Pokémon SoulGold Changelog

Release timeline

Dates are the GitHub tag dates. Hackdex always serves only the latest patch, so you cannot download an older version there. Saves are forward-compatible: update freely, but do not go back. The download guide explains how to update without losing a save.

v1.2 — 3 October 2026

The author’s note on the release: most of these changes were already in v1.1.4, so if you patched in the last week or two of September you may already have most of them. The GitHub release also attaches soulgold_21boxes.bps, a 21-box PC variant, next to the standard soulgold.bps.

New options and presentation

• Fast HM animation option and Battle Music option.
• Dark-mode custom party menu.
• Follower sprites for most starter Mega forms, by Rafael Sanna. Mega Primarina and Mega Meowscarada will follow.
• Pokémon Centers play night music.
• Separate Poison and Toxic status icons.

Gameplay

• Shiny parents in the Day Care boost the shiny odds of eggs (see the shiny guide).
• Paradox “legendaries” respawn after a title defense and are no longer required for Pokédex completion (see legendaries).
• Roamers cannot flee while asleep, but flee when they wake up.
• Peat Block and Black Augurite are sold at Indigo Plateau.
• Elite Four rematch and title-defense parties adjusted.
• Audino gives more base EXP.

Battle Pyramid and Battle Factory

• Full Heal added to the starting bag; single-status healing items replaced by Lum Berries.
• Larger flash range, and more visibility from each defeated trainer; defeated trainers always point toward the teleporter.
• Every floor is guaranteed to spawn a recovery item.
• Lower encounter rate and adjusted flee chance inside the pyramid; adjusted wild encounters at higher tiers.
• Initial rental Pokémon generation in the Factory adjusted.

Moves, innates, and abilities

• TM75 changes from Swords Dance to Agility, because Swords Dance is already a tutor move.
• Kabutops learns Stone Axe and Aqua Cutter; Sceptile Sacred Sword; Ambipom Karate Chop and Power-Up Punch; Pawmot Drain Punch; Pidgeot Focus Blast.
• Updated innates for Pidgeot, Arbok, Wigglytuff, Poliwrath, Farfetch’d, Mr. Mime, Sudowoodo, Jumpluff, Delibird, Rotom-Mow, Uxie, Regigigas, Phione, Hisuian Samurott, Hisuian Braviary, Appletun, Cyclizar, Tatsugiri, Roaring Moon, and Iron Leaves.
• Dark Void accuracy raised to 75%. Drum Beating counts as a sound move. Maneuverability applies to 60 BP moves.
• Bug fixes ported from pokeemerald-expansion.

Fixes added on 8 October (already in the Hackdex patch)

• Surf sprites for several regional Pokémon such as Clodsire, credited to the Heart & Soul 2.0 team.
• Oblivion Wing added to Honchkrow’s level-up learnset.
• Battle facility RNG now advances while waiting (Emerald locked it for battle recordings, which this hack does not use).
• Simple + Belly Drum no longer overflows into a negative stat boost.
• Lance’s missing mugshot in the Rocket Hideout and the Game Corner Dropspin “No” option fixed; small typo fixes.

Because many moves and innates changed, the Pokédex on this site was re-synced with the official documentation data on 2026-10-14.

v1.1.4 — 15 September 2026

No separate release notes were published; these points come from the repository commit log between v1.1.3 and v1.1.4.

• Item docs gained the Shiny Genome (the 15-trophy reward older guides call the Shiny Patch), Oval Charm, feathers, Exp. Share, Squirtbottle, Black Mirror, and Reverse Candy.
• Strong Jaw for Mega Aerodactyl; Kingambit and Noctowl adjustments.

v1.1.3 — 12 September 2026

• Instant-KO moves turned into powerful attacks that need a recharge turn.
• Normal-mode gyms 5–7 slightly easier.
• Move, ability, and innate adjustments; record viewing in the Rocket Arcade fixed.
• The documentation site gained item and move filters and a version check.

v1.1.1 and v1.1.2 — 1 to 8 September 2026

The first v1.1 builds after v1.0.4.5. The commit log for these two tags overlaps because an extra-boxes branch was merged in, so they are summarised together:

• The extra-boxes build that later shipped as soulgold_21boxes.bps.
• Option to disable innates in battle facilities; IV-reducing herbs; mass release from PC boxes; a TM/HM tab in the move relearner.
• Dark-mode health frames and bag; overworld followers for more Mega forms, including Mega Rayquaza.
• Battle Café supports double battles; many Battle Frontier sets fixed; new abilities such as Electromagnetism and Malice Aura (Giratina).
• Early Rock Climb access fixed, and outdated FAQ answers corrected.

v1.0.4.5 — 19 August 2026

The build this site first documented. If you are still on v1.0.4.5, update: saves carry forward, and the guides on this site now describe v1.2.