GO Battle League Season 9

We have news to share on Season 9 of the GO Battle League, and there is a lot of information, so let’s jump right in!

Your ranking at the end of this season will be more important than it ever has, so make sure to start your climb early! As the season progresses, we’ll have more to share on how this season’s results will impact things going forward—so stay tuned!

Season 9 Start Date, Rank Resets, and End-of-Season Rewards

GO Battle League Season 9 will start on Monday, August 30, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).

The following will occur at the beginning of the season:

  • End of season rewards will be available on the battle screen.
  • Your GO Battle League rank will be reset.
  • Rank-up requirements will remain the same as in Season 8.

Season 9 Schedule

The following leagues will begin and end at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) on the dates listed below.

August 30 – September 13

  • Great League
  • Great League Remix

September 13 – September 27

  • Ultra League
  • Ultra League Remix

September 27 – October 11

  • Master League
  • Master League Classic
  • Little Jungle Cup

Bonuses

  • 3× Stardust from win rewards (this does not include end of set rewards)

October 11 – October 25

  • Great League
  • Halloween Cup (begins Oct 15)

October 25 – November 08

  • Ultra League
  • Ultra League Premier Classic
  • Halloween Cup (ends Nov 2)

Noember 08 – November 22

  • Master League
  • Master League Premier Classic
  • Special Cup: Players’ Choice

Bonuses

  • 3× Stardust from win rewards (this does not include end of set rewards)

Nov 22 – Nov 29

  • Great League
  • Ultra League
  • Master League

What’s new in Season 9?

Here’s a glimpse at what you can look forward to during Season 9 of the GO Battle League.

GO Battle Days

To allow more Trainers to participate, GO Battle Nights will become GO Battle Days from GO Battle League Season 9 onward!

GO Battle Day bonuses

  • The maximum number of sets you can play per day will be increased from five to 20, for a total of 100 battles.
  • 4× Stardust from win rewards (this does not include end of set rewards and will not stack with the 3× Stardust on November 20).

Dates and times

  • Saturday, September 18, 2021, from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time. The Ultra League and Ultra League Remix will be active.
  • Monday, November 1, 2021, from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time. The Ultra League, the Ultra League Premier Classic, and the Halloween Cup will be active.
  • Saturday, November 20, 2021, from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time. The Master League, Master League Premier Classic, and a cup chosen by Trainers will be active.

Season 9 rewards

Guaranteed Rank-Up Encounters

You can encounter the following Pokémon once per season at the designated ranks. At rank 1, you’ll be guaranteed to encounter one of the Pokémon that Galar Champion Leon is known to use!

  • Rank 1: Charizard
  • Rank 6: Mienfoo
  • Veteran: Noibat
  • Expert: Deino
  • Legend: Pikachu Libre

Standard encounters

You can encounter the following Pokémon as win rewards throughout the season at the ranks shown below.

Rank 1 and up

Gothita, Solosis, Sableye, Charmeleon, Hypno, Nidorina

Rank 6 and up

Mienfoo

Rank 11 and up

Seismitoad, Drifblim, Rhydon, Litwick, Frillish

Rank 16 and up

Snorlax, Scraggy, Rufflet

Rank 20 and up

Legendary Pokémon currently active in five-star raids

Veteran and up

Noibat

Expert and up

Deino

Avatar items and other rewards

  • Pikachu Libre avatar items will be rewarded to Trainers who reach Rank 3.
  • Trainers will be able to earn avatar items and a pose inspired by the champion of the Galar region, Leon, who first made his debut in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield!
  • At Ace rank, you’ll receive the Reigning Champion Sport Glove.
  • At Veteran rank, you’ll receive the Leon’s Look Sport Cap.
  • At Expert rank, you’ll receive the Reigning Champion Sport Shorts.
  • At Legend rank, you’ll receive the Reigning Champion Sport Top.
  • Midway through season 9, Leon’s iconic pose will be added as a reward for Trainers who reach Legend rank.
  • At Rank 19, you’ll receive an Elite Charged TM, and you’ll also receive an Elite Fast TM as an end-of-season reward.

Cups

You can look forward to the following cups this season.

Great League Remix

The 20 Pokémon most used by Trainers Ace rank and up in the Great League will not be allowed in the Great League Remix.

The following Pokémon will not be allowed:

Venusaur, Alolan Ninetales, Alolan Marowak, Azumarill, Politoed, Umbreon, Skarmory, Swampert, Pelipper, Vigoroth, Sableye, Medicham, Altaria, Defense Forme Deoxys, Bastiodon, Scrafty, Jellicent, Galvantula, Galarian Stunfisk, Talonflame.

Ultra League Remix

The 10 Ultra League Pokémon most used by Trainers Ace rank and up in the Ultra League will not be allowed in the Ultra League Remix.

The following Pokémon will not be allowed:

Clefable, Alolan Muk, Swampert, Empoleon, Togekiss, Altered Forme Giratina, Cresselia, Talonflame, Melmetal, Obstagoon.

Little Jungle Cup

  • Pokémon must be at or below 500 CP to enter.
  • Pokémon do not need to be able to evolve to enter.
  • Only Normal, Grass, Electric, Poison, Ground, Flying, Bug, and Dark type Pokémon are permitted.
  • Shuckle and Smeargle are not permitted.

Halloween Cup

  • Pokémon must be at or below 1,500 CP to enter.
  • Only Poison, Bug, Ghost, Dark, and Fairy type Pokémon are permitted.

Special Cup: Players’ choice

We’re interested to hear which prior special cup you’d like to see return this season! Stay tuned for a poll on Twitter later in the season to determine which cup will be held.

Balance Changes and Move Updates

New attacks

The following attack will be added to Pokémon GO:

  • Normal-type Weather Ball. A new, low energy cost Normal-type Charged Attack. Trainer Battles: 55 Damage. Gyms and raids: 55 Damage.
  • Pokémon that can learn this attack: Normal Form Castform

Attack changes

The following attacks will be updated for GO Battle League Season 9.

  • Weather Ball. Weather Ball is currently a little too efficient as a low-energy Charged Attack. As a result, we’re toning down its damage just a tad. Trainer Battles: 60 → 55 damage. Gyms and raids: 60 → 55 damage.
  • Crunch. We’re adding an effect to this move when it’s used in Trainer battles to tie in with its effect in the core Pokémon RPGs. Trainer Battles: Now has a chance of lowering the opposing Pokémon’s Defense.
  • Zap Cannon. We’re adding an effect to this move when it’s used in Trainer Battles to tie in with its effect in the Pokémon RPGs. We hope this will provide Pokémon like Zapdos, Regirock, Magnezone, and Porygon-Z a chance to shine. Trainer Battles: Guaranteed to lower the opposing Pokémon’s Attack.
  • Scald. We’re lowering the energy cost of this Charged Attack and adding an effect to this move when it’s used in Trainer battles to tie in with its effect in the core Pokémon RPGs. Trainer Battles: Energy cost decreased and now provides a chance of lowering the opposing Pokémon’s Attack.
  • Feather Dance. We’re increasing the energy cost of this Charged Attack slightly to make it harder to use as often. Trainer Battles: Energy cost increased.
  • Megahorn. We’re giving Megahorn a slight increase in damage to boost Nidoking’s, Heracross’s, and Escavalier’s high-cost Charged Attack options. Trainer Battles: 100 → 110 damage.

Attack availability updates

The following Pokémon will be able to learn attacks they couldn’t before:

  • Nidoking – Nidoking will now be able to learn the Charged Attack Sand Tomb.
  • Poliwrath – Poliwrath will now be able to learn the Charged Attack Scald.
  • Heracross – Heracross will now be able to learn the Charged Attack Rock Blast.
  • Manectric – Manectric will now be able to learn the Fast Attack Thunder Fang and the Charged Attack Overheat.
  • Normal Form Castform – Castform will now be able to learn the Charged Attack Normal-type Weather Ball.
  • Cofagrigus – Cofagrigus will now be able to learn the Fast Attack Shadow Claw.

Author & tags

kittypokemonsalot
kittypokemonsalothttps://www.kittyramblesalot.com/
Turtwig obsessive, real life Psyduck, Pokémon GO AR Photographer, found footage horror fan and Pokémon GO Hub AR Queen

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