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As the current season of Pokemon Go wraps up, we welcome an exciting new season of the Go Battle League—the game’s competitive player-versus-player (PvP) feature. This season, like its predecessors, introduces significant updates and changes, continuing for three months.
These updates include fresh cups and competitions, new events within the Go Battle League, modifications to Pokemon attacks, and much more. Below, we outline the key details about this new Go Battle League season.
Last updated on December 3, 2024, by Christian Pellegrino: the 17th season, titled Dual Destiny, has launched, featuring various adjustments for the Go Battle League. Included are a full season calendar, rewards, special event details, and notable changes to Pokemon attacks.
Season Schedule
Throughout the season, there will typically be two to three cups running at any given time, with rotations happening weekly.
Generally, one of these will be a standard cup, like the Great League, Ultra League, or Master League, while the other will be a special limited-time cup, imposing unique restrictions on the use of Pokemon.
Below is this season’s Go Battle League schedule, listing the available cups for each week.
Note: All cups will begin and end at 1 PM PT.
| Date | Cups Available |
|---|---|
| December 3–December 10 | Great League Fantasy Cup: Great League Edition |
| December 10–December 17 | Ultra League Fantasy Cup: Great League Edition |
| December 17–December 24 (4x Stardust for win rewards) | Master League Holiday Cup: Little Edition |
| December 24–December 31 (4x Stardust for win rewards) | Great League Ultra League Master League |
| December 31–January 7 | Great League Holiday Cup: Little Edition |
| January 7–January 14 | Ultra League Color Cup: Great League Edition |
| January 14–January 21 (4x Stardust for win rewards) | Master League Color Cup: Great League Edition |
| January 21–January 28 (4x Stardust for win rewards) | Great League Ultra League Master League |
| January 28–February 4 | Great League Jungle Cup: Little Edition |
| February 4–February 11 (4x Stardust for win rewards) | Ultra League Love Cup: Great League Edition |
| February 11–February 18 (4x Stardust for win rewards) | Master League Love Cup: Great League Edition |
| February 18–February 25 (4x Stardust for win rewards) | Great League Ultra League Master League |
| February 25–March 4 (4x Stardust for win rewards) | Great League Master League: Mega Edition |
Season Rewards
As you progress through the season, you’ll encounter specific Pokemon at certain ranks in the Go Battle League. Each Pokemon can only be found once per season, with their corresponding ranks outlined below.
Guaranteed Rank-Up Encounters
| Pokemon Encountered | Rank Required |
|---|---|
| Scraggy | Rank One |
| Sandile | Rank Six |
| Jangmo-o | Ace Rank |
| Deino | Veteran Rank |
| Frigibax | Expert Rank |
| Pikachu Libre | Legend Rank |
Standard Reward Encounters
Different Pokemon can be encountered as standard rewards for victories in the Go Battle League, needing you to reach a set rank for each.
| Pokemon Encountered | Minimum Rank Required |
|---|---|
| Machop | Rank 1 |
| Clefairy | Rank 1 |
| Mienfoo | Rank 1 |
| Bunnelby | Rank 1 |
| Fletchling | Rank 1 |
| Togedemaru | Rank 6 |
| Frillish (M) | Rank 6 |
| Galarian Stunfisk | Rank 11 |
| Teddiursa | Rank 11 |
| Phantump | Rank 11 |
| Cetoddle | Rank 11 |
| Hisuian Sneasel | Rank 16 |
| Totodile | Rank 16 |
| Pancham | Rank 16 |
| Five-Star Raid Boss | Rank 20 |
| Jangmo-o | Ace Rank |
| Deino | Veteran Rank |
| Frigibax | Expert Rank |
Go Battle League Timed Research Pass
Similar to the last season, a Timed Research Pass will be available for free in the in-game shop at the start of this season, remaining active throughout. This pass requires you to collect 100 wins in the Go Battle League to unlock rewards, including Stardust, Rare Candy XL, Elite Fast TMs, and Elite Charged TMs at each page milestone.
Additional Rewards
Players will also be able to earn different avatar items by reaching specific ranks in the Go Battle League, themed around Grimsley, an Elite Four member from Pokemon Black and White.
| Avatar Item | Rank Required |
|---|---|
| Grimsley-Style Shoes | Ace Rank |
| Grimsley-Style Pants | Veteran Rank |
| Grimsley-Style Top | Expert Rank |
| Grimsley-Style Pose | Legend Rank |
Season Events
There are several events scheduled throughout the season. One notable event is the Go Battle Week: Dual Destiny, set to run from January 21, 2025 to January 26, 2025. During the event, players will benefit from bonuses such as quadruple Stardust for wins (excluding end-of-set rewards) and the ability to complete up to 20 sets daily instead of five.
As part of the event, players will also get access to event-themed Timed Research that offers various in-game rewards, including exclusive items like Grimsley-style Shoes.
Attack Changes and Additions
During this season, several attacks will undergo changes to their stats. Here are the highlights:
Switch Timer Update
The Switch Timer, which governs the delay after switching Pokemon, will remain at 50 seconds this season, down from the previous 60 seconds.
Attack Changes
Some attacks are getting modifications this season:
| Attack | Changes Made |
|---|---|
| Fire Fang | Increased Energy generation |
| Ice Fang | Increased Energy generation |
| Thunder Fang | Increased Energy generation |
| Thunder Shock | Increased from 3 Power to 4 Power |
| Bulldoze | Decreased from 80 Power to 45 Power, lower energy cost, chance to lower opponent’s Defense |
| Fire Punch | Increased from 55 Power to 60 Power |
| Ice Punch | Increased from 55 Power to 60 Power |
| Thunder Punch | Increased from 55 Power to 60 Power |
Attack Availability
A few Pokemon will have access to new attacks this season:
| New Available Attack | Attack Type | Pokemon |
|---|---|---|
| Focus Blast | Fighting | Dragalge |
| Rollout | Rock | Bibarel |
| Sand Attack | Ground | Gliscor |
| Psywave | Psychic | Starmie |
| Surf | Water | Starmie |
To teach these new attacks to existing Pokemon, players will need to use Elite or standard Fast and Charged TMs. Elite TMs allow you to choose the new attack, while standard TMs will randomly assign one.
This season promises to revamp the competitive landscape of Pokemon Go, creating more diverse strategies and exciting gameplay!