One Of Pokémon's Most Controversial Mechanics May Soon Debut In Pokémon GO

Summary Pokémon GO teases the addition of the Dynamax evolution mechanic for its 8th anniversary.

Dynamaxing is considered poorly implemented and unbalanced in Pokémon Sword & Shield.

Niantic may experiment with Dynamax and Gigantamax features in Pokémon GO, following recent game revamps.

While it may seem like just yesterday that Pokémon GO took the world by storm, the mobile game is celebrating its 8th Anniversary and to mark the occasion, it's teasing the addition of a controversial evolution mechanic. Niantic's GPS-based game has introduced plenty of extras over its lifetime, even going so far as to incorporate popular systems like Mega Evolutions to spice up some of the community's most beloved pocket monsters. Yet when it comes to bringing in the mechanic associated with Sword & Shield, it'll be interesting to see it in action.

Over on X (formerly Twitter), the official Pokémon GO account shared a new piece of key art to celebrate the game's 8th Anniversary and the most eye-catching part of the image is the Dynamaxed Wartortle in the background.

The ability to Dynamax Pokémon is not currently available in the game, leading many to believe the size-changing maneuver will soon be added in an upcoming update. Dynamax Pokémon were the "gimmick" feature of Sword & Shield and while they certainly looked impressive, the community widely considers the mechanic to be poorly implemented at best and extremely unbalanced at worst.

Related 10 Hilarious Memes About Dynamax Pokémon Dynamaxing is a concept in Pokemon that is known for making Pokemon ginormous - which means that the meme potential is just as big.

What's The Problem With Dynamaxing?

It's Just A Little Too Simple

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As interesting as it might be to see Pokémon GO adapt Dynamaxing into its ARG format, the mechanic is viewed by most players as style over substance. The core complaint regarding Dynamaxing is that it removes all strategies from a battle once it's been deployed as a single Pokémon just grows exponentially stronger without any downside. It results in an unbalanced battle, one where type match-ups count for much less, and raw power is rewarded.

Alongside Dynamaxing Pokémon, Sword & Shield also included Gigantamaxing, which both increases a pocket monster's size and appearance. While the latter was certainly more appreciated than the former, both are considered needless additions as a large portion of the Pokémon community would have preferred more Mega Evolutions as a means to refresh older Pokémon. Despite the divisive nature of Dynamaxing, it's undoubtedly a cool spectacle to witness the first time it happens, even if the animation does take a while in battle.

Whether or not Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing are the next major features to arrive in Pokémon GO remains to be seen but given the game's recent revamp, it stands to reason that Niantic is looking to experiment. The developer has spent the better half of 2024 upgrading nearly every aspect of the game and players have been loving the overhauls. It may be nearly a decade old but Pokémon GO isn't showing any signs of slowing down.

Source: Pokémon GO/X