paldea is easily the least artistically impressive Pokemon game to date. I am fully aware that most Pokemon games render their worlds in pixels, yet at the same time, those pixels lead to some creative artistic decisions that make the shores and beaches of Hoenn feel distinct from the icy mountains of Sinnoh. Even the games rendered in crude 3D on the 3DS – X and Y and Sun and Moon – brought their worlds to life far better than Scarlet and Violet.

Skipping over Pokemon Legends: Arceus, which has a similar drab art direction, and looking back at Pokemon Sword and Shield provides some answers as to what might’ve gone wrong. Sword and Shield begins in Postwick, which introduces rolling hills and charming gardens that immediately give the Galar region a distinctly English aesthetic. This continues throughout the adventure with the castle-themed Hammerlocke, the whimsical Ballonea with a mysterious fairy-filled forest surrounding it, and the Slumbering Weald that harkens back to ancient English legends of knights and kings.

However, this personality doesn’t extend to Sword and Shield’s biggest feature: the pseudo-open world Wild Area. This free-to-explore zone in the center of the map is by far the least visually appealing part of the game, with low-res textures and a free moving camera with no visually stimulating sights to see no matter which way you look. In fact, the closest you might get is a bridge in the center of a map or a lone, ghost-plagued tower tucked away in a corner. It is, in essence, the progenitor of Scarlet and Violet’s lack of visual personality and a clear sign that Game Freak cannot develop an appealing open-ended area.

It’s not like it’s impossible to do on the Nintendo Switch, either. One only has to take a glance at something like Breath of the Wild or Xenoblade Chronicles 3—or even the Definitive Edition of the original—to see gorgeous environments aren’t a limitation of hardware but a failure of visual design.

Scarlet and Violet suffers far more than Sword and Shield simply because the entire game is set in an open world with few indoor buildings. Sure, the central city of Mesagoza has some color that contrast the white and beige architecture, and Levincia features some futuristic lights, but having them all set outside leaves them looking like open wounds on the landscape rather than interesting places to visit, especially from a distance. The final area of the base game, Area Zero, almost gets there with its hazy bright lights and waterfalls bespeckled with rainbows, but even then it feels largely empty and forgettable.

As a result, the Pokemon adventures set in Paldea will go down as the first that I cannot find it in myself to replay. This is a shame because I think Game Freak Pokemon games will, from this point forward, be fully open world, unless it’s a remake or a spinoff. I do have some hope for the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A, as I enjoyed Arceus’ fresh game mechanics immensely, and it’s set all within one city. For whatever games come after that, a foolish part of me still holds out hope that Game Freak will have learned from Scarlet and Violet’s mistakes and we’ll actually get an open world with an interesting place or three to visit.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is available now.

Recently, Niantic announced that tiny electric fish Pokemon Tynamo will take center stage for the July 21 Community Day in Pokemon GO. While this is indeed a Pokemon that hasn’t been Shiny in the game yet, players are still pretty surprised – and underwhelmed – to see this little guy star in its own event.

Fans gathered on Reddit to discuss the latest “electric” Community Day announcement.

The resounding feedback is more or less a big old “meh.” While many players say they’ll still participate in Tynamo Community Day to check off another Shiny for their list, the enthusiasm is lacking.

Related: Pokemon GO Players Furious That Mega Rayquaza Is an Elite Raid

“It is a boring one,” says one user who will grudgingly take part in the Shiny hunt but isn’t super thrilled about it. Another fan says, “it’s hard to feel excited about this one.” That statement pretty much sums up how many Pokemon GO players have felt about recent in-game events in general.

Although many fans are less than enthused with this hard-to-see Pokemon getting a Community Day, it’s not all bad news. Many have been quick to point out that Tynamo is tricky to Shiny Hunt in Scarlet & Violet due to its size. Grabbing it in Pokemon GO and transferring it over will let players tick off this Shiny without the hassle of squinting at their Nintendo Switch for hours.

Even if Tynamo isn’t many players’ favorite Pokemon, its evolution Eelektross has a small but dedicated fanbase. However, Eelektross doesn’t have its primary powerful ability, Levitate, in Pokemon GO. Even Eelektross fans are underwhelmed by this electric Pokemon’s potential in the game, and its Community Day Fast Attack, Volt Switch, isn’t likely to make it more battle-ready.

Overall, fans are hoping to see more exciting events again once Pokemon GO Fest 2024 comes to an end. Until then, we’ll get out there and Shiny hunt Tynamo because, well… why not?

Pokémon GO is available on iOS and Android.

Players across social media are sharing their not-so-generous thoughts about Mega Rayquaza being an Elite Raid Boss, such as this meme from Reddit:

As user Entire_Pineapple4732 notes in their post, many prior Mega and Legendary Pokemon have featured in Raid Day events in Pokemon GO without being limited to the Elite Raid tier. Why are players so frustrated with this change?

The primary complaint centers on Remote Raid Passes, a serious point of contention in the Pokemon GO community. Elite Raids do not permit the use of any Remote Raid Passes at all, forcing players to participate in Elite Raids in person. That means you need to find an Elite Raid Gym near you and physically travel there – during the limited hours for the Elite Raid – in order to have a chance of battling Mega Rayquaza.

There are many issues with this model, as players have pointed out. If you don’t live near a special Elite Raid Gym, you won’t be able to use a Remote Pass to join in with someone who does. This is a challenge for players in rural areas, where PokeStops and Gyms are less common. Players with limited mobility or other accessibility needs that prevent them from playing in person are also unable to enjoy these Elite Raids due to the exclusion of Remote Raid Pass users.

Related: How to Get Cramorant in Pokemon Sleep

Another complaint regarding Mega Rayquaza Raid Weekend in Pokemon GO is the limited hours, with Elite Raids scheduled for just four hours: 12 PM and 1 PM, then again at 5 PM and 6 PM on Saturday, June 29. Players point out that these times overlap with both lunch and dinner for many people, and that anyone who works Saturdays may miss the entire window due to how limited the times are.

While some fans are responding with light-hearted, albeit frustrated, humor, others are calling for an outright boycott of Mega Rayquaza Raid Weekend. The hope is that refusing to participate – and pay Niantic for Raid Passes – will force the company to reconsider its exclusionary practices with Elite Raids.

While player boycotts and outcry have gotten Niantic’s attention in the past, they’ve stayed pretty firm when it comes to Remote Raid Pass limits. It’s clear that Pokemon GO fans still have strong feelings about Remote Raid Pass usage and excluding players from big events like this one. Hopefully, Niantic will take note and make the next Mega Raid more broadly available to fans.

Pokémon GO is available on iOS and Android.

What is the Pokemon GO Poke Ball Throwing Glitch?

In June 2024, Niantic released the 0.317.0 update for Pokemon GO. Since downloading the update, many players have noticed changes in Pokemon movement behaviors and Poke Ball throwing mechanics that are making it more difficult to catch Pokemon – and to earn those already elusive Nice, Great, and Excellent throws.

If it seems like your Poke Balls are suddenly jumping away from the target or missing when they shouldn’t, you’re not alone. Many players report noticing that Poke Balls seem to glitch and jump at the last moment, altering their trajectory so that they no longer land in the target circle that would earn a nice throw.

Some players speculate this is due to the update moving the target point for the catch box, making it so that your target is actually behind the Pokemon, not in front of it. This theory is largely due to the fact that many players have observed Poke Balls falling right through Pokemon when the animation looks like the ball should hit.

Another catch mechanic issue that trainers have noticed since the Pokemon GO update involves Pokemon’s aggression animations. These movements make it temporarily impossible for a Poke Ball to hit them and they now seem to be amped up to such an extent that catching Pokemon is incredibly challenging.

Thus far, Niantic has not acknowledged player complaints about the issue or any plans to remedy what players hope is a glitch. However, some trainers suspect it may not be a glitch, but an intentional update intended to increase the challenge of catching Pokemon that went slightly too far.

Potential Fixes for the Pokemon GO Ball Throwing Glitch

Given how widespread this issue is for players, many trainers are trying to find workarounds to remedy this catch mechanic glitch. While it doesn’t seem like anyone has found a completely foolproof method to fix the problem, players do report some potential fixes. These have worked for some players, so they’re worth a try if you’re really frustrated trying to catch that Raid Boss Pokemon that won’t stop dodging your Poke Ball.

Revert Your App Version

If your phone will let you revert to a prior version of the app, this is the most reliable fix players have found. Pokemon GO may force an update and render this fix impossible, but for those who’ve been able to revert, it fixes the error.

Download All Assets

Some trainers have tried using the Download All Assets function as a possible fix for this error. Toggling this option on in your game settings will have the game download all available assets at once, rather than over time.

A few Redditors say that toggling this option on and re-downloading all assets seems to have helped with the glitch. However, others report trying this and having no apparent improvement, so it’s not a guarantee.

File a Bug Report

Okay, filing a Bug Report with Niantic Support isn’t going to magically fix your Poke Balls falling through Pokemon in the short term. However, many users are urging one another to report this glitch as a bug to try and make sure that Niantic is aware of and responds to this game-breaking error.

Hopefully, Niantic will make adjustments to the broken Pokemon catch mechanic soon. In the meantime, these fixes might make it so you can actually catch Pokemon again.

Pokemon GO‘s official launch was July 6, 2016, when the game was released in the US, Australia, and New Zealand. The mobile game has changed a lot since it first came out, but one thing that hasn’t changed is Niantic’s love of Pokemon in party hats.

This year, Niantic is throwing its birthday party a little bit early, with the Pokemon GO 8th Anniversary Party on June 28 at 10 AM local time to July 3 at 8 PM local time.

Like any good Pokemon GO party, the event will feature several Pokemon wearing party hat costumes. This year, we’re getting another new party hat Pokemon debut, with Grimer and Muk wearing party hats to celebrate 8 years of running around the real world catching virtual Pokemon. Both of these new party hat Pokemon can be Shiny.

In addition to these new party hat Pokemon, trainers will be able to catch some old favorites as well. The following Pokemon will spawn in their birthday party best during the 8th Anniversary celebration:

• Bulbasaur
• Charmander
• Eevee
• Pikachu (in a cake hat)
• Squirtle

Many other starters will be spawning more frequently in the wild during the event as well, giving trainers a chance to revisit the beginnings of many other favorite Pokemon games from the franchise. Sadly, Poplio still doesn’t have a Shiny version available, which is leaving some fans a little disappointed.

Like much of what Niantic has been up to with the game in recent years, fan reactions to this event announcement have been mixed. While many are excited that Shiny Meltan will feature, other trainers are quick to point out that party hat Bulbasaur still can’t evolve even though party hat Charizard is fully a thing. Even so, the event bonuses are a good perk that has many players looking forward to during this celebration event.

Most recently, I’ve written about how Paldea lacks art direction, making it visually the least interesting region in Pokemon history, but I’ve also covered the need for Game Freak to take a break after Scarlet and Violet, which I’m glad they’ve done. Despite all this, my recent playthrough of Pokemon Violet showed me that the flawed adventure nailed three things that I hope carry over to the next generation.

First and foremost, Scarlet and Violet continue the trend of absolutely amazing music. From the iconically creepy Lavender Town tune to Galar’s raucous gym theme, every Pokemon game features standout tracks; likewise, Game Freak packed Paldea full of memorable songs. From rival Nemona’s catchy, happy-go-lucky battle music to the mysterious Area Zero theme, the music does the heavy lifting when it comes to making Paldea feel unique. Throw in some standout tracks like the Tera Raid battle music composed by Undertale’s Toby Fox, and you’ve got yourself one of the better videogame OSTs in recent memory.

Second—and I can’t believe I’m saying this after Pokemon Sword and Shield’s atrocious narrative—two of the three stories presented in Scarlet and Violet tell better tales than most Pokemon games. Say what you will about the gameplay associated with them, but Starfall Street and Path of Legends tugged on the ol’ heartstrings a little. The former sees a band of seemingly villainous delinquents come to terms with the bullying they faced, while the latter follows Arven in his quest to cure his Mastiff of a seemingly deadly disease. Victory Road, the final of the three central narratives, falls rather flat, but at least it has that classic Pokemon gym badge experience.

Finally, and this is an incredibly subjective take, but I found the new Pokemon designs to be the best since Pokemon Black and White. Quaquaval and Flamigo designs aside (I mean seriously, the second one is just a regular flamingo. It’s almost as bad as Komala), I fell in love with the likes of Fidough and Tinkaton immediately. The Pawmi line are the best electric rodents since the original Pikachu, and how could you not appreciate Scovillain, a bell pepper-themed grass and fire type?

And that’s without getting into the Paradox Pokemon, which took the idea of regional variants, punted a few Pokemon into the distant past or far future, and created awesome designs like Iron Valiant and Roaring Moon. I predict a lot of these ‘mons will remain iconic for years or even decades to come, much the same way the likes of Dragapult and Urshifu from Sword and Shield have.

It’s clear to me that the designers at Game Freak still have the ability to make an amazing Pokemon game. Regardless of technical and visual quality, I’ll be first in line to pick up Pokemon Legends: Z-A and the generation that comes after (likely on the more powerful Switch successor) simply because I have no doubt in my mind we’ll get some great tunes, memorable new Pokemon designs, and if we’re lucky, a half decent story to experience.

That said, if there was any other game that didn’t have the pedigree of Pokemon released in the state Scarlet and Violet did and is still in, I would’ve never bothered to play it. One of the highest grossing and most renowned videogame series in history has to do better, no matter how well Game Freak nails the music, narrative, and creature designs.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now.

All Nesting Species in Pokemon GO, Listed

For those not aware, nests in Pokemon GO are areas where a specific Pokemon will spawn much more frequently than they typically do. That makes nests great areas to Shiny hunt a specific Pokemon or try to stock up on candies to power up or evolve your buddies.

Nests change every few weeks, with a new Pokemon moving in to replace the old one. The species that can be found in nests tend to be the same handful of Pokemon every season. Finding a nest can be tricky since they aren’t indicated on the Pokemon GO map. Nests vary by hemisphere, so we’re breaking them down by the location to help you figure out which Pokemon may be nesting near you during the Shared Skies season.

Nesting Species Worldwide During The Shared Skies Season

These Pokemon have been spotted nesting in both hemispheres during the current season.

Bounsweet	Bunnelby
Spinarak	Spritzee
Wurmple	Yanma

Nesting Species in the Northern Hemisphere During the Shared Skies Season

These Pokemon have been reported spawning in nesting locations in the Northern Hemisphere but haven’t yet been seen by players in the Southern Hemisphere.

Corphish	Deerling (Summer Form)
Duskull	Goldeen
Gulpin	Mudkip
Nincada	Pikipek
Qwilfish	Torchic
Treecko	Tyrunt
Wingull

Nesting Species in the Southern Hemisphere During the Shared Skies Season

These Pokemon have been reported as nesting species by players in the Southern Hemisphere but don’t appear to be spawning in nests in the Northern Hemisphere.

Aipom	Amaura
Audino	Bliztle
Chimchar	Deerling (Winter Form)
Dunsparce	Piplup
Sentret	Shinx
Spoink	Sudowoodo
Sunkern	Turtwig
Zigzagoon

Once you’ve identified a nest spot, you can return there to find new species on a roughly bi-weekly schedule.

Pokemon GO is available now.

Get Engaged at GO Fest for Some Shiny Special Perks

In a strange twist of events, the @nianticlabs account shared an Instagram post encouraging trainers to reserve a “exciting proposal experience” at GO Fest New York or GO Fest Madrid:

These limited engagement packages will offer trainers a few free perks if they choose to pop the question at an upcoming GO Fest 2024. The proposal packages will include:

• A dedicated photographer
• Special event access at GO Fest 2024
• A gift to “make your heart flutter”

While fans might expect Niantic to price this package at a pretty penny, it is a “free add-on experience limited to a small number of trainers.” In order to partake, you will need to already have a ticket to the GO Fest in question. The additional engagement package perks are free – so long as Niantic can verify that you are indeed registered to attend the event.

Related: 80-Year-Old Wood Carver Confused After Pokemon GO Player Turns His House Into Pokestop

Some Pokemon GO enthusiasts are excitedly sharing the news with friends who just might fit the bill for taking advantage of this engagement opportunity. Others, however, suspect this is really a clever ploy to garner some positive publicity for Niantic after some bumpy updates to the game reduced already tenuous goodwill with players. As one Reddit post puts it, some consider this ” a weird way to get players back.”

Of course, there are many stories of couples brought together by a shared love of Pokemon GO, so there are undoubtedly fans with intentions of getting engaged at these upcoming events. Let’s just hope they’ll be able to enjoy some extra perks from Niantic while doing it.

Pokémon GO is available on iOS and Android.

Wood Carving Turns Home Inot Pokemon GO Hot Spot

The incident was reported by Reddit user Luckyconroy, who reported the invalid stop on the old man’s behalf. Conroy explained how the man lives near the ocean in an area with a lot of tourists at this time of year, some of which play Pokemon GO.

“There’s a guy who lives a little up the road from me. He’s in his late 80s and retired, so he spends a lot of time making wood carvings, and he sticks them around his house,” Conroy wrote. “Someone semi-recently suggested one of these cravings (a Pelican made of palm wood) to be a Pokestop.”

Despite being on private property, the pelican was approved to be a Pokestop. Of course, without proper context and wide-angle photos, it could have come across as a piece of street art or some kind of art installation.

Conroy explained how people have been showing up at the man’s house, some of which have entered his yard or driveway. “He doesn’t wanna ruin anyone’s fun. He just doesn’t want people standing outside his house late at night and walking in his lawn and driveway,” Luckyconroy wrote.

June is a lighter month for tourism in his area, and Conroy started seeking advice from other users before July/August.

Users in the comments suggested Conroy report the spot from in-game and walk them through the steps. Others suggested posting the story to different subreddits that specialize in taking down unwanted Pokestops. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved soon, and Luckyconroy will report back with good news.

Trainer Needs To Walk Across the US To Power Up Zygarde

This news comes from Reddit user CallMePoro, who posted a screenshot of their 10% Zygarde (dog forme) on the Power Up screen. In order to reach its maximum level, Poro needs 268 Zygarde Candy and 20 XL Zygarde Candy. At first glance, this doesn’t seem too bad.

However, Poro posted a second screenshot showing how far they’d have to walk to earn a single candy. Since Zygarde isn’t a Pokemon you can catch in the wild to earn Candy, the only way to accumulate more is by setting it as your buddy and walking. Poro would need to walk 20 km for every piece of candy.

Doing quick math, that’s 5,360 km total, just to raise Zygarde to 2338 CP. To earn enough candy, Poro would have to walk from New York City to Los Angeles and then part of the way back. Even if Poro walked from Florida to Washington, they’d only walk 4,509 km, leaving almost 1,000 km more to squeeze in elsewhere.

However, some trainers offered advice on how to cut down on the required walking. If Poro had a Puffin active the entire time, they’d only have to walk 2,680 km, a little more than half the distance between Florida and Washington. And every Rare Candy they used would shave 20 km off the journey.

If Poro really wanted to get their Zygarde to max level, we recommend rank tanking in GO Battle League. A player recently reported nabbing over 1,000 Rare Candies from the last season by tanking their rank, which is far more than Zygarde is asking for.

To ensure you can prepare your team accordingly, let’s break down which Pokemon aren’t allowed in the Go Battle League during the current Shared Skies season.

Dates for the Current GO Battle League Season in Pokemon GO

The current Shared Skies season in the GO Battle League runs from June 1 through September 3, 2024.

Different competitions will be available throughout the season, with various league levels and special cups offered. Trainer ranks reset at the start of each new season, so players must re-earn their high rank every few months.

In the standard leagues, Pokemon are limited only by their CP, with a different cap for each level from the Great League to the Master League. However, each season brings a list of banned Pokemon that cannot compete in certain events. The Shared Skies season looks less strict than many, with only a few individual Pokemon banned this time.

Pokemon Banned from the Fossil Cup: Great League Edition

The Fossil Cup is a contest for Water, Rock, and Steel-type Pokemon of 1500 CP or lower. No other types of Pokemon are permitted to participate in this special cup.

However, there are no specific individual Pokemon banned from the Fossil Cup during Shared Skies.

Pokemon Banned from the Summer Cup: Great League Edition

The Summer Cup will test your skills with Normal, Water, Grass, Electric, and Bug-Type Pokemon at or below 1500 CP.

No Pokemon of any other type or with a CP above 1500 can compete in the Summer Cup. For this season, no individual Pokemon are listed as banned from competing.

Pokemon Banned from the Ultra Premier

The Ultra Premier Cup allows entry for Pokemon at or below 2500 CP. There are no individual Pokemon banned from this competition.

However, trainers cannot enter Legendary or Mythical Pokemon or Ultra Beasts in the Premier League. That means your Poipole from last season’s Special Research sadly isn’t eligible.

Pokemon Banned from the Fantasy Cup: Great League Edition

The Fantasy Cup allows Pokemon with a CP of 1500 or below to enter, with type restrictions in place. Dragon, Steel, and Fairy-Type Pokemon are allowed to enter the fray.

For Shared Skies, no individual Pokemon is banned from the Fantasy Cup so long as they meet the other requirements listed above.

Pokemon Banned from the Master Premier

Similar to the Ultra Premier, there are no specific Pokemon banned from this free-for-all contest that has no limit on your Pokemon’s CP.

However, Legendary Pokemon, Mythical Pokemon, and Ultra Beasts are not permitted to compete.

Pokemon Banned from the Great League Remix

The Great League remix is intended to give trainers in the GO Battle League a real challenge, and as such, there are some pretty strict guidelines on which Pokemon can complete.

This contest will rule out the 20 Pokemon that are most popular among trainers who achieve the Ace rank and beyond. That means the following popular Pokemon can’t participate:

Alolan Sandslash	Wigglytuff	Lickitung	Lanturn
Azumarill	Dewgong	Skarmory	Vigoroth
Medicham	Whiscash	Altaria	Feraligatr
Cresselia	Bastiodon	Galarian Stunfisk	Talonflame
Trevenant	Charjabug	Skeledirge	Annihilape

Pokemon Banned from the Catch Cup: Shared Skies Great Edition

This season will feature a Great Edition Catch Cup. Pokemon must be at or below 1500 CP to enter this contest.

Catch Cups are designed to have trainers compete using the Pokemon they caught during the current Pokemon GO season, which means any Pokemon not caught between June 1, 2024, and September 1, 2024, are banned.