Trainers,

In this special Community Note, we’re excited to share some more details on GO Battle League, upcoming changes to the combat system, attacks that some Pokémon will be able to learn in Pokémon GO for the first time, and some familiar attacks certain Pokémon will be able to learn once again!

Let’s GO!

Leagues, seasons, ranks, rules, and more!

Pokémon GO Battle League will be a triathlon-style contest!

• Battles will take place in all three leagues: Great League, Ultra League, and Master League. However, only one league will be available at a time, and they will all rotate throughout a season. This means that in order to be the best, you need to be able to win in all three formats!
• As you win battles throughout the season, your rank will increase, even as GO Battle League rotates between leagues. You will start at Rank 1 and work your way up to the top rank, Rank 10. Once you reach a new rank, you cannot drop below it for the rest of the season. Higher ranks mean better...

Trainers,

While 2019 might be winding down, the world of Pokémon GO never stops! From raids to Pokémon (Shadow Pokémon, Legendary Pokémon, or Legendary Shadow Pokémon!) to new avatar items, there’s so much to look forward to this holiday season. Get cozy, Trainers—it’s going to be a long list full of cool gifts from us to you!

1. A Challenging Development—Team GO Rocket Special Research
2. Different Pokémon will be hatching from Eggs
3. Virizion glides into five-star raids
4. Lugia and Ho-Oh Special Raid Weekend!
5. Pokémon GO Holidays 2019
6. Warm up with a special winter weekend event!

A Challenging Development

Before we get into the jolly announcements—the fight against Team GO Rocket continues! Activate the new Special Research, A Challenging Development, during the month of December to help Professor Willow and the team leaders take down this villainous group. This is another chance to fight Giovanni and save a Legendary Shadow Pokémon you’ve never seen before!

Features

• A Challenging De...

Trainers,

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons we learn from Pokémon is that it’s possible to evolve into a surprising and cool being—sometimes we just need a little boost or help! Let’s celebrate how much your Pokémon (and you) have grown this year with the first-ever Evolution Event and an accompanying Raid Day. Pokémon Evolution can depend on whether a Pokémon is a certain gender or has spent time as a Buddy Pokémon. Sometimes Evolution occurs because of particular items, times of day, or Lure Modules. During this event, you’ll be able to explore all these unique ways Pokémon evolve!

Evolution Event Look forward to Evolution items from raids, longer-lasting Lure Modules, and increased encounters with Pokémon that evolve in special ways.

Date + Time

From Thursday, December 5, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. to Thursday, December 12, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8)

Features

• Pokémon that evolve in unique ways—such as Onix, Eevee, Roselia, and Burmy—will be appearing more often in the wild, ...

Trainers,

We’ve intercepted messages from Team GO Rocket that indicate they’re planning to take over more PokéStops and capture more Pokémon! There will be an increased amount of Team GO Rocket activity in your area soon, and we’re sure this won’t be the last time. We’ll share any other intercepted messages we receive if something like this happens again!

Sources seem to point to the following information.

The increased activity is set to happen on...

• Sunday, November 24, 2019, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in your local time zone.

Keep your eyes peeled for...

• Team GO Rocket Grunts taking over every PokéStop for the duration of the take-over!
• Exclusive Field Research tasks designed by Professor Willow to help us gather more information on Team GO Rocket.

Your mission:

• Battle Team GO Rocket Grunts, collect Mysterious Components, craft Rocket Radars, and defeat the Team GO Rocket Leaders as many times as you can! Remember—after you craft your first Rocket Radar, you’ll be abl...

Trainers,

As 2019 wraps up, we wanted to thank you all for making this year’s Community Days awesome. To celebrate this year, look forward to a special two-day event featuring Community Day encounters and bonuses on Saturday, December 14, and Sunday, December 15, 2019, as a thank-you for joining us for the 2019 Community Day series.

Community Day Schedule: Saturday, December 14, 2019

From 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in your local time zone, you can enjoy the following benefits.

• Pokémon appearing more frequently in the wild: Totodile, Swinub, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Ralts, Slakoth, Trapinch, Bagon, Turtwig, and Chimchar
• Pokémon appearing in raids: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pikachu, Eevee, Dratini, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Mareep, Larvitar, and Beldum
• Pokémon available to hatch from Eggs: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Pichu, Dratini, Totodile, Mareep, Swinub, Larvitar, Treecko, Torchic, Slakoth, and Bagon

From 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time, experience the following bonuses an...

Trainers,

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield have been released on Nintendo Switch! In celebration of the latest games in the Pokémon series, Galarian Weezing will be appearing in four-star Raid Battles around the world right after November Community Day ends!

Date + Time

• Saturday, November 16, 2019, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in your local time zone

Features

• Galarian Weezing will appear in four-star raids!
• After this Raid Hour, Galarian Weezing will occasionally appear in raids.

You might notice that Galarian Weezing looks different than Weezing from the Kanto region! It’s adapted itself to the environment in the Galar region, which is where Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are set. Galarian Weezing even has two types—Poison and Fairy!

Get ready to show your love for the Galar region! In celebration of the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield release, you can receive new avatar items based on the main characters’ clothes in the Style Shop for free! It’s time to gear up and take...

Trainers,

As the year draws to a close, we’re excited to let you know about the Pokémon GO events on the horizon! Look forward to in-game festivities that will explore Pokémon types, introduce you to Legendary Pokémon, and celebrate friendship during this joyful time!

Supereffective Week

Did you know that Fairy-type moves are super effective in battle against Fighting-type Pokémon? Or that Psychic-type Pokémon are weak to Bug-type moves? Take part in Supereffective Week to learn more about Pokémon types, and you might discover an exciting Pokémon to partner up with in battle against Team GO Rocket!

Date + Time

Tuesday, November 19, 2019, at 1 p.m. PST to Tuesday, November 26, 2019, at 1 p.m. PST (GMT −8)

Features

• Pokémon that might be strong partners in battle against Team GO Rocket and other Trainers will be appearing more often in the wild, in raids, and in Field Research!
• If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Tentacool.

Bonuses

• 2× Stardust from Trainer Battles
• More...

Trainers,

We’re excited to announce the worldwide rollout of Niantic Wayfarer, a tool for determining PokéStops and Gyms, to level 40 Trainers! In addition, level 40 Trainers worldwide will now be eligible to submit PokéStop and Gym nominations within Pokémon GO.

We hope that the launch of Wayfarer, and the global expansion of PokéStop and Gym nominations, will help in our continued efforts to create an engaging experience worldwide and give Trainers like you the opportunity to shape Pokémon GO.

You can learn more about Niantic Wayfarer and what makes a quality review by visiting wayfarer.nianticlabs.com.

Thank you for exploring with us, and as always, let’s GO!

—The Pokémon GO team

Trainers,

We’ve received word from the team leaders that they’ve fought and defeated the Team GO Rocket Leaders! Since their initial meetings with each of Team GO Rocket’s leaders, the leaders of Team Instinct, Team Mystic, and Team Valor have practiced their battle strategies, learned from each other, and felt inspired by each of you to better prepare for their next battle. To catch up with the events that have led to this point, be sure to check out the Willow Report.

Here’s a recap of how the battles went.

Blanche vs Cliff

After Blanche and Cliff’s first meeting and messages challenging each other to battle, Blanche used the Rocket Radar to track Cliff’s location. The radar led the Team Mystic Leader back to the site of that first meeting. Cliff gave another warning, but this time, Blanche was not going to back down.

Battle Results

• Team Mystic Pokémon remaining: 3
• Team GO Rocket Pokémon remaining: 0
• Team Mystic Leader Blanche, utilizing amazing accuracy, took the bat...

Trainers,

The movement of the Team GO Rocket Leaders seems to have disrupted Pokémon habitats, and certain Pokémon have apparently become more common! We have yet to understand why these Pokémon in particular are suddenly appearing more frequently. Perhaps they have some special significance wherever Team GO Rocket came from?

Date + Time

• Thursday, November 7, 2019, at 1 p.m. PST until Thursday, November 14, 2019, at 1 p.m. PST (GMT −8)

Features

• Oddly specific Pokémon have started appearing more often, like Ekans, Meowth, and Koffing! Our research has found that if you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny Meowth in the wild or in raids!
• Raids will feature Pokémon that we believe are significant to Team GO Rocket and the Team GO Rocket Boss, Giovanni!

In addition, we have made the following discoveries.

• Team GO Rocket has started using the following Shadow Pokémon: Sandshrew, Bellsprout, Magnemite, Porygon, and Wobbuffet.
• The Team GO Rocket Leaders seem to be the only Team GO...

Trainers,

The world of Pokémon GO is in peril! Team GO Rocket Leaders Cliff, Sierra, and Arlo have made their move and can be encountered by Trainers worldwide! Not only have they caught more Shadow Pokémon and strengthened them through unnatural means—their arrival also confirms a suspicion Professor Willow has held for a while: Giovanni, the boss of both Team GO Rocket and the original Team Rocket, may have arrived in the world of Pokémon GO.

The Team GO Rocket Leaders and Giovanni also seem to be using new technology to conceal the locations of their hideouts. Professor Willow, Spark, Blanche, and Candela have been hard at work developing new devices to counter Team GO Rocket’s new tech, and we ask you to explore the world around you, battle the Team GO Rocket Leaders, and conduct Special Research to find and defeat Giovanni!

1. Open up your Special Research: Looming in the Shadows — Professor Willow has issued new Special Research for you. By helping Professor Willow, you ca...

Trainers,

We’re excited to share a few changes to Field Research rewards starting soon!

Field Research Updates

• From November 1, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) to January 1, 2020, at 1 p.m. PST (GMT −8), the following Pokémon will be available as Research Breakthrough encounters: Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Kyogre, Groudon!

Time to head outside and see what amazing Pokémon you’ll encounter! Let’s GO!

—The Pokémon GO team

Trainers,

Cobalion, the Iron Will Pokémon, is coming to five-star raids! This Steel- and Fighting-type Legendary Pokémon is said to have a body and heart of steel, so it’s in your favor to challenge it with Fire-, Fighting-, and Ground-type Pokémon.

Date + Time

From Monday, November 4, 2019, at 1 p.m. to Tuesday, November 26, 2019, at 1 p.m. PST (GMT −8)

Features

• Cobalion will make its debut in five-star raids.

Cobalion is part of a trio of Pokémon said to have challenged humans in order to protect other Pokémon. The three are rarely seen apart, so look forward to meeting the other two soon! In the meantime, GO build up your teams in preparation for battle.

—The Pokémon GO team

Trainers,

In an effort to create an even more meaningful experience for you, we’ve been implementing gameplay adjustments around the world. Adjusting features is standard practice for the technology and mobile-gaming industries, and we consider ourselves lucky that Pokémon GO has a community that is helpful in determining what works and what can be improved.

For some time, we’ve been implementing various game-design changes, such as providing more items in areas with fewer PokéStops, introducing different shop bundles, and tailoring raid levels to fit the communities where the raids appear. These tests are meant to help us provide the best experience for different players around the world. A recent experiment was the launch of Legendary Raid Hour, and your feedback was instrumental in improving this now widely enjoyed event, where communities around the world work together and create Pokémon GO memories.

In the near future, you may notice a few changes in the game between large featu...

Trainers,

Professor Willow has kept a detailed log of his research concerning Team GO Rocket. He’s shared this log with us in hopes we can support him and the team leaders when it comes to this threat. We’ve prepared his report for you below and will continue to update as he shares more of his findings.

Stay safe and stay alert, Trainers!

—The Pokémon GO team

Date: 10/22/19

Subject: [Willow Report] Mysterious Components

During my investigations of these take-overs, I came across these strange objects that Team GO Rocket Grunts would drop upon being defeated in battle. For the sake of this report, I will refer to them as Mysterious Components. The exteriors of these objects seem to be made of some metal alloy, and they’re cold to the touch. The glass screens radiate a light-purple color. I touched the screen of one of the objects to see if it would react, but nothing happened.

I had a hunch that the Team GO Rocket Grunts were using some sort of device to take over PokéSto...

Trainers,

Battling has been a core part of the Pokémon universe since the very beginning. We’re excited to announce the development of a feature that will build upon Trainer Battles, the current form of player vs. player battling that exists within Pokémon GO. This feature will be called GO Battle League.

Like many Pokémon GO features, GO Battle League will encourage players to get out and explore the world with Pokémon. Trainers will be able to walk in order to earn entry into the GO Battle League, then battle opponents from around the globe through an online matching system and rise in the ranks of the league. We hope this feature will make the Pokémon GO battling experience more competitive and accessible to more Trainers.

GO Battle League is slated for release in early 2020. We’ll be sharing more details in a special Dev Insights video soon. Stay tuned, Trainers!

—The Pokémon GO team

Trainers,

As you may have read on the Niantic blog, we are very excited that the beta version of our new tool—Niantic Wayfarer—will soon enable Pokémon GO Trainers to review nominations for PokéStops and Gyms, helping determine places to play.

Eligible players in certain countries can continue to submit PokéStop nominations within Pokémon GO. Over the coming weeks, Wayfarer will start rolling out to a subset of the player base. Stay tuned to our Niantic channels for additional updates on future rollouts and availability of this new tool.

We hope that the launch of Wayfarer will help in our continued efforts to create an engaging experience worldwide and give Trainers like you the opportunity to shape Pokémon GO. Thank you for exploring with us, and as always, let’s GO!

—The Pokémon GO team

Trainers,

Regirock, Regice, and Registeel are reuniting and returning to raids! If you haven’t caught all of them yet, this is the perfect chance to fill your Pokédex. You can also find Pokémon to counter them in the wild and in Eggs to help build a formidable team to take on these forces of nature.

Regigigas, the Colossal Pokémon, will be appearing in EX Raids, starting in November. If you purchase a ticket, you can get the chance to encounter Regigigas earlier through a special event that will feature Regigigas’s first-ever appearance in Pokémon GO!

Regirock, Regice, and Registeel reunite and return to raids!

Date + Time

• From Friday, November 1, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, November 4, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. PDT

Features

• Regirock, Regice, and Registeel will be available to encounter in five-star raids.
• The following Pokémon will be appearing more often in the wild: Geodude, Magnemite, Swinub, Aron, and Spheal.
• The following Pokémon will be hatching more often from Eggs:...

Trainers,

October is here, which means it’s almost time to make things a bit spookier! This year, you’re all in for a spine-chillingly good treat.

Starting Thursday, October 17, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT (GMT −7)

Features

• Rescue more Shadow Pokémon from Team GO Rocket — Be ready to rescue the following Pokémon from Team GO Rocket Grunts at PokéStops near you: Weedle, Kakuna, Beedrill, Electabuzz, Magmar, Lapras, Mareep, Seedot, Nuzleaf, Sableye, Trapinch, Cacnea, Shuppet, and Duskull.
• Thrilling threads in the Style Shop — Play dreadful dress-up with new avatar items, including a Zubat Bag, a Pikachu Onesie, a Cubone Cap, a Litwick Cap, and a Mimikyu Bag!
• A Spooky Shiny Pokémon makes its debut — If you’re lucky, you might encounter Shiny Yamask.

From Thursday, October 17, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) to Friday, November 1, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT (GMT −7)

Features

• Don’t be scared! More Ghost- and Dark-type Pokémon will be appearing in the wild, in Eggs, and in raids — Gastly, Murkr...

Hi Trainers!

The Pokémon GO Safari Zone event in New Taipei City, was a great success! Thank you to the Trainers who visited New Taipei Metropolitan Park and numerous exciting local attractions throughout the four-day event.

Over 327,000 Trainers from all over the world joined us at New Taipei City, walking 4.5 million km and catching a total of 50 million Pokémon. Perhaps attracted by the greenery and waterways at the New Taipei Metropolitan Park, many Water-, Grass-, and Bug-type Pokémon such as Oddish, Heracross, Marill appeared. In addition to catching these Pokémon, attendees also enjoyed a wide range of Taiwanese food from over 200 stalls at the Food & Beverage area, Pokémon dance show and even fun photo opportunities.

Going beyond the park, some Pokémon such as Oddish appeared around local attractions such as historical old streets and scenic mountain areas in New Taipei City. Reports show that Trainers even caught Shiny Oddish while touring ...