Pokemon GO avatar update & all customisation options explained

Pokemon GO is getting a major update for its in-game avatars, adding a new visual style and a bunch of customisation options including more specific body types.

Trainers have always been able to edit their Pokemon GO avatars to some extent, but with the new 'Rediscover Yourself' update launching in April 2024, the feature is getting its biggest makeover in years. Here's everything you need to know about it.

When is the avatar update released?

The new avatar update will launch globally in Pokemon GO on April 17, 2024.

There's not a confirmed time for this to happen, but Niantic's blog post states it will be in PDT (Pacific Daylight Time), so that could mean it will launch at 12AM PDT / 3AM EDT / 8AM BST, but this is just speculation.

Interestingly, this avatar update has already been rolled out to certain players ahead of the global date. I'm based in the United Kingdom and I received the new update in March 2024 - as did some of my friends.

What new customisation options are there?

There are now four main customisation options for your avatar, which you can read about below:

Face

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One of the first things you'll notice when the avatar update lands is that your face looks quite different. It's had a mixed response from Trainers, but there are quite a few options to try and get something you like.

There are seven face styles to choose between. A few of them have makeup like lipstick and eyeliner included. There are also 25 skin tone options to further customise your avatar's appearance.

Eyes

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There are six preset colours for your new avatar's eyes, or you can tap on the 'more colours' button to choose from 20 different options.

These options are separated into two sections: standard colours like brown or blue in the first section, and more unusual options like pink and orange in the second section if you want to go for something more fancy.

Hair

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Hairstyles are split into three sections: short, medium, and long. There are five short hairstyles, five medium hairstyles, and two long hairstyles, with no gender restrictions on which style you can rock.

There are also 32 hair colours to choose from, split into 15 natural colours and 17 bright colours. I'm hoping there will be more hairstyles added in the future, but this is a nice start.

Body

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This is arguably the biggest change with this Pokemon GO update, letting you finetune the size of your avatar's body. There are no gender restrictions or anything like that, so you can make the body you want.

You can choose from 10 preset options or use the custom sliders to adjust weight, muscles, shoulders, chest, and hips. It's not super in-depth, but it's still a nice addition to the game.

No more gender options

Once the avatar update hits your device, you'll no longer have the option to choose your avatar's gender.

Instead, you'll get a neutral canvas to work from, with the customisation options mentioned above like body and face letting you decide how feminine or masculine you want your avatar to be.

This is becoming standard practice in many video games, so it's not a surprise to see Niantic follow suit. Hopefully, this will allow all Trainers to reflect themselves (or however they want their avatar to look) in the game.

That's everything you need to know about the new avatar update. Visit our Pokemon homepage for more guides like the upcoming events, the current Raid Bosses, and the next Spotlight Hour you can enjoy.