Niantic has announced a Pokémon GO Special Weekend will take place in Japan in cooperation with 7-Eleven, SoftBank and Matsumotokiyoshi on Saturday, November 7th, 2020 and Sunday, November 8th, 2020.

Pokémon GO Special Weekend - November 2020

Trainers, We're holding a Pokémon GO Special Weekend with official Pokémon GO partners, who always support our trainers! The partners who will be cooperating with us this time are 7-Eleven, SoftBank and Matsumotokiyoshi.

Visit an official partner store near you to obtain a ticket to participate in the event. The event will take place on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, 2020.

What is the Pokémon GO Special Weekend?
This is an in-game Pokémon GO event that can be redeemed at any Pokémon GO Official Partner store with a Pokémon GO Special Weekend Ticket. A promotion code will be attached to the ticket, so get it before the event date, register the code from the promotion code entry page, and then participate in the event. You can participate in the event from anywhere in Japan. Players must be physically located in Japan to participate.

The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8 from 11am to 2pm. You'll have more chances to meet special Pokémon when you participate in the event than usual.

Event Date

• SoftBank / 7-Eleven: Saturday, November 7, 2020, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Japan time
• Matsumotokiyoshi: Sunday, November 8, 2020, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST

Event Details

• A limited time challenge is now available.
• If you're lucky, you might be able to find alternate-colored Absol and Kucheat!
• You might be able to meet Unown S,B,M,K and many other Pokémon!

Where can I get a ticket for the Pokémon GO Special Weekend? Depending on the Official Partner from whom you obtain the "Participation Ticket", the method of exchanging the "Participation Ticket" and the dates of the events you can participate in will differ. Please refer to the campaign page of each official partner for details.

• SoftBank / 7-Eleven: Campaign page
• Matsumotokiyoshi: To be released at a later date (Oct. 1)

What happens after I get the Pokémon GO Special Weekend Ticket?
Prior to the start of the event, please enter the promotion code included in your ticket on the promotion code entry page. During the event (11/7 (Sat.) 11am-2pm, 11/8 (Sun.) 11am-2pm), open Pokémon GO to confirm that your research has been received.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/ja/post/2020specialweekend-jp/

Niantic has announced the events that will take place in Pokémon GO throughout October 2020.

Pokémon GO October—Halloween, a fashion-themed event, and more!

Trainers, Halloween, a fashion-themed event, and more—read on to learn about what’s happening in the world of Pokémon GO in October.

October Research Breakthrough encounter
From Thursday, October 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) to Sunday, November 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8), Shedinja, the Shed Pokémon, will be available as a Research Breakthrough encounter.

A month of different Legendary Raid Bosses!
Look forward to challenging different Legendary Raid Bosses throughout October!

• From Friday, September 25, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, October 2, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7), Zapdos will be available to challenge in five-star raids.
• From Friday, October 2, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, October 9, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7), Moltres will be available to challenge in five-star raids.
• From Friday, October 9, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, October 23, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7), Origin Forme Giratina will be available to challenge in five-star raids. If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one!
• Stay tuned for details about a special Raid Boss that’ll be available to challenge during our Halloween event!

Each week in October, there’ll be a Raid Hour event on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. local time featuring that week’s Legendary Raid Boss in five-star raids.

Pokémon Spotlight Hours
In the month of October, Pokémon Spotlight Hour will take place every Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. local time, and each hour will spotlight a different Pokémon and special bonus!

• Tuesday, October 6, 2020: World Cap Pikachu will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the XP for catching Pokémon.
• Tuesday, October 13, 2020: Original Cap Pikachu will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Candy for catching Pokémon.
• Tuesday, October 20, 2020: Shuppet will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Candy for transferring Pokémon.
• Tuesday, October 27, 2020: Duskull will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the XP for evolving Pokémon.

October Limited Research featuring Alolan Meowth!
On Saturday, October 10, 2020, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. local time, you can complete exclusive Field Research tasks to encounter Meowth originally discovered in Kanto, Alola, and Galar! Look forward to exclusive Timed Research, and check the shop for a box available featuring Incense, Pinap Berries, and Lucky Eggs!

Fashion-themed event
Don’t forget—in celebration of the Longchamp x Pokémon collaboration, a fashion-themed event will take place from Friday, October 2, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. to Thursday, October 8, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).

Other upcoming events
October has a lot more in store! For Halloween, you can expect new avatar items, a Halloween-themed cup for GO Battle League Season 4, and the annual Halloween event! There’ll also be an event celebrating Niantic’s anniversary and the changing of seasons. Stay tuned for more details!

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/oct2020-events

Niantic has announced that in celebration of the exciting accessories coming out of the collaboration between The Pokémon Company and Longchamp Paris, as well as the beginning of Paris Fashion Week, a new avatar backpack accessory item will be available in Pokémon GO.

Have fun with the Longchamp x Pokémon collaboration, arriving soon in stores and in Pokémon GO!

Trainers, In celebration of the exciting accessories coming out of the collaboration between The Pokémon Company and Longchamp Paris, as well as the beginning of Paris Fashion Week, we’re proud to announce that a new avatar backpack accessory item will be available in Pokémon GO. That’s not all—some fashionable Pokémon will be appearing in the wild, challenging Trainers in raids, and hatching from Eggs, too!

Date + Time
Friday, October 2, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. to Thursday, October 8, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7)

Features

• Special Pokémon wearing costumes will be appearing during the event!
• Smoochum that hatch from 7 km Eggs during this time will appear wearing a bow!
• Kirlia wearing a top hat will be appearing in raids! They’ll also know the move Draining Kiss.
• Shinx wearing a top hat will be appearing in raids!
• Croagunk wearing a backwards cap will appear in GO Snapshot as a surprise encounter! They may also rarely appear in the wild.
• The following Pokémon will be appearing in the wild: Mareep, Skitty, Roselia, Kricketot, Croagunk wearing a backward cap, Blitzle, Cottonee, Minccino, Gothita, and more!
• If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Kricketot!
• Enjoy exclusive Field Research for the duration of the event.
• Dress up for fashion week—in person and in-game! Be sure to head to the shop for a free Longchamp avatar item in Pokémon GO. Then, you can match with your Trainer avatar by picking up the same Longchamp item in stores. For more information on availability, please visit the official Longchamp website.

It’s time for you and your Pokémon to show the world your style. Let’s GO! Please be aware of your surroundings when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/longchampfashionweek/

Niantic has announced that the GO Battle League Season 4 begins Monday, September 14th, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).

Trainers, As Season 3 of the GO Battle League finishes up, here’s a look at what you can expect for Season 4!

Season 3 rewards, Season 4 timeline, and what to expect
When Season 4 begins on Monday, September 14, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7), your end-of-season rewards for Season 3 will be available on the Battle screen, including an Elite Charged TM if you reached rank 7 or higher! Season 4 will follow a similar league rotation as Season 3, noted in the schedule below. These dates are tentative. Stay tuned—we’ll update you if anything changes.

• The Great League will run from Monday, September 14, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, September 28, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).
• The Ultra League and its Premier Cup will run from Monday, September 28, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, October 12, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7). This Premier Cup will have a 2,500 CP limit.
• The Master League and its Premier Cup will run from Monday, October 12, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, October 26, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7). This Premier Cup will have no CP limit.
• The all-new Halloween Cup will run from Monday, October 26, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) to Tuesday, November 3, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8). You can see more details about the Halloween Cup below.
• All three leagues and the Premier Cup (no CP limit) will be available from Tuesday, November 3, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, November 9, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8).
• Season 5 will begin Monday, November 9, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8).

You can look forward to the all-new Halloween Cup, which will run from Monday, October 26, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) to Tuesday, November 3, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8). In this format, only Poison-, Ghost-, Bug-, Dark-, and Fairy-type Pokémon will be allowed. In addition, you can earn reward encounters with Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, all wearing Halloween costumes! The Halloween Cup will have a 1,500 CP limit. You can expect the following to stay the same in Season 4.

• There will not be a walking requirement in order to battle in the GO Battle League.
• The Friendship level requirement for battling remotely will remain at Good Friends throughout Season 4. Remember that you can scan another Trainer’s QR Code to battle them, no matter where they are.
• The avatar items inspired by Pikachu Libre will continue to be rank 7 rewards.
• The avatar items inspired by Blue from the Pokémon RPGs will continue to be rank 10 rewards.
• The win rewards and Pokémon reward encounters will remain the same as Season 3. As a reminder, the Pokémon encounter rewards are as follows.
• Pidgeot starting at rank 1
• Galarian Zigzagoon starting at rank 4
• Galarian Farfetch’d starting at rank 7
• Rufflet starting at rank 8
• Scraggy starting at rank 9
• Pikachu Libre starting at rank 10

What’s new in Season 4?
There are some notable changes coming to the GO Battle League for Season 4.

• Rank progression will be changing in Season 4. You can reach rank 2 by completing a certain number of battles, and you can reach ranks 3 through 9 by winning certain numbers of battles. You’ll still need to reach a rating of 3,000 to reach rank 10, similar to past GO Battle League seasons.
• The end-of-season rewards will be similar to those in Season 3.
• Stardust from rank 1 to rank 3
• Stardust, TMs, and a Raid Pass from rank 4 to rank 10
• If you reach rank 10, you’ll earn a brand-new avatar pose!
• If you finish Season 4 at rank 7 or higher, you’ll receive an Elite Fast TM rather than an Elite Charged TM.

GO Battle Night
On Thursday, September 24, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time, you can experience the all-new Flying Cup during the limited-time GO Battle Night event!

Features

• The Flying Cup will be available! In this format, only Flying-type Pokémon will be allowed, and the CP limit is 1,500.
• You’ll be able to complete 20 sets of GO Battle League battles, up from the regular five sets, for a total of up to 100 battles.
• You’ll receive twice the Stardust for winning battles, completing sets of battles, and ranking up in the GO Battle League.
• Evolve Pidgeotto (the evolved form of Pidgey) during the event to get a Pidgeot that knows Gust!

The following new attack will be added to Pokémon GO.

• Lunge: This Bug-type Charged Attack will lower the opposing Pokémon’s Attack. Initially when this attack becomes available, only Masquerain and Galvantula will be able to learn it.

The following attacks have been updated for Trainer Battles.

• Bug Buzz: This Bug-type Charged Attack now has a chance of lowering the opposing Pokémon’s Defense.
• Flame Charge: This Fire-type Charged Attack now deals less damage and will raise the user’s Attack.
• Signal Beam: This Bug-type Charged Attack now has a chance of lowering the opposing Pokémon’s Attack and Defense.

Along with these updates to existing attacks, the following Pokémon can learn an attack it couldn’t before.

• Vespiquen and Signal Beam: This powerful Bug-type attack is a perfect fit for a powerful Bug-type Pokémon like Vespiquen.

We’re also excited to give you a sneak peek at the next season. Season 5 will be shorter than previous seasons, at just three weeks long. Additionally, ratings won’t be in effect for this season: you’ll progress through the ranks by winning a certain number of battles. We hope to see Trainers try out new strategies, test different battle teams, and prepare for Season 6!

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/gobattleleague-season4/

Niantic has announced the details for the September 2020 Community Day which will take place on Sunday, September 20th, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. The voted Pokémon for the month is Porygon.

Porygon will be featured during September Community Day!

Trainers, Thanks for all your efforts campaigning and voting for the Pokémon you wanted to be featured in the September and October Community Day events. We’re thrilled to announce that Porygon, the Virtual Pokémon, will be the featured Pokémon this month! Maybe it was programmed to be popular! More details about September Community Day can be found below, and stay tuned for more information on October Community Day.

Date + Time
Sunday, September 20, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time

Features

• Porygon will be appearing more frequently in the wild. If you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny one!
• Evolve Porygon2 (the evolved form of Porygon) during the event or up to two hours afterward to get a Porygon-Z that knows Tri Attack. This will be the first time this attack will be available in Pokémon GO. In Trainer Battles, Tri Attack has a chance of lowering the opposing Pokémon’s Attack and Defense.
• Take a few snapshots during Community Day for a surprise!
• There’ll be a special one-time-purchase September Community Day Box available for 1,280 PokéCoins, featuring an Elite Fast TM, three Incense, six Lucky Eggs, and 30 Ultra Balls.
• For US$1 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency), you’ll be able to access the September Community Day–exclusive Special Research story, Decoding Porygon. Work alongside Professor Willow as he learns all about Porygon—a Pokémon made completely out of programming code—and its subsequent Evolutions. Stay tuned for when tickets for the Decoding Porygon Special Research story go live! Tickets are nonrefundable (subject to applicable law and the exceptions set forth in the Terms of Service). Please note that this Special Research will not include an in-game medal.

Bonuses

• 3× Catch XP
• Incense activated during the event will last for three hours.

Earn items needed to evolve Porygon and Porygon2!
Leading up to and during September Community Day, be on the lookout for the following opportunities to earn the items needed to evolve Porygon and Porygon2.

* During the Mega Battle Challenge event week from Friday, September 11, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. to Thursday, September 17, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. local time, all Trainers can earn an Upgrade and a Sinnoh Stone by completing the event’s Timed Research.
* On September 20, all Trainers can earn up to three Upgrades and three Sinnoh Stones by completing Timed Research tasks.
* Trainers who purchase a ticket for the September Community Day–exclusive Special Research story, Decoding Porygon, can earn an Upgrade and a Sinnoh Stone by completing that Special Research.

Let’s GO, Porygon fans! Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/communityday-sept20/

Niantic has annnounced that Pokémon GO players that have devices that use Android 5, iOS 10, and iOS 11, as well as iPhone 5s and iPhone 6, will no longer be able to play the game after an update in October 2020.

Pokémon GO to discontinue support for Android 5, iOS 10, and iOS 11, as well as iPhone 5s and iPhone 6

Trainers, In an upcoming update to Pokémon GO in October, we will end support for Android 5, iOS 10, and iOS 11, as well as iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 devices. Only Trainers with devices running Android 5, iOS 10, or iOS 11, as well as Trainers with iPhone 5s or iPhone 6 devices, will be affected by this change. Trainers with devices or operating systems not specifically listed here will not be affected and don’t need to take any action.

If you're unsure whether your device falls in one of these categories, please check with your device manufacturer.

Trainers using affected devices will no longer be able to access Pokémon GO, including any accumulated PokeCoins or collected items on their accounts, when the version 0.189 update goes live in mid-October. We encourage Trainers using any of the listed devices to consider upgrading them if they wish to continue playing Pokémon GO. Be sure to have your account info and password saved somewhere so you can log back in on a new device!

Note: Even if you’re able to install and run Pokémon GO on such devices after the release of version 0.189, we’ll no longer be able to provide support if you run into any technical issues.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/ios10-ios11-android5-discontinued-support/

Niantic has announced that throughout September 2020, there will be three weeks of Mega Evolution–themed events for players to enjoy. Be sure to read here for more details on how Mega Evolution works in Pokémon GO.

Mega Evolve your Pokémon and get ready for a Mega September event!

Trainers, Our Mega September event is right around the corner! Throughout September, there will be three weeks of Mega Evolution–themed events for you to enjoy. Whether it’s taking down Mega Raid Bosses, facing off in battles against other Mega-Evolved Pokémon, or just enjoying its company as your buddy, there’s plenty to do with your Mega-Evolved Pokémon.

If you haven’t already, be sure to read here for more details on how Mega Evolution works in Pokémon GO.

Complete two million Mega Raids to unlock Mega Pidgeot
From Tuesday, September 1, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. to Monday, September 7, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. local time, your goal will be to complete as many Mega Raids as you can! Gather Mega Energy to Mega Evolve your Pokémon and take down powerful Raid Bosses like never before! If Trainers win two million Mega Raids before the event ends globally, they’ll unlock Mega Pidgeot in Mega Raids!

Features

• There will be an increased number of Mega Raids.
• There will be an increased attack bonus from friends in raids.
• Event-exclusive Field Research focused on raid-related tasks will be available for a limited time
• You can receive Mega Energy for Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise by completing limited event-exclusive Field Research tasks.
• The following Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild: Abra, Magnemite, Exeggcute, Rhyhorn, Tangela, Electabuzz, Omanyte, Aerodactyl, Murkrow, Treecko, Torchic, Lotad, and Roselia.
• If you’re lucky, you may even run into a Shiny Lotad!

Complete 275 million battles to unlock Mega Houndoom
From From Friday, September 11, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. to Thursday, September 17, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. local time, use your Mega-Evolved Pokémon in Gym battles, Team GO Rocket battles, and Trainer Battles (excluding GO Battle League battles). If Trainers win 275 million of these battles before the event ends globally, they’ll unlock Mega Houndoom in Mega Raids!

Features

• It’s all about Mega Beedrill! You can receive Beedrill Mega Energy by completing event-exclusive Field Research tasks. When you use Mega Beedrill in Gym battles, Team GO Rocket battles, and Trainer Battles (excluding GO Battle League battles) during the event period, it’ll receive a temporary CP boost!
• You can receive Mega Energy for Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise by completing limited event-exclusive Field Research tasks.
• The following Bug-type Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild: Caterpie, Weedle, Paras, Venonat, Scyther, Pinsir, Ledyba, Spinarak, Wurmple, Kricketot, and Burmy.
• We're getting word that Team GO Rocket will be using different Shadow Pokemon during this event as well! Be sure to Mega Evolve Beedrill before you take on Team GO Rocket!
• Be on the lookout for raid and battle-focused Timed Research during this event!
• If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Ledyba!

Complete the Mega-Evolution themed Timed Research story to unlock an extra treat during Halloween
From From Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. to Monday, September 28, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. local time, become buddies with your Mega-Evolved Pokémon and spend time with it! Be sure to take snapshots with your buddy and share them with us on social media using #GOsnapshot. During this time, Pokémon that are large in size will be appearing more often in the wild and in raids. Mega Evolve your buddy and give it a treat to have them appear on the map for comparison! Can you guess which one is taller: Furret or Mega Charizard X? We will also be releasing Timed Research at the end of September to usher in the spooky season.

Features

• Spend more time with your Mega-Evolved buddy! Mega-Evolved Pokémon will stay in their Mega-Evolved form for three times longer, increasing from four hours to 12 hours.
• Poffin duration will double during the event.
• Pokémon that are large in size will be appearing more frequently in the wild, including Doduo, Alolan Exeggutor, Pinsir, Lapras, Snorlax, Furret, Wobbuffet, Mantine, Skarmory.
• If you’re lucky, you might encounter Shiny Doduo!
• Find Pokémon that are large in size in raids throughout the event!
• There will be an increase in Beedrill Mega Energy received from Field Research.
• You can receive Mega Energy for Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise by completing limited event-exclusive Field Research tasks.
• Be sure to take a #GOsnapshot with your Mega-Evolved buddy! You might even have a surprise encounter with a Pokémon of the same species!
• Complete the Timed Research during this event for a chance to unlock an exclusive Timed Research during this year's Halloween Event that features Mega Gengar for the first time in Pokemon GO!

Mega Bracelet avatar items available now!
Avatar items inspired by Mega Bracelets are now available in the shop! It’s said that their design is based on special accessories that Trainers from distant lands once used to help Mega Evolve their Pokémon... Luckily, all we need is Mega Energy!

Mega Evolution–themed Special Research is available
What else can we discover about Mega Evolution? Be sure to open the app to access the new Mega Evolution–themed Special Research, A Mega Discovery, and join Professor Willow as he learns about Mega Evolution. Plus, if you complete the Special Research, you’ll receive Beedrill Mega Energy, which can help Beedrill Mega Evolve!

Are you ready for a Mega September, Trainers? Let’s GO! Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/mega-september-event/

Niantic has announced that a bundle featuring Three Remote Raid Passes will be available in the Pokémon GO for 1 PokéCoin and will be available from September 1st, 2020 until Wednesday, September 30th, 2020.

Friends make Mega Raids more rewarding: Enjoy three Remote Raid Passes for 1 PokéCoin!

Trainers, Your Mega September is just getting started! To help you enjoy this three-week event, we are now offering you a new 1 PokéCoin bundle featuring three Remote Raid Passes. This bundle will be available in the shop until Wednesday, September 30, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7). Remember, you must have fewer than three Remote Raid Passes to purchase more.

With a Remote Raid Pass, you’ll be able to join any Raid Battle you can see in the RAID section of the Nearby screen or that you can tap on the map. Did you know that the faster you win a raid, the more rewards you’ll get? Be sure to battle in raids with your friends so you can win as fast as possible! No matter where your friends are, you can invite them to your raid lobby as long as they have a Remote Raid Pass.

Are you ready to battle in Mega Raids with friends? Pick up the bundle, and let’s GO do some Mega Raids!

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/remoteraidmegas2020

Niantic has announced that Mega Evolution has made its way to the world of Pokémon GO as of August 27th, 2020.

Mega Evolution is here! Battle in raids against Mega Venusaur, Mega Charizard, Mega Blastoise, and more!

Trainers, It appears Mega Evolution has made its way to the world of Pokémon GO! It was observed in some regions, including the Kalos region, that certain Pokémon could reach an additional Evolutionary stage and gain incredible power for a limited time in battle. This became known as Mega Evolution. After some research, Professor Willow has documented some notable differences in how Mega Evolution works in the world of Pokémon GO.

What we know so far about Mega Evolution in Pokémon GO
Select Pokémon can Mega Evolve using a newly discovered resource called Mega Energy. You can collect this mysterious substance by completing Mega Raids, which are Raid Battles that feature Mega-Evolved Pokémon. It seems the faster you defeat a Raid Boss, the more Mega Energy you’ll receive for that Pokémon. You can Mega Evolve any of your Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, and Beedrill once you have enough of their corresponding Mega Energy! Some of these Pokémon are appearing in Mega Raids too. After you’ve Mega Evolved a Pokémon, the Mega Energy required to Mega Evolve that specific Pokémon will decrease from then onward. Please note that Shadow and Clone Pokémon cannot be Mega Evolved.

Keep in mind that you can have only one Mega-Evolved Pokémon at a time. If you Mega Evolve another Pokémon, it appears that the first Mega-Evolved Pokémon will revert back to its original form. To help you keep track of all of the Pokémon that can Mega Evolve and the ones that you’ve successfully Mega Evolved, you can check out the all-new Mega Pokédex. Check it out in your Pokédex!

Explore with your Mega-Evolved Pokémon
Mega-Evolved Pokémon in the world of Pokémon GO stay in their Mega-Evolved forms for a limited time—even outside of battle! While your Pokémon is Mega-Evolved, try doing the following with it.

• Battle in raids. All other Trainers’ Pokémon in the raid will receive an attack boost, and Pokémon whose attack types are the same type as any of the Mega-Evolved Pokémon’s types will receive an additional attack boost for those attacks. Please note that Pokémon can benefit from attack boosts from only one Mega-Evolved Pokémon at a time.
• Battle in Gyms. Note that Mega-Evolved Pokémon can’t defend Gyms.
• Battle Team GO Rocket.
• Battle your friends—Mega-Evolved Pokémon are extremely strong! Note that Mega-Evolved Pokémon currently cannot battle in the GO Battle League, but that might change in the future as we discover more about Mega Evolution!
• Make it your buddy to see it on the map, play with it, and feed it!
• Take a snapshot! Be sure to share snapshots of your Mega-Evolved Pokémon on social media using #GOsnapshot!

Mega Bracelet avatar items available now!
Avatar items inspired by Mega Bracelets are now available in the shop! Trainers in some regions wear Mega Bracelets to help their Pokémon Mega Evolve, but in the world of Pokémon GO, only Mega Energy is required. Feel free to wear one, but you don’t need to for your Pokémon to be able to Mega Evolve.

Mega Evolution–themed Special Research is available
What else can we discover about Mega Evolution? Be sure to open the app to access the new Mega Evolution–themed Special Research, A Mega Discovery. Join Professor Willow as he learns about Mega Evolution. Plus, if you complete the Special Research, you’ll be able to help Beedrill Mega Evolve by receiving Beedrill Mega Energy!

Mega Evolution–themed event coming in September
You can look forward to a Mega September event, Trainers! There will be three weeks of Mega Evolution–themed events and features for you to enjoy. Keep a lookout for more details soon, but here’s a look at what each week will be about.

• From Tuesday, September 1, 2020, to Monday, September 7, 2020, your goal will be to complete as many Mega Raids as you can! Gather Mega Energy to Mega Evolve your Pokémon and feel like a hero in your Raid Battles!
• From Friday, September 11, 2020, to Thursday, September 17, 2020, hone your battle skills with your Mega-Evolved Pokémon. Take part in Gym battles, Team GO Rocket battles, and Trainer Battles (excluding GO Battle League battles).
• From Tuesday, September 22, 2020, to Monday, September 28, 2020, become buddies with your Mega-Evolved Pokémon and spend time with it! Be sure to take snapshots and share them with us on social media using #GOsnapshot.

Now, let’s GO and discover Mega Evolution together, Trainers!

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/megaevolution-launch/

With Mega Raids come mega changes to Raid Battles!

Trainers, With the introduction of Mega Raids, we have made the following updates to raids.

Changes to raid tiers Raid tiers have been updated to only include only one-star raids, three-star raids, five-star raids, and Mega Raids. One-star raids and three-star raids now include a greater variety of Pokémon. The difficulty for one-star and three-star raids will remain the same as before, but the rewards have been increased to what two-star and four-star raids awarded, respectively.

Changes to raid bonuses
In addition to the raid-tier changes, a speed bonus is replacing the team-contribution bonus for all raids moving forward. The faster you defeat the Raid Boss, the more rewards everyone participating in the raid will receive! The Gym defender bonus is staying, so teams will still have something to compete for before the raid begins.

• In one-star, three-star, and five-star raids, the speed bonus will reward you additional Premier Balls.
• In Mega Raids, the speed bonus will reward you additional Mega Energy.

Grab a Remote Raid Pass or two from the shop, kick off a Raid Battle, and try out these changes for yourselves. Let’s GO!

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/raid-changes-2020/

YouTube Clip - Pokémon GO: Mega Evolution has arrived!

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXxSlpfvqs0

Niantic has announced that they have increased the size of their QA team over the past two months to help address many of the QA issues they've had and hope to reduce the number of bugs that have been affecting the GO Battle League.

A letter to the GO Battle League community

Trainers, We wanted to share an update with you about several issues affecting the GO Battle League. We have been closely monitoring the state of the GO Battle League as well as your feedback on a daily basis, and we’re sharing these details in pursuit of improved transparency. With this in mind, there are two areas of concern we’d like to address:

• The number of bugs
• The Known Issues page

The number of bugs
Pokémon GO’s battle logic is among our most complicated systems, so a bug fix related to the GO Battle League fundamentally has a higher chance of causing subsequent bugs than some of our other fixes. For example, a fix applied during June’s GO Battle League outage is the upstream cause of many of the current Charged Attack, desync, and switch bugs.

What are we doing about it?
Increasing quality-assurance (QA)testing is the best way to resolve issues with inherently complicated systems. As such, we have two improvements to our testing process underway.

• More testers: We’ve increased the size of our QA team over the past two months.
• Automated testing: Automated testing can handle simple, routine tasks so our QA teammates can spend more time on in-depth testing.

The Known Issues page
Our goal for the Known Issues page is for all Trainers to easily find information about common or high-impact bugs they might experience. It isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list of all issues we are aware of or are actively working to fix.

However, we have discussed a better way to share information about issues affecting the GO Battle League, as well as how we can improve transparency on bugs affecting other features. We actively listen in community channels and investigate reported bugs, including those affecting the GO Battle League.

What are we doing about it?
We’ll create and update a separate page for issues related to the GO Battle League. We’ll also reassess how we determine which issues appear on the general Known Issues page and the cadence at which we update that page.

In the meantime, we’ve updated the Known Issues page to include several bugs related to the GO Battle League, and we’ve ensured their status accurately reflects their current resolution state. We’re actively working on resolving those issues, and we’ll update you on the Known Issues page when we have new information to share on our progress.

Closing thoughts
We are dedicated to continuously improving the Pokémon GO gameplay experience and will do so by making changes to our internal processes (such as testing) and communication (such as the Known Issues page). We hope that these next steps will help address those issues.

We’ll continue to update the Known Issues page as we make progress on bug fixes for the GO Battle League. Hopefully, those fixes find their way into your hands soon.

Until then, we’ve got work to do.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/gobattleleague-response-2020/