How We Work

Last updated: May 2026 · Author: Marcus K., Editor-in-Chief

This page describes how a typical guide on Pogodex moves from idea to publication. It is the operational document that connects our Editorial Standards, Sources & Citations, and How We Verify Data pages into a single workflow. The same five stages apply to a Tier 5 raid counter list, a GO Battle League tier list update, a Pokédex entry refresh, or a Community Day breakdown. The depth at each stage scales with the importance and recency of the topic.

Stage 1: Datamining and announcement verification

Pokémon GO content moves fast. New Pokémon, new moves, balance changes, event details, and shiny rates often appear in datamined files before Niantic announces them. Our first step on any new content is to verify what is real:

We check the PokeMiners game master archive for new entries, stat changes, or move tweaks.
We cross-reference against Niantic’s official announcements and the Pokémon GO blog.
For datamined content not yet officially announced, we report it as datamined and explicitly flag what is and is not confirmed by Niantic.
For announced content, we summarize the announcement and add our editorial reading.

Stage 1 ends with a clear internal note: “this is what is real, this is what is rumor, this is what we are recommending readers should treat as confirmed.”

Stage 2: In-game testing

For any guide that involves a recommendation — raid counters, PvP teams, “is this Pokémon worth powering up,” “is this event ticket worth buying” — we test in-game before we publish.

Raid counter testing:

Counters we recommend have actually beaten the relevant raid boss in our test runs.
For Tier 5 and Mega raids, we document trio (and where possible, duo) success: the team setup, levels, IVs, movesets, weather conditions, and time-to-kill.
Where weather boost matters, we test in the relevant weather and report the difference.

PvP testing:

Teams we rank in the top tiers have been laddered by Marcus or Aria in the current season.
We document Match-up Spreads (MUS) where a Pokémon’s role is matchup-specific, with explicit notes on which leads it counters and which it loses to.
We track wins/losses across at least 50 ladder games before tier-listing a new addition.

“Worth investing” testing:

We power up the Pokémon to the recommended level using stardust we earn through normal play.
We use it for at least two weeks across the relevant content (raids, PvP, gym defense) before publishing a verdict.

Stage 3: Peer review and editor sign-off

Drafts pass through a peer-review step before publication. The reviewer is the team member with the strongest competence in the article’s domain:

Raid counter lists are reviewed by Marcus (PvE coordination) and Aria (numerical accuracy).
PvP tier lists are reviewed by Marcus (ladder experience).
Pokédex entries and stat-heavy content are reviewed by Aria (data integrity).
Event coverage is reviewed by Kai (event mechanics) and Marcus (final approval).
Cross-domain pieces (a “best Mega for raids and PvP” feature, for example) are reviewed by both relevant editors.

The reviewer’s job is to find what is wrong: outdated stats, incorrect counters, claims that are not supported by the data, recommendations that are inconsistent with the article’s own logic, missing caveats. If the reviewer cannot sign off, the article goes back to the writer with documented changes.

Stage 4: Publication and reader notification

Once an article is approved, it is published with:

A clear publication date and “Last updated” date.
The author’s byline (and reviewer’s, where the reviewer added substantive content).
An “About this guide” section stating the in-game version it was tested against and any caveats.
Internal links to related Pogodex pages (the corresponding Pokédex entry, the relevant tier list, the raid timing tool).
Citation of any external sources used (Niantic announcement, PokeMiners file, official blog post).

Where an article supersedes an earlier piece (a refreshed tier list, an updated raid guide), we do not delete the older piece — we add a banner pointing readers to the current version, and the older piece remains available for reference. Our full corrections logic is on Corrections Policy.

Stage 5: Post-update audit

Pokémon GO ships balance updates, new mechanics, and bug fixes regularly. After each substantive update we audit existing content against the new state of the game:

Tier lists are refreshed within 48 hours of a balance update affecting moves or stats.
Raid counter lists are reviewed within a week of a Mega Evolution release that changes the meta.
Pokédex entries are updated within 24 hours when a Pokémon’s available moveset changes.
Article banners are updated to reflect the most recent test version of the game.

The audit is logged in an internal tracking system so we can see at a glance which content has been verified against which game version.

Speed vs accuracy

Pokémon GO publishing is a balance between being fast (because trainers want to know whether to use a new raid pass tonight) and being accurate (because a wrong counter list wastes their pass). When we publish quickly — for example, a hasty counter list during the first hour of a surprise Tier 5 raid — we mark the article as a “first look” and commit to a follow-up after deeper testing. When we publish slowly — a definitive Mega Evolution priority ranking after six weeks of testing — we say so explicitly so readers know they are getting the considered version.

Trying to be fast and definitive at the same time is how guides become wrong; we choose one and label it.

What this workflow is not

To remove ambiguity:

This workflow is not a guarantee of zero errors. Pokémon GO is a complex game and we get things wrong sometimes. When we do, see Corrections Policy.
This workflow is not a substitute for the player’s own judgment. Our recommendations are starting points; your roster, your spending, your time matter.
This workflow does not apply to comments and reader-submitted tips, which are clearly identified as such where they appear.