Niantic has faced criticism from the Pokemon GO community following a recent promotional tweet about the avatar update. This incident has highlighted the ongoing discontent surrounding the alterations to the game's avatar customization system.

Criticism of the avatar update began when Niantic started testing it in select countries in late March 2024. Some players expressed dissatisfaction with their avatars, describing them as appearing unappealing and having unnatural poses.

Niantic Sparks Controversy by Highlighting Existing Feature

The controversy surrounding the Pokemon GO avatar update escalated in mid-April upon its global release. Niantic, known for promoting game updates on social media, faced backlash after a tweet on April 27 suggested the introduction of eye color customization as a new feature. However, this customization option already existed in the previous avatar system, leading to accusations of misleading advertising.

Some fans criticized the timing of the tweet, deeming it insensitive given the existing backlash. Despite this, it is likely that Niantic's marketing plan for the update was established before the negative feedback surfaced.

Earlier in the month, players noticed discrepancies in Niantic's marketing materials when an advertisement displayed old avatar models instead of the updated ones. This oversight further fueled discontent among fans, with some humorously noting that even Niantic's marketing team seemed to prefer the old avatars. Niantic has refrained from addressing the ongoing criticism, which has resulted in negative reviews for Pokemon GO.