Mobile title Pokémon Go is getting an online player-versus-player and ranking system next year, according to an announcement on the official blog for the game.
Pokémon Go released to thunderous applause on July 6, 2016, garnering over ten million downloads during its first week in America alone. As of March 2019, downloads of the game app across the world passed the one billion threshold. Analytics show the title has around 147 million active users, a vast amount of players for a mobile game over 3 years of age.
Until now, players who enjoy the augmented reality monster-catching game could only battle local players, a detriment to those who live in less-populated areas. Called the Go Battle League, the new system allows enthusiasts to battle other trainers across the globe through an online matchmaker. In addition, the Battle League includes a ranking system for those with a competitive mindset.
Though details are sparse at this time, the announcement declared that players will “walk in order to earn entry” into the Battle League. This aligns with the game’s original idea of players getting up and moving in order to find and capture their favorite pokémon, encouraging exercise and activity while gaming. As well as getting players out and into the world, the mobile game encourages face-to-face encounters with other trainers, making catching pokémon a social activity that may involve a hundred people all battling the same pokémon together.
The news of the Go Battle League comes on the heels of 250 past-generation pokémon announced for Pokémon Sword And Shield, making this week an interesting one for all fans of the franchise.
Pokémon Go Battle League is slated to launch in early 2020, and the official blog promises more details to come. Gaming Instincts is keeping a close eye on all things Pokémon-related, so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates.
