Pokémon Go players are begging Niantic to add more avatar customization options to the game, which have been untouched since Go launched in 2016. They argue that not only have fashion trends evolved, making the current hairstyle choices outdated, but they’ve also undergone physical changes like gaining weight or balding and want their avatars to mirror these changes.
“Why can we still not change hairstyles?” beckoned one frustrated player on social media on Oct. 22. They pointed out it’s been seven years and they’re still stuck with the “same awful hairstyles” that were in style in 2016. “And body shape,” added another. “I am a chubby male in his early 40s. These teen avatars don’t look like me.”
The rest of the community seemed to feel the same way. “A lot of us grew up with this game. We aren’t teens anymore,” said another player, who made a strong case for adding shape and height customization options. “I want to be an adult in Pokémon for once. I mean they exist. Adults are trainers too.”
Some argue adding more body and height customization might require Niantic to modify every outfit released so far, which is probably why it hasn’t been added yet. However, they believe there’s no excuse for the lack of hair customization options, which would be much easier to do.
Adding to the frustration, players who dabbled in Monster Hunter Now—another hit by Niantic—noted it has all of the avatar customization options missing in Pokémon Go. While not fans of the overall aesthetic, they appreciated the choice and would love to see it in Pokémon Go.
For now, it seems like players are stuck with youthful avatars due to the limited customization choices. Yet, with the growing chorus for an update, there’s a chance Niantic might have noted the feedback and added it to their agenda.
However, it might take a backseat to complaints about the new Party Play system, which has come under fire for locking bonus content behind it.
