Today’s unannounced balance update for Pokémon GO was released earlier this morning bringing several major updates to the game.
Nearby Pokémon changes
- Nearby Radius reduced from 100m to 70m.
- Request throttling enabled.
As many know, the Nearby Pokémon feature has been disabled in-game for a few weeks now. While many attribute it to being a bug, we believe it was to decrease load on the servers to increase stability. We believe the radius reduction was intended as a step towards getting this feature re-enabled for trainers while also addressing load balance issues on the servers. It’s speculated that the added request throttling is a countermeasure to decrease load on the servers from mapper/bot traffic.
Nest Spawns Shifted
Reports of nest location updates are popping up everywhere. Thankfully Reddit user pulsivesilver started a thread where people have been reporting their nest updates. It seems like most nests have had their single type spawn shifted to a new type. It also seems regional Pokémon have been added to nest spawning locations as well (assuming only in their respective regions). It is unknown how often we’ll see these shifts or if they’ll follow a pattern. More to come on that as these are encountered.
UPDATE (7/30/16)
Reports are coming in that nest locations have been disabled. We don’t know if this is a temporary server error or intended.
The following table is from the thread pulsivesilver compiled on /r/TheSilphRoad.
| Old Spawn | New Spawn |
|---|---|
| #1 Bulbasaur | #1 Bulbasaur |
| #4 Charmander | #1 Bulbasaur |
| #7 Squirtle | #4 Charmander |
| #23 Ekans | #21 Spearow |
| #25 Pikachu | #23 Ekans |
| #27 Sandshrew | #25 Pikachu |
| #29 Nidoran? | #27 Sandshrew / #25 Pikachu |
| #32 Nidoran? | #29 Nidoran? |
| #35 Clefairy | #32 Nidoran? |
| #37 Vulpix | #35 Clefairy / #32 Nidoran? |
| #39 Jigglypuff | #37 Vulpix / #35 Clefairy |
| #43 Oddish | #39 Jigglypuff |
| #46 Paras | #43 Oddish? / #39 Jigglypuff? |
| #48 Venonat | #43 Oddish? |
| #50 Diglett | #46 Paras |
| #52 Meowth | #48 Venonat |
| #54 Psyduck | #50 Diglett |
| #56 Mankey | #52 Meowth / #50 Diglett |
| #58 Growlithe | #54 Psyduck / #52 Meowth |
| #60 Poliwag | #56 Mankey / #54 Psyduck |
| #63 Abra | #58 Growlithe / #56 Mankey |
| #66 Machop | #58 Growlithe |
| #69 Bellsprout | #60 Poliwag |
| #72 Tentacool | #63 Abra |
| #74 Geodude | #66 Machop |
| #77 Ponyta | #69 Bellsprout |
| #79 Slowpoke | #72 Tentacool |
| #81 Magnemite | #74 Geodude |
| #84 Doduo | #77 Ponyta |
| #86 Seel | #79 Slowpoke / #77 Ponyta |
| #90 Shellder | #81 Magnemite / #79 Slowpoke |
| Nothing? | #83 Farfetch'd |
| #92 Gastly | #84 Doduo / #81 Magnemite |
| #95 Onix | #86 Seel / #84 Doduo |
| #96 Drowzee | #86 Seel |
| #98 Krabby | #90 Shellder |
| #100 Voltorb | #92 Gastly |
| #102 Exeggcute | #95 Onix / #92 Gastly |
| #104 Cubone | #96 Drowzee |
| #106 Hitmonlee | #98 Krabby / #96 Drowzee |
| #107 Hitmonchan | #100 Voltorb / #98 Krabby |
| #108 Lickitung | #102 Exeggcute / #100 Voltorb |
| #111 Rhyhorn | #104 Cubone / #102 Exeggcute |
| #114 Tangela | #111 Rhyhorn / #104 Cubone |
| #115 Kangaskhan | #111 Rhyhorn |
| #116 Horsea | #114 Tangela? / #111 Rhyhorn |
| #118 Goldeen | #116 Horsea |
| #120 Staryu | #118 Goldeen |
| #122 Mr. Mime | #118 Goldeen |
| #123 Scyther | #120 Staryu |
| #124 Jynx | #123 Scyther / #120 Staryu |
| #125 Electabuzz | #124 Jynx / #123 Scyther |
| #126 Magmar | #125 Electabuzz / #124 Jynx |
| #127 Pinsir | #126 Magmar / #125 Electabuzz |
| #128 Tauros | #127 Pinsir / #126 Magmar |
| #129 Magikarp | #127 Pinsir |
| #133 Eevee | #129 Magikarp |
| #147 Dratini | #133 Eevee |
Move Balances
If you’ve been battling gyms at all today, you may have noticed something being a little off. For the first time we see move balances! This is an exciting update which will hopefully bring us some more diversity to the current meta. Nearly all moves were touched with some receiving a buff while others were nerfed.
Quick Move Changes
Move Old New Diff
Bubble 15 25 +10
Bug Bite 6 5 -1
Confusion 12 15 +3
Fire Fang 7 10 +3
Frost Breath 12 9 -3
Ice Shard 10 15 +5
Lick 10 5 -5
Metal Claw 12 8 -4
Mud Shot 12 6 -6
Mud Slap 6 15 +9
Poison Jab 15 12 -3
Pound 8 7 -1
Psycho Cut 15 7 -8
Rock Smash 5 15 +10
Scratch 10 6 -4
Shadow Claw 16 11 -5
Vine Whip 10 7 -3
Water Gun 10 6 -4
Wing Attack 12 9 -3
Zen Headbutt 15 12 -3
Special Moves Changes
Conclusion
This was a server side patch. This means that all devices received it around the same time. We saw the changing of move damage, radius adjustment and nest changes. This is the first step to a frequently updated game. We expected move damage to change much like an ever evolving game, so our Pokedex has been updated with all this information.