Pokémon Go to Introduce PvP Trainer Battles

With a raft of competition appearing in the augmented reality (AR) gaming space, Niantic Labs has just announced its latest feature for popular mobile title Pokémon Go to keep players entertained, player-vs-player (PvP) Trainer Battles.

First teased when Pokémon Go was initially announced, Trainer Battles will finally allow players to go head-to-head using their collected Pokémon. The feature will enable players to fight friends or other Trainers whenever they like, but to ensure an even playing field they must compete in the same Trainer Battle League which determines the CP limit for the participating Pokémon.

Battles will be quick real-time affairs lasting around four minutes, with players able to choose up to three Pokémon for each bout. Pokémon will be able to execute both their Fast Attack and Charged Attack moves, with Trainers able to use Stardust and Candy to unlock a bonus Charged Attack. New strategic mechanics will include Protect Shield to save Pokémon from critical damage, charging up your charge attacks, and switching Pokémon – although once a switch has taken place players won’t be able to perform another for 50 seconds.

A battle is won by a player defeating all their opponents Pokémon in the given time. If this isn’t achieved a tiebreaker solution will then determine the winner by looking at the remaining Pokémon and their health.

“Trainer Battles have been created from the ground up for Pokémon Go under Niantic’s core principles of social gameplay: getting players outside and exploring the real world together,” said Kei Kawai, vice president of product at Niantic, in a statement. “From Raid Battles, to Trading and Friends, to Trainer Battles, each new gameplay feature adds an extra social layer to Pokémon Go, providing Trainers with more fun and engaging reasons to connect with others.”

For Trainer Battles to commence players usually need to be nearby. While Ultra Friends and Best Friends can challenge each other from any distance. For those not already friends with an opponent, they’ll need to scan a QR code from the other person’s screen to initiate a battle.

The Trainer Battles are due to arrive later this month when they do VRFocus will let you know.

https://www.vrfocus.com/2018/12/pokemon-go-to-introduce-pvp-trainer-battles/