A recent Pokémon GO update overhauled experience and levels, increasing the level cap from 50 to 80. This update has shifted some players around in their levels, since it also changed the amount of XP needed to move past certain levels. The update makes it easier for new players to move up through the levels, with the new max level actually requiring slightly less EXP than was needed to reach 50 before.

Though fan response has been mixed on the new level cap and XP changes, the community seems to agree on one other feature added in the update. A Reddit post by user FauxPasHusky is drawing plenty of attention for calling out “the most unnecessary addition to the game“: the new screen that appears when users receive a large amount of XP.

New Pokémon GO Large XP Gain Screen Drawing Ire From Fans

The new update is all about celebrating XP wins and making it easier to level up. As part of this, Niantic has added a small celebration of large wins. The new feature zooms in to see your character’s smiling face as the XP bar fills up underneath them.

The idea was probably to give players a boost every time they got a lot of XP. In reality, though, fans agree with FauxPasHusky that “it serves no purpose to keep you from the main gameplay.” The new XP gain celebration screen is being heavily criticized by the community, who call it an “intrusive” and distracting feature. Reddit user snchills writes: “Just one more thing to have to click through. I hate the pop ups.“

The character’s smile is also drawing ire from fans for being “creepy” and unnecessary. Redditor manticore16 says that the XP gain screen wouldn’t bother them as much “if it was just that and our avatar didn’t have a weird creepy grin.” Top comments compare the avatar’s smile to the Grinch’s grin, Kyogre’s goofy smile, and the meme-able fake smile of Rumi from KPop Demon Hunters.

Pokémon GO Players Should Have The Option To Disable The New Screen

Let Fans Decide If They Want The Feature

A Pokemon GO Trainer walks with their Alakazam in a park.

The new changes in Pokémon GO are mostly meant for newer players, but they’re inadvertently negatively affecting older players. Max-level players still have to sit through the screen celebrating their XP gains, even when they’re already at the new max 80 level. Players like Limberine are getting frustrated that they “have to wait for this long XP screen constantly.“

Fans are hoping that Niantic and its parent company, Scopely, will listen to their pleas and make it possible to disable features like this one, which break the flow of the gameplay.

Many note that they’ve been seeing more popups and reminders to use cash-shop items, which may be the real reason why this celebration screen exists in the first place. The game takes large XP gains as an opportunity to remind players to use an XP Egg to increase their gains. In fact, fans are finding the layout of the screen to make it way too easy to use an XP Egg by accident, with no way to go back or cancel out their request.

Pokémon GO is clearly making changes to draw new players in and make a bigger profit. It’s surprising that the game seems to be willing to overlook its long-time fans to get there, with small updates that don’t seem to consider how they’ll affect high-level players.