Pokemon Go players beg for GBL revamp after five years without updates

The Go Battle League (GBL) has had absolutely no changes in the last five years, leaving Pokemon Go players sick of the same old PvP battles. Now, they are desperate for a major upgrade.

Unlike mainline games like Scarlet and Violet or competitive battles, being skilled in GBL relies heavily on swapping Pokemon at the right time and using limited moves. With less room for skills and diversity in the meta, fans are giving up on PvP unless something major happens to the format.

This came to light after notable Pokemon Go trainer ‘Caleb Peng’ shared their views on an X post by PvPoke.com showing the rapidly declining interest in the GBL over the last year.

Caleb firmly pushed for a paradigm shift in the format and asked the community what changes they’d like to see in the GBL. Not to disappoint the OP, several users obliged with their suggestions.

PvP gameplay has had minimal changes since its inception. The biggest changes in recent memory are changing the charge move animations to swiping bubbles and debuffs/buffs clearing when swapping out, both of which took place in 2019.

The format desperately needs bigger updates.… https://t.co/wvnikP0IeG

— Caleb Peng (@CalebPeng) July 3, 2024

Many called for increasing the Charged Move slots from two to three, ensuring more flexibility for each species. They stated that this update would be a “game changer” with the GBL meta “instantly” shifting in a positive direction. Some even mentioned adding double Fast Moves.

This is based on the fact that the mainline games have four move slots, giving fans more options to strategize while also making the battle unpredictable. Others agreed with this and said that this would help overrule the “simplified gameplay” in the GBL.

Increasing the team size from three to six was another popular request, something included in all core games of the franchise except Pokemon Go. Even the OP said that making it four, to begin with, would add “excitement” to an otherwise stale meta.

Additionally, a large section of players were eager to have Abilities in the game. These mechanics give each species a unique touch and bring secondary effects to the battle.

Ultimately, trainers agreed that regardless of what changes Niantic brings to the table, a major shakeup is definitely in order. At the same time, they called for frequent bugs and glitches to be fixed so that lag is avoided.

If you’re looking for some great picks for the GBL, consider including Togekiss, Annihilape, and Dragonite in your teams.