Competitors from around the globe took the stage for Pokemon World Championships 2024, and while thousands of people watched from home, The Pokemon Company used this as a chance to announce quite a few details for both Pokemon Go and other games in the series.
Pokemon Go fans will be pleased to hear that once again, Niantic teased Dynamax and a focus on Galar in general, but perhaps the biggest announcement came in the major overhaul of PvP. This was confirmed during an official Pokemon Go livestream, and plenty of ‘Mons, moves, and more are getting an overhaul.
Since the announcement, excited Pokemon Go players interested in competition have been going through the changes with a fine-tooth comb. Players over at the Reddit account SilphRoad have been diving in, and it seems the next Master League season could be “pure chaos” for battles.
A majority of the changes include powerful Pokemon getting new moves, certain Pocket Monsters being buffed or debuffed, and the swap timer being reduced from 60s to 50s. But according to fans, the bevy of changes means bad news for some stalwarts like Kyogre and Groudon.
The details come from pvpoke.com which uses the strength of moves – among other factors – to create rankings of all available Pokemon for each league. By the looks of things, Master League is set to undergo the biggest upheaval of all.
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Speaking on the changes, fans in the comments had plenty to say, with one person saying, “Rhyperior will be checked by the Palkia [Origin Forme] sitting at such high usage.” A familiar starter could also get a boost, as some comments add that Primarina is going to “shock the meta” because of its typing.
Plenty of others agreed, with a comment explaining, “Yeah, Primarina will be a menace in all formats most likely. A strong Fairy-type with top-tier damage move in Hydro Cannon … The Water meta marches ever onwards.”
One of the biggest losers of the shuffle appears to be Dialga, though there is some contention with Pvpoke’s prediction. One comment said there is “no way Dialga is that low,” adding that “not everyone will run Rhyperior” to counter it.
Time will tell how much these changes matter, but when the dust settles, hopefully, there will also be some new Pokemon from the Galar region to add to the competitive ranks as well.