In Pokémon GO, the avatars, which are the trainer’s game characters, were changed almost two years ago. Some players still mourn them.
If you’ve been hunting monsters in Pokémon GO for a while, you will remember: In spring 2024, Pokémon GO released an update that brought significant visual changes to the players’ avatars.
Although the update allowed for more customization of the characters, especially the faces were criticized by many players in the community.
There was a lot of discussion about the update back then, but quite a bit of time has passed since. Still, it occasionally comes up in the community. A post on the Pokémon GO subreddit is getting a lot of attention, where a user expresses how much they miss the old characters (here on Reddit).
Community looks back at old avatars, hides new ones
With over 3,100 upvotes (February 5, 2026, 12:30) and many comments, the user receives a lot of support. Many players in the comments explain that they can relate to this. One player notes that while the old avatars definitely needed an update, the final result was worse than the previous one (Reddit). Even today, some still discuss the faces they do not like.
Particularly interesting are the posts from players who emphasize that they simply wear large hats or masks to hide their avatars behind.
There are Kyurem helmets, Solgaleo caps, or all sorts of variations of masks. Some dress up as costumes, while others wear medical masks along with a Magikarp hat. You can see how that looks in the comments of the post:
Additionally, some players in the comments are those who started playing only after the update – or took a long break and returned after the update. For them, it was new information that the avatars used to look very different.
In Pokémon GO, many events continue in February. Currently, the Carnival event with Flaminkno is running, and in the coming weeks, more exciting Pokémon will be introduced in the game. Highlighting this is the Kalos Tour at the end of the month. To keep you well informed: Here are all events in February 2026 in Pokémon GO.