'Pokemon Go' Will Let Players Swap Teams

Pokemon Go will let players change teams....for a price. Back in 2016, new Pokemon Go players were [...]

Pokemon Go will let players change teams....for a price.

Back in 2016, new Pokemon Go players were forced to choose between three teams: Team Instinct, Team Valor, and Team Mystic. Players initially battled for team control of gyms, but over time the teams also gave out certain bonuses when battling in raids.

While heavily populated areas have plenty of players from each teams, smaller towns and areas often have heavy team imbalances. For players who live in certain areas, picking the wrong team has real consequences in Pokemon Go, leading to players almost never having their Pokemon in gyms and missing out on raid bonuses that lead to less attempts to catch raid bosses.

However, now players have a chance to switch teams. Earlier today, Pokemon Go revealed a new in-game item that will let players switch their teams once every 365 days. The Team Change medallion can be purchased from Pokemon Go's in-game shop for 1000 Poke Coins and will let players swap teams. The medallion can only be used once per a year, so players can't make repeated changes between teams.

Switching team does have consequences. If a player has Pokemon in gyms when they switch teams, those Pokemon won't accumulate any Poke Coins. Players who visit a gym where their Pokemon were placed at when they were with an old team will see their Pokemon automatically return to them.

The Team Switch should allow players to seek out new challenges with a new team, or switch teams if they live in an area mostly dominated by a single team. The Team Switch medallion will be added to the game on February 26th.

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