Niantic addresses Pokémon Go Battle League timeline changes

Pokemon Go Battle League Season
Pokemon Go Battle League Season (Image credit: Niantic)

What you need to know

  • Season Two of the Pokémon Go Battle League will officially begin May 11, 2020.
  • Season Three is currently scheduled to begin in July.
  • Many Season One rewards will remain, while new rewards are being added.

Niantic took to Twitter today to address the changes in the Pokémon Go Battle League. While Season Two was initially delayed several days ago, there is now an official start date of May 11, 2020. At 1 PM PST on May 11, Trainers will also be able to claim their Rank Rewards for Season One, including an Elite Charged TM for those Rank Seven or higher. The current schedule for Season Two has also been released:

  • The Great League will run from Monday, May 11, 2020, at 1 PM until Monday, June 1, 2020, at 1 PM PST.
  • The Ultra League will run from Monday, June 1, 2020, at 1 PM until Monday, June 22, 2020, at 1 PM PST.
  • The Master League will run from Monday, June 22, 2020, at 1 PM until Monday, July 6, 2020, at 1 PM PST.
  • The Go Battle Premier Cup will run from Monday, June 22, 2020, at 1 PM until Monday, July 13, 2020 at 1 PM PST.
  • All three Leagues will also be available from Monday, July 6, 2020, at 1 PM until Monday, July 13, 2020 at 1 PM PST.

The Premier Cup, a new event for the Go Battle League, will have no CP caps, similar to the Master League, but will not allow for Legendary or Mythical Pokémon.

Additionally, Niantic announced several aspects which will carry over into Season Two, including:

  • No walking requirements for Battle Sets.
  • Pikachu Libre and Steven Stone inspired Avatar Style item rewards.
  • Metagross and Pikachu Libre guaranteed encounters.

The following changes were also announced:

  • Pokémon encounters after the third (Basic) or first (Premium) win.
  • Ranks Four through Seven require more wins.
  • Pokémon reward encounters for Ranks: Stunfisk (Four), Rufflet (Eight), and Scraggy (Nine).
  • Rank Ten rewards a new Avatar Pose
  • Rank Seven rewards an Elite Fast TM.

Trainer Battles will also see a few changes, with QR codes being allowed regardless of Friendship level or distance, and lower Friendship requirements for battles between existing friends. Drill Run, Moonblast, and Wild Charge have all seen adjustments, and lastly, Palkia can now learn Aqua Tail.

Casian Holly

Casian Holly has been writing about gaming at iMore since 2019, but their real passion is Pokémon. From the games to the anime, cards and toys, they eat, sleep, and breathe all things Pokémon. You can check out their many Pokémon Go and Pokémon Sword and Shield guides and coverage here on iMore.