The most ambitious update yet for Pokémon Go is finally here.
Late last year, Niantic revealed plans to introduce dedicated online battles to the hit mobile title, at long last allowing Trainers from opposite ends of the world to test their skills against each other. As promised, the frequently requested feature has steadily begun rolling out over the last 24 hours, so don’t be too surprised if you’ve yet to receive an update prompt. If you’re among those still waiting, however, the developer has provided a substantial amount of reading material to help bring you up to speed on what new content the patch provides.
First and foremost, you’ll want to get accustomed to preseasons. As described by Niantic, the term refers to periods of time immediately preceding competitive play. It’s here that balance changes, season length, rank thresholds and other technical details will be hammered out, with Pokémon Go‘s inaugural first season scheduled to officially kick-off sometime in the spring. Until then, however, players can still progress through various League tiers in order to qualify for rewards.
Speaking of which, there’s a number of goodies up for grabs, the quality of which will be determined by individual performance. See below for a summary of what’s on offer as well as how to enter the Go Battle League:
- In order to participate in the Go Battle League, players must first walk a minimum of five kilometres. Doing so will grant access to five online matches, with the process repeatable three times a day. Stardust, Rare Candies, TMs and are Pokémon encounters will all be awarded depending on rank and performance.
- Pikachu Libre and exclusive avatar items will be unlocked by reaching various rank-up milestones.
- Premium Battle Passes can be used to both enter Raid Battles and the Go Battle League’s premium track offering even greater rewards than usual.
- Walking requirements to enter the league can by bypassed by purchasing premium PokéCoins currency. (min. 2 km walking distance still required).
To celebrate the release of Go Battle League, Niantic is waiving the usual entry requirements for all players, so what are you waiting for? Get stuck in and be sure to share your initial impressions of Pokémon Go‘s latest update in the usual place below!
