It took a while, but Pokémon GO players can finally compete to see who is the best Pokémon trainer. We show you how Pokémon GO multiplayer works.
Pokémon GO multiplayer now available
Since the arrival of Pokémon GO, players have been asking for the ability to compete with other trainers. That day has finally come with the big Pokémon GO multiplayer update gradually rolling out worldwide.
As with previous updates, the feature will first be available to higher-level players before rolling out to more and more people. Currently, any player of level 20 or above can compete with others.
This is how you challenge other players to a Pokémon GO pvp battle
Once the feature is available to you, you can easily challenge friends or other players. The game distinguishes between good friends and random players.
Only friends who have the status ‘Ultra’ and ‘Best’ can be challenged via the internet. Go into battle with the rest of the players by scanning the new Battle Code. This works as follows.
- Open Pokémon GO;
- Tap the bar at the bottom right of the screen that shows the Pokémon nearby;
- Now choose the ‘Battle’ tab;
- Have someone scan your Battle Code, or scan someone else’s with the ‘Challenge A Trainer’ button.
If you don’t have people nearby or friends with a high enough status, you can also try out the new pvp feature by taking on the computer. You go through the same steps as above and then tap one of the three team leaders Blance, Candela or Spark.
This is how PVP battles work in Pokémon GO
Before a fight starts, you choose the League in which you play. To make battles fair, the levels of Pokémon are divided into different categories. For example, in the Great League you can only choose Pokémon with a Combat Power of up to 1500 and there is no limit only in the Master League.
Then each player assembles a team of three Pokémon. These then compete against each other by tapping the screen and carrying out attacks. You can switch between fast and slow attacks by tapping the screen. You can also switch Pokémon and unlock a third attack with Stardust and Candy. By activating a special shield at the right time, you can protect your Pokémon. After a battle, both the winner and the loser receive a number of items.