Pokémon GO became a worldwide phenomenon when it debuted in July of 2016, garnering millions of downloads in just a few days and occupying most of the world’s time with catching digital creatures. Much of the game’s fervor has died down since then, but it still maintains a rabid and dedicated fanbase. Through the years, many, if not most, of the game’s players have garnered enough play-time to hit the max level cap for their characters, which had been level 40 since the game launched. But in a recent announcement from Pokémon GO developer Niantic, the level cap is being raised to 50, allowing long-time players to reach new heights.
In a blog post titled “GO Beyond: Level up redesign coming soon; level cap increased to 50!” Niantic announced the changes would go into effect starting Monday, November 30th, and outlined a few of the new level requirements. In the past, Trainers (as Niantic calls its players) were required to gain XP (experience points) through mechanics such as catching and evolving Pokémon, hatching Pokémon eggs, and making in game friends. While XP is still required to advance past level 40, each successive level starting at 41 will require Trainers to complete different sets of tasks, most of which involve skills harnessed through gameplay. Some of the requirements include:
- Catching a certain number of Pokémon in a single day
- Winning battles in the GO Battle League
- Defeating a certain number of Legendary Pokémon in Raid battles
These are just a few examples of what’s expected of Trainers when the update goes live. And it is to be understood that these tasks are not meant to be easy. They’re designed to take a while and are not things that can be done in a single afternoon. So reaching that new ceiling of level 50 is going to take time, skill, and patience. But I’m certainly up for the challenge.
In addition to the new level cap, Pokémon GO is encouraging players close to level 40 to hit that threshold by the end of 2020 by implementing a double Catch XP bonus through December 31, 11:59 PM local time. This means that Trainers will gain twice the amount of XP from every Pokémon they catch. So the more they catch, the more they’ll gain. Why does this matter? Because all Trainers at level 40 by the stroke of midnight of January 1, 2021, will be rewarded with a Legacy 40 medal and a special timed research line that will reward an exclusive Gyarados hat. Sure, the hat is nothing more than an in-game avatar item, but how cool will it be to have it? So, if you’re deep into level 39, I suggest getting out there and start catching some Pokémon!
What are your thoughts of the changes coming to Pokémon GO? Are you excited for the chance to gain additional levels and rewards or have you just hit level 40 and are you disappointed that you now have to start the climb again? Personally, I’m glad that all of my stacked XP can finally be put to good use, but I certainly am not looking forward to hitting a bunch of Excellent throws.
Pokémon GO is available on iOS and Android devices and is free-to-play but contains some items that can be obtained through the use of real-world currency.
