Throwing Poke Balls is a core gameplay mechanic in Pokemon GO, and recently, players have noticed some issues with it. A May update broke curveball throws, and now, there seems to be a new Poke Ball throwing issue that’s got players concerned Niantic might be intentionally nerfing Pokemon catch mechanics.
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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.
