Pokémon GO will celebrate its fourth anniversary this summer. It's hard to believe so much time has passed since the AR mobile game took the world by storm. It's even harder to believe that the game continues to find success to this day. So far, 2019 was Pokémon GO's most successful year. Niantic's dedication to constantly updating and improving Pokémon GO has a lot to do with that. It continues to add features players are clamoring for, and for a long while one of those features was the ability to battle other trainers.
Niantic first added that feature in 2018 and has upped it in a major way in 2020. Something called GO Battle League has been active for the last two months but has remained in its preseason. The first official season of GO Battle League launches this weekend on March 13, 2020. Trainers who haven't gotten acquainted with how it all works should know that it's not too late. We have everything you need to know to be the very best right here.
Are You Great, Ultra, Or A Pokémon Master?
GO Battle League is split into three different categories: Great League, Ultra League, and Master League. It will kick off this Saturday with Great League. That means only Pokémon 1500 CP or below can be used. Two weeks later, the first Ultra League will begin, which allows the use of Pokémon 2500 CP below. Another two weeks after that will signal the start of the first Master League in which Pokémon of any CP are good to go. The thought process behind this three-way split is to allow trainers with weaker Pokémon the chance to be a part of the action.
Time To Walk Into Battle
As with almost everything related to Pokémon GO, trainers will need to do a little walking before they can enter the GO Battle League -- 3 km, to be exact, or 200 Pokécoins, if you're feeling lazy. Once that daily target has been hit, click the Pokéball and the battling can begin. That's providing the account being used is at least level ten. Truth be told, trainers below level ten won't have Pokémon powerful enough to pose a threat in GO Battle League anyway.
What's In It For Me?
Trainers will be battling for more than just pride. There will also be all sorts of rewards up for grabs. Those rewards include Stardust, Golden Razz Berries, and even Pokémon encounters. Should trainers use a premium battle bass to enter (this is now the new name for the premium raid pass), the rewards up for grabs will become even more sought after. Pikachu Libre will also be up for grabs during season one, so keep an eye out for that should you enjoy enough success.
While the rewards are all fine and dandy, the ranks are what GO Battle League is all about. Trainers will be ranked from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest). Trainers between ranks one and six have the luxury of not worrying about wins or losses. Their points and rank should increase regardless. It's at level seven that things get real. That's when a trainer's points total will become visible to them and they will be paired with similarly ranked players. Plus, the higher the rank, the better the rewards for winning battles.
Trainers equipped with the knowledge above should be more than ready to find success in Pokémon GO's GO Battle League. Plus, anyone who wants some last-minute practice before season one kicks off this weekend can do so right now. What's more, they can pick any of the three leagues to practice in. Once it kicks off on Friday though, for the first two weeks, only Pokémon with a CP of 1500 or less will qualify.