Trainers, attention this is a big one for Trainer Battles! In a surprise announcement on the Day 1 Pokémon GO World Championship stream, Niantic shared a laundry list of buffs and nerfs that are coming to Trainer Battles next season.
These changes will happen on September 3, 2024, when the official start of the next Pokémon GO season is expected. The changes are truly massive, and they look to be meta changing for a wide variety of Pokémon, but the true impact will be seen once the Season starts.
A trainer named G47IX created a hand infographic for the changes:
You can find the video source of these changes at the GO Day 1 stream video below. The video will start at the moment that the casters start revealing them, at the very end of the stream:
Let’s dive deep into these changes!
Switch timer buff
The switch timer cooldown will be reduced from 60 seconds to 50 seconds, making switches a more prominent move in the overall meta. This change will be re-evaluated after the next season, but for this season, we are expecting a big shift towards a switch-heavy metagame.
Massive move changes
Niantic has decided to completely shake-up the meta, buffing some underused moves, and nerfing some all-time favourites. Without further ado, here’s the laundry list of changes coming next season.
- Astonish damage increased from 9 to 12
- Body Slam damage decreased from 60 to 50
- Bone Club damage increased from 40 to 55
- Brutal Swing damage decreased from 65 to 55 but energy cost decreased
- Counter energy generation decreased
- Dig damage decreased from 80 to 70
- Fairy Wind damage increased from 3 to 4
- Fire Spin damage increased from 10 to 11
- Future Sight damage decreased from 120 to 110
- Karate Chop energy generation increased
- Metal Claw energy generation increased
- Mud Shot damage increased from 3 to 4 but energy generation decreased
- Mud Slap damage increased from 11 to 12 and energy generation increased
- Night Shade damage increased from 60 to 80 and energy cost decreased
- Parabolic Charge damage increased from 65 to 70, energy cost decreased, and now has chance to increase user’s defense
- Poison Sting damage increased from 3 to 4
- Power Gem damage increased from 80 to 85 and energy cost decreased
- Psywave energy generation increased
- Razor Leaf damage decreased from 10 to 9
- Rock Slide damage decreased from 75 to 65
- Rollout damage increased from 5 to 8
- Shadow Punch damage increased from 40 to 55
- Sky Attack damage increased from 75 to 85 but energy cost increased
- Smack Down damage decreased from 12 to 11
- Steel Wing energy generation decreased
- Sucker Punch damage increased from 5 to 8
- Surf damage increased from 65 to 75 but energy cost increased
- Swift energy cost decreased
- Trailblaze energy cost decreased
- Wing Attack energy generation decreased
- Zap Cannon debuff chance decreased
The extent of these changes is massive, and we expect a complete meta overhaul once these changes go live.
Pokémon move availability updates
In addition to move buffs and nerfs, Niantic has shared which Pokémon will be able to learn new moves in the next Season.
| Move | Pokémon |
|---|---|
| Counter Fighting |
Ledian
|
| Volt Switch Electric |
Forretress
|
| Force Palm Fighting | |
| Draining Kiss Fairy | |
| Karate Chop Fighting |
Pangoro
|
| Rollout Rock |
Lickilicky
|
| Rock Tomb Rock |
Spiritomb
|
| Shadow Punch Ghost |
Dusknoir
|
| Brutal Swing Dark | |
| Night Shade Dark |
