After some teasing on the official Twitter account of Pokémon GO and after having had the chance to exclusively test this new feature, here is a complete presentation of the PvP mode on the application! The fights have been available since December 12 for players of level 10 and above. You can download the update on your smartphone via the App Store or Google Play.
PvP mode: what is it?
This is a trainer vs. trainer battle mode. This simply means that you can now select a team of 3 pokemon and fight against a friend or another trainer on the street. Several difficulty levels are available, so even at level 20 you can face other players! Simply choose between the mode Great, Ultra And Master. You can unlock a League difficulty only if your Pokémon have reached a certain number of CP. This way, you will only be able to encounter players entering the same League.
The three combat levels available:
- Great : 1500 PC limit per Pokemon
- Ultra : 2500 HP limit per Pokemon
- Master : no limit
You will be able to choose 3 Pokemon to face an opponent.
How does it work?
Go to the menu at the bottom right of your screen (where you can see nearby Pokémon and current or upcoming raids). A “Battle” tab will then be present. You can scan your QR Code at any time or scan another player’s.
To summarize, you can either face someone close to you using the Battle Code (QR Code), or face your Ultra Friends remotely.
If you can’t find anyone to play with, don’t worry, a training mode is available and allows you to face the Leaders of each Team (Red, Blue and Yellow).
Participate in a fight
A fight against another trainer is not the same as a fight in an arena. Indeed, you will first have to activate your Pokémon’s second attack by going directly to your Pokémon Box. Then, during the fight, you will be able to attack by pressing two buttons of your choice (your two attacks). After a certain time, your special attack will be charged and you will be able to use it. The opponent will then be warned and will be able to use a shield! You will be able to do the same when you are attacked.
Please note that only 2 shields per fight are available.
Additional information
At the end of each fight, you can get stardust in particular. Sometimes, you can get a Sinnoh Stone!
This update echoes the Pokémon balancing that took place a few weeks earlier. All Pokémon statistics have been revised.
Each match lasts about 15 minutes (much less most of the time).
To activate a Pokémon’s ability, you will need some stardust.
At the moment, no ranking is planned for this game mode.
Weather does not affect Pokémon attacks, but that may change soon.
Metamorph is obviously not available for this kind of fight.
A new Top Trainer achievement (Medal) is available.
PvP mode is currently rolling out to the app. You’ll be able to test it out in the coming hours (starting with level 40)!
