‘Pokémon Go’ Update Changes App, But Are People Still Playing?

Henry Gilbert
Games Pokémon
Games Pokémon

When Pokémon Go hit app stores in early July, it was an overnight success. Even one month later it felt like millions were playing the game and looking for new tips or weird news about the game. And now there’s a new Pokémon Go update that makes some welcome additions to the game. However, the Pokémon Go update comes just as people are questioning if the app’s popularity might already be slowing down.

Pokemon Go Update Pikachu

First off, this Pokémon Go update is one of the first to add something substantial to the game, instead of removing features or tweaking things like location. The new bit is Pokémon Appraisals, which Niantic describes as giving you insight into the power of your monsters. Beyond their vanilla combat power rankings, there’s more to be known about your Pokémon, mainly by discussing things attached to the invisible IV ratings of a given beast.

The heads of each of the three teams will show up to tell you if your Pokémon is up to snuff. They’ll talk about its top stats and give a general review of the monster. Also, the team leader will comment on the Pokémon’s size, leading to funny moments like this tweet.

Has Pokémon Go Peaked?

This update will be helpful to trainers, particularly those less familiar with the secret IVs of monsters. However, some are wondering if this update is coming a little too late. Reports are saying that as of Aug. 16, Pokémon Go has lost 12 million players from its peak use. Now, while that definitely is a large number, it should be noted that there are still tens of millions more playing the app all over the globe. But how long can that last?

Is Pokémon Go just the flash in the pan everyone expected? Will the app continue to lose regular users as kids go back to school and adults move onto the next trendy download? Well, don’t count out Pokémania until you watch this stampede of people in Taiwan when a Snorlax was spotted in the wild.

As long as videos like that are still going viral, don’t start planning Pokémon Go‘s obituary just yet.

Henry Gilbert
Henry Gilbert is Senior Games Editor at Fandom. He's worked in the gaming press since 2008, writing for sites as diverse as GamesRadar, IGN, and Paste Magazine. He's also been known to record a podcast or two with Laser Time. Follow him on Twitter @henereyg.