Be the very best: Pokémon Go adding Battle League leaderboards

By Tyler Treese Published April 9, 2020

Pokémon Go‘s Battle League will get leaderboards in an update arriving on April 10. This means players can feel like Ash Ketchum and aspire to be the very best like no one ever was.

Users can check the new Battle League in-game leaderboard or on Pokémon Go‘s official website. Players must be above trainer level seven to be eligible, and the top 500 trainers in the world will receive the spotlight as their teams, ranks, ratings, and total matches are visible. Niantic says the leaderboard will refresh every day between 1 and 3 p.m. PT and will represent the previous day’s in-game ratings.

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To celebrate the launch of the leaderboards, Pokémon Go will have a special event on Easter Sunday, April 12. The Battle League event revolves around Marill, the popular aqua mouse from the series’ second generation. Players can encounter Marill as a basic reward after their first and third wins in the mode between 11 a.m. through 2 p.m. local time. Those with a premium Battle Pass can face the rare Pokémon after every win. Catching Marill brings twice the stardust customarily earned.

Additionally, the Go Battle Day: Marill event lets players complete 20 sets of Go Battle League, up from the standard limit of five. That means players can test themselves in 100 total battles. This bonus lasts all of Sunday, so trainers will have plenty of time to challenge themselves.

The competitive Battle League mode gained prominence in Pokémon Go since Niantic retooled the mobile hit to be more easily played from home. For the Battle League, players previously had to walk three kilometers to compete in three-on-three battles. Trainers that win four matches in a row get a chance to catch a rare Pokémon.

But the Battle League wasn’t the only Pokémon Go feature changed in light of shelter-in-place order around the world. The app now gives players three times the amount of experience for their first catch of the day. Niantic also lowered the price on essential items for at-home play such as Poké Balls and incense, which lure Pokémon to a person’s current location. Trainers can purchase bundles that include both items with just one PokéCoin, 100 of which cost $1.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

When not playing or writing about games, Tyler Treese serves as the Senior Editor at Wrestlezone. An experienced writer that…

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