New Pokemon leak reveals Let’s Go Eevee & Pikachu were made “easier” before release

An early version of Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee & Pikachu has leaked online, revealing Game Freak cut content from the 2018 games. The Nintendo Switch titles were also allegedly made easier before release.

Ever since their surprise release in 2018, Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee & Pikachu have left many in the community divided. Often derided by some fans for lacking any difficulty, the Nintendo Switch titles are, to put it bluntly, not loved by all players.

According to a new leak in December, Game Freak allegedly made the RPGs “far easier” before release. The early build that surfaced online also shows that content involving iconic protagonist Red was ditched from the final version of the games.

Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee & Pikachu reportedly made easier

In 2018, Game Freak attempted to bridge the gap between the wildly popular mobile title Pokemon Go and their mainline series on Nintendo consoles. Let’s Go Eevee & Pikachu was a remake of Gen I’s Red & Blue from 1998, but lacked Pokemon battles in the wild – opting out to focus on catching monsters instead.

The games left the fanbase divided as some felt they were too easy. However according to a leak on December 24, it was discovered that the RPGs were intentionally made easier leading up to release. Twitter user ‘Lewchube’ documented the leaked build and revealed the changes.

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“It also appears the games were made far easier for the final release. Giovanni’s whole team are 7 levels higher than the final, whereas Lance’s got lowered by 5 on launch. Towards the middle of the game, some trainers like Sabrina have less Pokemon, such as her Jynx being gone,” the user explained in a tweet.

The Pokemon fan further detailed content cut from Let’s Go, including an epic sounding event in Mt. Moon. “Seems that there was a cut event for the story involving the chase for the fossils in Mt. Moon right after you met Blue (and Red) but that data has been wiped,” they said. It should also be pointed out that Lewchube did not leak the build, but only reported on it after it surfaced anonymously online.

Lastly, although fans can eventually challenge 1998 protagonist Red in a special battle in the final build, it appears the hero was meant to play a bigger role in the 2018 remake. In the leak, there are several cutscenes that point to players meeting the character all the way back in Pewter City. For a full look at everything posted, check out the thread here.

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It’s debatable how much the changes actually impacted Let’s Go’s difficulty, but given that the RPGs are already known for being on the easy side, some fans will surely be let down by the revelation. If nothing else, the early build gives us a fascinating look at how much can be changed in just a handful of months leading up to release.