Battle with other trainers around the world to earn rewards, such as encounters with Pikachu Libre.
Last fall, Pokemon Go’s developer, Niantic, gave players a first look at a major new feature called Go Battle League, which it said was coming to Pokemon Go in the new year. Now that 2020 is well underway, this feature will start rolling out to trainers based on their level beginning this week.
The Go Battle League will allow players to compete in Pokemon Battles with trainers around the world for a chance to earn prizes such as Stardust, Rare Candies, and TMs. These battles will rotate through the game’s three leagues (Great League, Ultra League, and Master League) every two weeks.
Go Battle League will feature competitive seasons, but before Season 1 actually begins, players will have the chance to compete in a preseason that Niantic said will allow it to “optimize and balance the GO Battle League feature…”
The preseason will begin with battles in the Great League. On February 10 at 1 p.m. PT, the preseason will transition to the Ultra League. Then, on February 24 at 1 p.m. PT, it will switch to the Master League. Finally, on March 9 at 1 p.m. PT, the preseason will go back to the Great League.
While future transitions weren’t detailed, it’s possible the preseason will continue beyond this point. We’ll make sure to let you know when Season 1 officially begins.
In order to compete in the Go Battle League, you’ll first need to walk 5km. This will give you an entry into the League, where you’ll be able to compete in five online matches. After you’ve completed all five matches, you’ll need to walk another 5km to unlock five more matches, and so on. You can complete this process up to three times per day, for a total of 15km and 15 matches per day. However, as part of the launch of the Go Battle League, you’ll be able to enter your first five matches for free, without walking the 5km beforehand.
In addition, if you want to compete in Go Battle League matches, but you haven’t walked the full 5km to earn an entry, you’ll have the option to pay PokeCoins (real money) to enter the League early. The amount of PokeCoins required to enter will vary depending on how close to the 5km “entry fee” you currently are, though you’ll need to have walked at least 2km to have access to this PokeCoin option.
As you compete in battles, you’ll have the chance to earn in-game items such as Rare Candies, TMs, Stardust, and exclusive Pokemon encounters. The amount of Stardust you win will be determined by your current rank and how many of the five League battles you win.
In terms of encounters, you’ll have the chance to encounter Pikachu Libre by participating in the Go Battle League. This is a special version of Pikachu dressed in a luchador costume. As you make your way through the ranks during the preseason, you’ll also have the chance to be rewarded with avatar items inspired by Pikachu Libre.
Finally, once this feature launches, Premium Raid Passes will be renamed to Premium Battle Passes. You can still use a Premium Battle Pass to enter a Raid whenever you want, but they can also be used to enter the “premium track of the GO Battle League.”
In a blog post, Niantic talked about the Premium Battle Pass:
“The Premium Battle Pass will allow you to receive better rewards each time you win, and it will also lower the number of wins needed to earn certain Pokémon encounters. Using a Premium Battle Pass does not affect your rank or rating—the only way to improve those is to win.”
What do you think of this Go Battle League feature? Let us know in the comments, or tweet us at @superparenthq.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
