Pokemon Go Battle League Season 6: Master League Classic, Holiday Cup, and More
Here's what we know so far.
Trainers, the next season of the Pokemon Go Battle League kicks off Monday, November 30.
With the launch of the “Go Beyond” update for Pokemon Go, which adds new “Seasons” to the game, the Go Battle League is being greatly expanded. Each new season of the Go Battle League will now last three months to match the length of the game’s Seasons, and the ranking system has been expanded from 10 to 24 ranks.
Season 6 of the Pokemon Go Battle league will begin on November 30 at 1 p.m. PT.
As of right now, Niantic, the developer of Pokemon Go, has only announced the League schedule for the first half of Season 6. Here’s the breakdown:
Great League - November 30 at 1 p.m. PT until December 14 at 1 p.m. PT
Ultra League and its Premier Cup - December 14 at 1 p.m. PT until December 28 at 1 p.m. PT
Master League, its Premier Cup, Master League Classic, and the Holiday Cup - December 28 at 1 p.m. PT until January 4 at 1 p.m. PT
Only Pokemon that have never been powered up with a Candy XL will be able to participate in the Master League Classic. The Holiday Cup will have a CP limit of 1,500, and only Normal-, Grass-, Electric-, Ice-, Flying-, and Ghost-type Pokemon will be able to participate. Players will receive two times the normal amount of Stardust for winning battles and completing battle sets during this section of Season 6.
All three Leagues and the Ultra League Premier Cup - January 4 at 1 p.m. PT until January 11 at 1 p.m. PT
For Season 6, you’ll be able to progress through the game’s 24 ranks in different ways. Specifically, you’ll be able to make your way through ranks 1-20 by participating in and winning battles. To reach ranks 21-24, you’ll need to earn a certain rating:
- Rank 21 (Ace): 2,000
- Rank 22 (Veteran): 2,500
- Rank 23 (Expert): 2,750
- Rank 24 (Legend): 3,000
In addition, four of the 24 ranks will be unique, in that you’ll only need to complete one set of five battles to move through each one. Here are those ranks, and the rewards you’ll receive on their reward tracks:
- Rank 5 - Mystery Items
- Rank 10 - Stardust
- Rank 15 - Rare Candies
- Rank 19 - Pokemon encounters
Finally, the Go Battle League reward structure has changed with the move to 24 ranks.
During Season 6, players who reach rank 10 will receive the game’s Pikachu Libre-themed avatar items. Players who reach rank 24 (Legend) will receive avatar items and an avatar pose inspired by N, a character from the Pokemon Black and Pokemon White video games. In addition, the Pokemon rewards you’ll receive in Season 6 will be inspired by N’s teams in Black and White. On top of that, players who reach Rank 20 will receive an encounter with the Legendary Pokemon that is available in Tier-5 Raids at the time.
In a news post, Niantic broke down some of the additional Pokemon encounters players will receive as they reach certain ranks during Season 6:
- “Various Ranks: You’ll be guaranteed to encounter some first partner Pokémon originally discovered in various regions as you progress through the ranks.
- Rank 16: You’ll be guaranteed to encounter Chespin. You will also have a chance of encountering it on the rewards tracks for higher ranks!
- Rank 17: You’ll be guaranteed to encounter Fennekin. You’ll also have a chance of encountering it on the rewards tracks for higher ranks!
- Rank 18: You’ll be guaranteed to encounter Froakie. You’ll also have a chance of encountering it on the rewards tracks for higher ranks!
- Rank 20: You’ll be guaranteed to encounter a surprise Pokémon during the second half of Season 6. You’ll have a chance of encountering it on the rewards tracks for higher ranks!
- Legend Rank: You’ll be guaranteed to encounter a Pikachu Libre. This will be the only time you’ll be able to encounter a Pikachu Libre during the season.”
We’ll make sure to bring you more information about the second half of Season 6 as Niantic reveals it. Keep checking back with us!
Are you excited about Season 6 of the Pokemon Go Battle League? Let us know on Twitter at @superparenthq.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek’s Social Pro Daily. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
