Pokémon Go Reveals How PvP Trainer Battles Work
Ever since the globally popular Pokémon Go launched back in 2016, two of the most commonly requested features for the Poké-collecting proceedings have been the ability to trade and engage in PvP battles. Trading finally made its grand debut earlier this year, and now Niantic have now confirmed Trainer Battles are also on the way, revealing the mode in a recent blog post.
Trainer Battles are confirmed to follow a PvP system, with each trainer putting forth three chosen Pocket Monsters to fight against each other. Battling itself seems much more faced-paced and strategic than the traditional Pokémon experience. The turn-based fights of previous games has been replaced with a much more dynamic real-time battle system, placing greater emphasis on timing than ever before.
Players will have access to three types of moves in Trainer Battles: a Fast Attack, Charged Attack and the Protect Shield. A Pokémon’s Fast Attack provides a quick offensive move and Charged Attack provides a slower, more powerful variation of the critter’s abilities. The Protect Shield is a defensive move designed to block particularly critical hits from rivals, the trade-off being its limited available use within the game.
Utilizing Stardust or Candy during a battle grants Pokémon the ability to use an additional Charged attack, presumably differing based on the Pokémon used. Of course, participating in all this fighting fun yields a number of these sorts of rewards for both parties, including a shot at earning a few rare Evolution items.
Before all is said and done, players must first establish themselves into a proper Trainer Battle League, which are separated into three different types: Great, Ultra, and Master Leagues. Each have different CP requirements for participating Pokémon, with Great capping at 1500 CP, Ultra topping off at 2500 CP, and Master presenting the most competition with an unlimited CP ceiling.
Developer note: When designing Trainer Battles, we wanted to create an experience that everyone can enjoy and ensure that different kinds of Pokémon can show their strengths! With Leagues in Trainer Battles, we hope to create a system that’s accessible to many Trainers. 🙂
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) November 30, 2018
The act of actually entering into a battle involves the exchange of a QR Battle Code and normally requires players to be nearby. However, friends leveled up to the ‘Ultra Friends’ or ‘Best Friends’ tiers are able to initiate battles with each other over any distance. This feature is especially useful for those of us that don’t live close enough to our most competitive rivals.
For anyone willing to beef up their skill beforehand, Pokémon Go will also offer a practice mode for Trainer Battles, featuring pep talks from respective team leaders Spark, Candela, and Blanche. Regular training under this mode will net players with Stardust and enough practice will eventually award the coveted Ace Trainer medal.
As of now, Pokémon Go Trainer Battles currently have no release date, but Niantic assures that the mode is headed for release sometime in December. As the feature has been widely-requested since the game’s debut, fans are almost sure to spend the meantime collecting those candies and beefing up their perfect Poké-roster. Pokémon Go is out now for Android and iOS devices.
What do you think? Are you excited to finally prove who’s the very best that no one ever was? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
