After first crossing 2500, Goryachkina fell back into the 2400s in May 2016 and did not reach 2500 again until June 2018, albeit never falling below 2450 over that span of two years. She did not earn any more GM norms in 2016, at best getting three additional redundant IM norms. She could not repeat her previous year's performance at the 2016 Russian Women's Championship Superfinal, only scoring 5/11. Goryachkina began improving her rating again in 2017. Although she again lost in the second round of the Women's World Chess Championship, she earned a second GM norm at the European Individual Women's Championship. She won a silver medal at the tournament with a score of 8/11, a ½ point behind Nana Dzagnidze. At the end of year, Goryachkina won her second Russian Women's Championship. She defeated Natalia Pogonina in a rapid playoff after they finished joint first with 7/11.