Pokemon Go is all about catching Pokemon. A mobile distillation of that iconic slogan, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” is the driving force of Go and it is little wonder then that the other mechanics from the games have fallen to the wayside. Eight years after launch, players still can’t trade worldwide.
But one part of the game often forgotten by many is the battle system. Trainers are busy battling against the dastardly Team Rocket or their boss Giovanni, or even rising up the Great League after defeating other Trainers around the globe.
While the community has given plenty of feedback about Pokemon Go battles over the years, things are coming to a head as previous World Champion itsAXN called out Niantic and asked for a change to the existing system, in a video titled “Niantic, please fix PvP.”
In the video, the World Champion and content creator explains myriad issues with the game, while repeating that they do not like to spread negativity.
However, with Worlds coming up, many Pokemon players are about to spend a lot of money for the chance to compete. Losing fairly is one thing, but they explain that some people may end up losing to issues outside of their control because of the game, losing their win and heaps of cash.
Some of the issues listed by itsAXN include:
- Intermittent game freezes
- The 25-daily game limit
- Frame skips on Android
- Debuff text not appearing
- Unhelpful known issues webpage
Other Pokemon Go players threw support behind the claims in the comments, with one saying, “The lags are getting out of hand. I lost three games today because of stuttering.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Several comments thank itsAXN for speaking out on the topic, with one saying “Thank you for making this video” and “we need more content creators and others with a voice in our community speaking out about this.”
Some Trainers even have theories as to why battles are being forgotten, with some claiming that ” the reality is competitive Pokemon Go does not bring any money, while good software engineers do cost a lot of money for their skills.”
The issue has even been too much for some players, as one person added, ” I quit Pokemon Go 2 years ago because of this issue.” Another backed this up, adding, “I almost tossed my phone at the wall today because the lag lost me like 3 matches in a single set.”
At the time of writing, Niantic has not made any statement regarding Pokemon Go battles, or any changes that could be made in the lead-up to Worlds.
If you do want to get in some practice and become top of the PvP crop, be sure to check out our guides on the best Pokemon for Great League and Ultra League. Then, bag some powerful Pocket Monsters by taking part in the next Pokemon Go Community Day.