Pokémon GO Season 28 Charge Move Changes Could Put Dialga and Lugia Back in PvP

Iron Head, Dark Pulse, Drill Run, and several other moves open new matchup options across the Great, Ultra, and Master Leagues.

Bojan Kicevski15 minutes ago

0 3 5 minutes read

Pokémon GO Season 28 Charge Move Changes Could Put Dialga and Lugia Back in PvP

Pokémon GO Season 28 is underway, and the charge move side of the rebalance may have more lasting impact than the fast move changes covered in the earlier Season 28 coverage. The PvP projections in Pokémon GO Hub’s charge move analysis point to new roles for Dialga, Lugia, Melmetal, Alolan Muk, and several other Pokémon, although some costs remain estimates.

Dialga and Lugia get the clearest Master League boost

Iron Head is receiving a direct damage increase, and that change gives several Steel users a better closing option. Origin Forme Dialga stands out most clearly. Its improved Iron Head can add wins against Togekiss, Xerneas, Zekrom, and even Steel-resistant Reshiram in the right shield scenarios. Regular Dialga also gains new options against Togekiss, Zekrom, Primarina, and Lugia.

Drill Run gives Lugia the coverage it has been missing. The Flying and Psychic-type Legendary can now pressure Steel and Electric targets more convincingly, with projected wins against Rhyperior, Melmetal, Zekrom, Crowned Zacian, and Origin Forme Dialga in some shield conditions. Lugia’s Master League projection also points to a place for it in Mega Master League, which will feature six weeks of the Season 28 schedule.

Dark Pulse creates another major change at the top end. The move is expected to fall from 50 energy to roughly 45, which would make it a stronger choice than Foul Play for bulky Pokémon such as Umbreon and Mandibuzz. Dusk Mane Necrozma gains Crowned Zamazenta, while Dawn Wings Necrozma adds targets including Origin Forme Dialga, Kyogre, Lunala, Metagross, Reshiram, and Dusk Mane Necrozma. Dawn Wings is projected to reach the Top 10 in the Master League.

Steel gets several useful upgrades below Master League

Melmetal’s Double Iron Bash rises to 70 damage at 35 energy, turning it into a Steel version of Leaf Blade. Master League Melmetal only picks up a small number of new wins, but Great and Ultra League are much kinder. The Great League version can add Togekiss, Galarian Corsola, Sableye, Dondozo, Cramorant, and Jellicent, while Ultra League gains include Giratina, Galarian Moltres, Feraligatr, and Snorlax. A Great League Melmetal projection shows why the move deserves a fresh look.

Corviknight may also trade Payback for Iron Head more often. The improved Steel move costs less energy than Payback and closes much of the damage gap, while the expected Air Cutter changes give the bird a faster route to its charged attacks. Air Cutter and Iron Head look like a strong combination in Ultra League, though Payback remains useful against Ghost and Steel targets.

Orthworm receives one of the cleaner upgrades. Iron Head can replace Earthquake in many Great League matchups, adding wins against Shadow Forretress, Malamar, Melmetal, Morpeko, Sableye, Thievul, and Togekiss. Earthquake still has more closing power when shields are gone, so the choice will depend on the format and team around it. Mawile also gains a long list of Great League wins with Fairy Wind and Vise Grip, including Dewgong, Dunsparce, Snorlax, Sableye, Medicham, and Tinkaton.

Dark and Bug moves create new sidegrades

Alolan Muk benefits from gaining both Brutal Swing and Ice Punch. The combination gives it new answers to Altaria, Cradily, Dewgong, Fearow, Guzzlord, Mantine, Medicham, Snorlax, and Mimikyu in Great League. Ultra League Alolan Muk also improves enough to move ahead of Drapion in the projected comparison.

Brutal Swing gives Greninja a better Dark option than Night Slash in several setups, including new wins over Feraligatr, Forretress, Giratina, Galarian Moltres, and Empoleon. The move also helps Dawn Wings and Dusk Mane Necrozma, Zweilous, and Hisuian Qwilfish. Aerodactyl receives a large relative improvement, but its overall win rate remains too low to make it a serious open-format pick.

Lunge increases to 70 damage at 45 energy. Ariados benefits from the buff alongside Foul Play and its improved Infestation, while Centiskorch gains several Great and Ultra League wins. Spidops is the best open-format case among the Lunge users, adding Dondozo, Diggersby, Thievul, Hisuian Electrode, and Morpeko in the projected Great League results.

Bulldoze and High Horsepower change Ground coverage

Bulldoze is expected to return to a stronger damage profile of roughly 80 damage for 55 energy, with its Defense reduction becoming guaranteed. Tinkaton remains a solid option despite trading some old wins for new ones such as Galarian Corsola, Dewgong, Charjabug, Empoleon, and Feraligatr. Zygarde also gets a more attractive middle ground between the low damage of the old Bulldoze and the high cost of Earthquake.

High Horsepower is likely to receive a modest cost reduction, with 55 energy being the working estimate. Piloswine and Mamoswine gain several matchup improvements, while Miltank gets the move for the first time and can use it to pressure Carbink, Morpeko, Shadow Ninetales, Empoleon, and Clodsire. Alolan Sandslash and Ursaluna also gain new options, though neither automatically replaces its current moveset.

Skarmory and Bombirdier will both learn Drill Run. Skarmory still lacks the fast move needed to make the change count in open Great League, while Bombirdier gets more useful coverage but remains limited by its lower bulk. Lugia is the clear winner from this group because its stats and existing moves give the Ground attack room to matter.

Blaze Kick and other smaller changes deserve attention

Blaze Kick increases to 60 damage at 35 energy, giving Blaziken a moveset that can compete with Blast Burn in several Great League matchups. Lucario also has reason to prefer the improved move. Draining Kiss rises to 80 damage and gains a guaranteed Defense boost for the user, helping Comfey and Togetic while giving Ultra League Clefable a stronger option.

Moonblast becomes cheaper, which helps Altaria but hurts Cresselia and Carbink in several projected matchups. Mirror Coat receives a damage increase and is expected to become cheaper, giving Wynaut a better Little Cup profile. Sand Tomb gains damage at a higher cost, changing Forretress’s timing with Volt Switch without removing its place in Great League.

Volt Tackle is another move to watch. Both Raichu forms prefer it over Wild Charge in the projections, while Energy Ball gives Cofagrigus the coverage it has lacked. Dynamic Punch helps Zeraora avoid relying entirely on Electric damage and the self-debuff attached to Wild Charge.

Several move costs are still provisional

Not every projection uses a confirmed final value. Dark Pulse is modeled around 45 energy, Bulldoze around 55, High Horsepower around 55, and Mirror Coat around 50. Body Slam is especially important for Vigoroth and Lickilicky, with a 40-energy version offering a much faster return than a 45-energy version. Air Cutter is another major variable for Corviknight, since a 40-energy cost looks far better than a 45-energy one.

Those assumptions make the strongest targets clear, but they also mean Trainers should avoid spending resources based only on a single simulation. Dialga, Lugia, Melmetal, Alolan Muk, and the improved Steel users have the best early cases, while Pokémon such as Umbreon, Vigoroth, Zygarde, and Corviknight depend more heavily on their final move costs and the formats they enter.

Which Season 28 charge move change are you watching most closely? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, Telegram for more Pokémon GO coverage.

Pokémon Go is an augmented reality mobile game that uses GPS to let players locate, capture, train, and battle Pokémon in real-world locations. Players explore their physical surroundings to find PokéStops for items, battle at Gyms for team control, participate in Raid Battles cooperatively, and compete in the Go Battle League's player-versus-player format. The game is free-to-play with in-app purchases and features Pokémon from across multiple generations of the franchise.