A new update for Pokemon GO has been released that has changed the portrayal of female avatars in the game and gamers are not happy about it. In a tweet posted on April 17, the official Pokemon GO account posted a picture showing the new appearance of the female avatar stating,
“Trainers, your avatar can now look even more like YOU!
We’re excited to announce that new avatar customization options are now live in Pokemon GO!”
Backlash to the announcement and update were immediate . Gamers voiced their dissatisfaction and pointed out the physical changes to the female avatar which involved thickening the slim waist, making the jaw square, no hips, a surfboard-like backside, and the end result making the female avatar looking more androgynous.
Female gamers were especially quick to ask who the changes really were for as many stated that they no longer saw themselves reflected in their avatars.
Pokemon GO’s newest update, which was announced back in March, is the latest example of when developers and publishers DEI-focused consultant groups and the results produced from such collaborations.
Former video game executive Mark Kern commented on the changes stating,
“This is the result of companies listening to the insanity of their marketing and DEI departments.
They were told this would make women feel welcome but instead it chased them away.
Women gamers want their cute avatars back.”
The changes made are not surprising for some in the video game industry who have been seeing a similar trend occurring for a while now when it comes to female protagonists. Given Pokemon GO developer Niantic’s political stances, such as support for BLM, it was only a matter of time before such changes would occur. One such DEI-consulting group that could be responsible for the changes made would be GaymerX which lists Niantic Labs as one of its clients.
While the majority of outrage is over the changes made to female avatars, the male avatars have undergone changes of their own. Facial hair appears to no longer be an option and male avatar faces have been softened providing a similarly androgynous look.
How this will affect the player base for Pokemon GO is yet to be seen. Or if there will be a drastic drop in player numbers over the new female avatar changes.
Currently, the official tweet on @PokemonGoapp is on track to be ratio’d at the time of this article being posted.
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