Pokemon GO developers Niantic has finally pulled back the curtain and revealed all about there upcoming PVP features coming to the game.
It's worth noting, that right now Niantic still hasn't set an official date on when they'll be releasing these features.
During our hands-on with the game this wasn't communicated and the announcement today simply says "beginning this month" although hopefully this won't be too far off. Hopefully, even this week.
For now, keep reading for everything we know so far.
How to access PVP Battles?
First off, you'll find the PVP section of the game in the nearby menu.
From here you immediately have two options. One, challenge the games AI leaders, Spark, Candela, and Blanche, or Two, challenge fellow Pokemon GO players.
Assuming you opt to challenge a real-life player, you can either do this in person, through scanning a QR code, or remotely with any of your Ultra Friends or Best Friends.
It's worth noting at this stage that anyone with a child account will not be able to use PVP to battle players, but can still challenge the AI.
How Do PVP Trainer Battles Work?
First off, here's what Niantic has said
"Trainer Battles will allow you to challenge a friend or another Trainer at any time! Challenge another Trainer using a Battle Code, assemble a team of three Pokémon, and see who comes out on top!"
"When Trainer Battles are completed, both participants will receive great rewards, including a chance at rare Evolution items."
"In order to ensure an even playing field, Trainers must compete in the same Trainer Battle League, which determines the CP limit for the participating Pokémon. Strength alone will not ensure victory!
"Whether youre battling with a Caterpie or a Mewtwo, the cleverer and more strategic Trainer will have an advantage."
"Battles are fast-paced and real-time, so dont expect to wait your turn! Your selected team of Pokémon will be able to execute both their Fast Attack and Charged Attack moves. In preparation for battle, youll even be able to use Stardust and Candy to unlock a bonus Charged Attack for your Pokémon.
"Timing is important! If you use your head and keep an eye on your opponents moves, you may be able to deploy a Protect Shield to save your Pokémon from critical damage. But you only have a limited number of these shields before your Pokémon will be left defenseless."
Daily Star Notes:
Right you've read the above, and you might have some questions, so here are a few quick bullet points to clarify some of what Niantic has said which isn't clear.
• For more details on the Pokemon GO PvP Battle Leagues, follow the link for more details.
• Those "Rare Evolution items" they're referring to do indeed mean the new Sinnoh Stone, although, Niantic didn't disclose what the chances were of getting these after a PVP battle over other more standard items.
• Players will be able to unlock a second charge attack. This will work in both PVP and Raids. You manually unlock the move and it costs a flat rate of 15 Stardust and 2 Pokemon candy.
• The second move will be selected from the current possible move pool. So no legacy moves we're afraid.
• However, during PVP, it didn't appear as though you could use to exclusively use charge attack A or B. Instead it seemed to use A and then the second time you gained a charge attack, it's was B. They alternated, rather than offering a choice. Hopefully, this changes, although we have a feeling that this simply wasn't clear enough in game and perhaps there is an option that's simply in need of better explanation mid PVP.
• The charge moves are not just a case of pressing just once, you'll need to rapidly tap that screen to effectively charge, the charge move. Fail to do this and its wasted.
• You get two Protect Shields during the match, so you need to know when to deploy it and when not. Obviously, there's no point protecting yourself from a charge attack, if the charge attack will do minimal damage to you (say, if you're a rock Pokemon taking on an Electric-type).
Battling the AI Leaders:
First off, here's what Niantic has said:
"Looking to learn the ropes or sharpen your budding battle skills? Team leaders Spark, Candela, and Blanche are eager to test your bravery!
"You can earn rewards once per day when training with a team leader, including Stardust to help power up your Pokémon. Work toward earning an Ace Trainer medal!"
Daily Star Notes:
Again, here are a few more notes which hopefully add some more clarity to the above details shared by Niantic.
• The Ai leaders aren't just cosmetic and actually reflect higher difficulties. Blance (Team Mystic) is easy, Candela (Team Valor) is medium difficulty and Spark (Team Instinct) is hard.
• You can train as many times a day as you like (we played about 6 games in a row) but it seems the rewards are only granted once per day.
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