New Pokemon Go battle formats could save “low tier” creatures

There are a wide variety of ways to play Pokemon Go, ranging from battles against Team Rocket leaders and powerful Raid Pokemon, to Gym battles and the Go Battle League.

New features have steadily crept into the game over the years alongside a slew of extra Pokemon, but according to some fans, it’s not enough to keep the game fresh and balanced. A new battle system could be just the ticket.

The idea for a new battle system was raised in a post about power creep and “low tier” Pokemon, referencing how some critters never seem to be strong enough for high-end content.

The creator behind the initial post summarized, “Pokemon Go is long overdue for a new PVE battle system update that favors low-tier Pokemon (Arcanine, Gengar, Crawdaunt, etc.)”

They suggested adding a new mode where players could tap on a fully evolved Pokemon in the wild, kick-starting a battle. According to the initial player, this would provide the opportunity for less popular Pokemon to get some time in the spotlight.

Some players in the replies weren’t sold on the idea. One noted, “Main Games haven’t even solved this. You just over-level your favorites if you wanna use them. Top Tier gonna Top Tier, that’s RPGs for ya.”

Another added, “I don’t think adding a new PvE system of any kind is even going to matter at this point. In fact, it’s becoming hard for me to tell if the so-called ‘PvE players’ are genuinely interested in the concept of Player Versus Environment.”

While some Pokemon Go fans were against the idea of a new system, others were intrigued and laid out their own suggestions.

One reader chimed in, “I think there could be some kind of new battle system, but I don’t know if this is it,” adding that the current system needed better consistency and performance, and an easier way to identify Pokemon moves.

Others fell in love with the suggestion, with one excited player adding, “It would be pretty fun to battle a wild Pokemon and then be able to catch it with raid/research IV’s. It could be setup so that you can only battle using Pokemon that are at the same level or lower than the wild Pokemon.”

While it’s unclear whether there will ever be a new Pokemon Go battle system, it’s always interesting to see how the community feels about potential new mechanics. As an example, Dynamaxing was teased in an official piece of game art and it’s had the player base intrigued ever since.

To keep yourself up to date with the latest Pokemon Go news and events, make sure to check out our event guide and Raid boss hub.