Pokemon Go Reveals Battle League Details, Pikachu Libre Coming Soon

Pokemon Go is starting its rollout of the new global Battle League this week. The Go Battle League is a new, global feature that gives players the chance to battle against other trainers using an online matchmaking system. Players will be able to rank up through competition, with rewards being given out based on your rank at the end of a fixed Season of play. The Go Battle League will feature all three "leagues" of Trainer Battles, with leagues rotating every two weeks. Players who participate in the Go Battle League will also have the opportunity to encounter Pikachu Libre, the wrestling-themed Pikachu first seen in Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

In order to unlock access to the Go Battle League, players will need to first walk 5 kilometers or spend PokeCoins to enter the Go Battle League. Once the Go Battle League is unlocked, players can participate in 5 online matches. Once you complete those matches, players will need to walk another 5 kilometers to unlock more matches. Players can unlock up to 15 online matches per day. Players will get Stardust, battle-related items, and exclusive Pokemon encounters for winning battles in the league.

Players can also use their Premium Raid Passes (which will be renamed Premium Battle Passes) to enter a premium track that allows you to win better rewards and lower the number of wins needed to earn certain Pokemon encounters. Although the Premium Battle Pass will let players earn better rewards, it will not boost your ranking.

The Go Battle League kicks off with a preseason event, which will begin today. The preseason will last until at least March 9th, and will be followed by Season 1 at a later date. You can find more information about the Go Battle League here.