'Pokémon Go' CP Changes: Balance update hits every Pokémon but one

If you use combat power, or CP, as a measure of whether your Pokémon in Pokémon Go are any good, it's time for a major adjustment. Thanks to a recent balance update, it's time to throw out the old numbers and start all over again.

On Monday, Niantic announced a sweeping set of changes to the CP of some Pokémon in Pokémon Go. The Pokémon Go community at the Silph Road began analyzing the numbers immediately. A day later, we now know which Pokémon were buffed (made stronger) and which Pokémon were nerfed (made weaker).

Pokémon Go CP Changes: Balance update will have huge effects on the game

There are two ways to generally assess the strength of a Pokémon in Pokémon Go. First, a Pokémon with higher CP is better than a Pokémon with lower CP. Second, higher attack and defense values means better performance in gym battles. If we want to rank all the Pokémon in Pokémon Go in order of strength, those are the figures to start with.

Now imagine how much work you have to do in order to figure out which Pokémon species are better or worse than others after all of those values are changed. This is precisely what Niantic announced yesterday for Pokémon Go:

We have made adjustments to the CP (Combat Power) of various Pokémon. Some Pokémon, such as Alakazam, Rhydon and Gengar will have their CP increased. Others will have their CP lowered. These changes will allow a more balanced and competitive battling and training experience in Gyms. We will continue to adjust the CP going forward to improve the game balance when necessary.

According to the experts, Niantic didn't just make adjustments to "various" Pokémon. Almost all Pokémon were touched by this balance update, and thanks to the Silph Research group we already know how they were adjusted.

Pokémon Go CP Changes: We're still unpacking this update

In less than 24 hours, members of the Pokémon Go fan community the Silph Road have collaborated to unpack all the numbers post-balance update. There's even a spreadsheet you can download via the stickied comment at the top of this thread.

All 151 Pokémon are represented on the spreadsheet. If you want to get a very quick overview as to what this balance update did, scroll all the way to the right to the "Buffed/Nerfed" column. According to the Silph Research group, the only Pokémon in the game not touched by this balance update is Lapras.

Pokémon Go CP Changes: Hacks, tips and tricks are probably going to change after this update

If you're a dedicated Pokémon Go player who's already analyzing which of the Pokémon in your collection are better or worse after this balance update, you may also want to check out Mic's Pokémon Go guides. Here's everything you need to know about creating new PokéStops, setting up the best gym attackers and the best gym defenders and how to maximize your chances to catch Pokémon.

Keep in mind that the best gym attackers and defenders lists were based off Pokémon and their gym performance prior to the balance update. It's unlikely that any of the Pokémon good enough to currently dominate the endgame will be nerfed to the point of no longer being competitive, but the whole point of a balance update is to mix things up. These two lists are likely going to change.

Correction: Nov. 22, 2016