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Major Pokemon Go update adjusts stats, removes broken Nearby feature, allows avatar customization, more

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Pokemon Go has just received its first major update since launch. Version 0.31.0 for Android and 1.1.0 for iOS removes the broken footprint functionality, refreshes the UI, and allows avatar customization with more options after the initial sign-up. Besides bug fixes and optimizations, several Pokemon stats were also changed.

The latter change actually occurred server-side yesterday evening. Several players noticed that the damage incurred by certain battle moves were both increased and decreased across the board. This tweak is likely meant to address complaints about how some Pokemon are significantly more powerful than others. For a full list of attack score changes, visit this community compiled list.

Several days after the game’s launch, the Nearby feature that allows users to see if Pokemon are close broke. Instead of denoting whether Pokemon were nearby with 1-3 footprint icons, the feature just showed three footprints for all creatures. With this update, Niantic has decided to completely remove the feature. There are no longer any steps, just the same updating grid of nearby monsters.

While the game’s UI remains the same, there are some noticeable graphical changes in this version. Niantic now uses the Material Design FAB in many more places in the app. On the user’s profile screen, the FAB allows users to see the journal and customize their avatar. A FAB is used in the Pokemon details screen to favorite and to transfer. To prevent any accidental moves, favorited Pokemon can no longer be transferred.

Across several screens, the font is much bolder and the achievements medals have all been redesigned. Elsewhere, gym animations have been refined, bugs during capturing Pokemon have been fixed, and resolved memory issues should improve performance.

The last major feature of this update allows users to customize the avatar they created during set-up. From the FAB in the Trainer profile screen, users will be taken to the same customization UI. There are also a number of new clothing choices that better reflect the color of your chosen team.

The full changelog is below and the update is now available on both Google Play and the App Store:

  • Avatars can now be re-customized from the Trainer profile screen
  • Adjusted battle move damage values for some Pokémon
  • Refined certain Gym animations
  • Improved memory issues
  • Removed footprints of nearby Pokémon
  • Modified battle damage calculation
  • Various bug fixes during wild Pokémon encounter
  • Updates to the Pokémon details screen
  • Updated achievement medal images
  • Fixed issues with displaying certain map features
  • Minor text fixes

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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com