Beginning November 30, 2020, Pokémon GO will receive its largest content update to date: the GO Beyond Update. GO Beyond update brings a rebalanced leveling system from 1 – 40, includes a level cap increase to 50, adds Generation VI Pokémon and introduces Seasons into Pokémon GO.
GO Beyond is a massive update, but we’ve prepared a simple survival guide to help you understand what’s coming and when. We strongly suggest you bookmark this page and refer to it when needed.
Additionally, there will be a lot of content from other press outlets, Youtubers and Twitch streamers, so be sure to check out their channels for more information as well. We’ll try our best to collate everything into this guide and we’ll be publishing more specific guides as features become available.
Leveling changes and level cap increase to 50
Related guide: Pokémon GO Level 40 to 50 Guide: XP, Level up Tasks and Rewards
Beginning November 30, Trainers will experience a rebalanced leveling system that includes a level cap increase to 50. The new system dramatically changes player progression from Level 1 to 40 and introduces 10 new levels for Trainers to progress. And yes, you will be able to power up your Pokémon beyond Level 40.
The existing CP formula is seemingly unchanged, but there should be more CPM values for levels beyond 40. We’re not sure if there will be a CP rebalance coming as a part of this update.
In preparation for the level cap increase, Niantic has announced a handful of changes that are coming or are already active.
Experience bonuses until end of year
To help Trainers reach level 40 faster, a double Catch XP bonus will be live from Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Thursday, December 31, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. local time.
XP rewards rebalance
Starting on November 30, 2020, you’ll earn more XP from catching Pokémon, evolving Pokémon, hatching Eggs, registering new Pokédex entries, and more. In some cases, the XP earned will be as much as double what it was before.
XP has been increased for the following activities.
- Catching a Pokémon with a Nice Throw: 10 XP to 20 XP
- Catching a Pokémon with a Great Throw: 50 XP to 100 XP
- Catching a Pokémon with an Excellent Throw:100 XP to 1,000 XP
- Catching a Pokémon with a Curveball Throw: 10 XP to 20 XP
- Evolving a Pokémon: 500 XP to 1,000 XP
- Catching a Pokémon or spinning a PokéStop the first time in a day: 500 XP to 1,500 XP
- Achieving a Pokémon catch streak or PokéStop spin streak of seven days: 2,000 XP to 6,000 XP
- Giving a Pokémon a Berry at a Gym: 20 XP to 50 XP
- Spinning a PokéStop: 50 XP to 100 XP
- Defeating a Gym: 100 XP to 1,000 XP
- Defeating a Pokémon at a Gym: 100 XP to 300 XP
- Hatching a 2 km Egg: 200 XP to 500 XP
- Hatching a 5 km Egg: 500 XP to 1,000 XP
- Hatching a 10 km Egg: 1,000 XP to 2,000 XP
- Hatching a Strange Egg: 2,000 XP to 4,000 XP
- Catching a Pokémon in AR mode: 100 XP to 300 XP
- Unlocking a new Pokédex entry: 500 XP to 1,000 XP
Legacy Level 40 Trainer Rewards
Trainers who reach level 40 before Thursday, December 31, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. local time will earn the title of Legacy 40 Trainer and earn some exclusive rewards, like Timed Research that rewards an exclusive Gyarados Hat avatar item and a special Legacy 40 medal!
Power up Pokémon beyond previous CP maximum
Check out our Guide to Power Up Costs in Pokémon GO for a complete stat breakdown on XL Candy power up costs.
Trainers will soon be able to power up their Pokémon to a higher CP than was previously possible at each Trainer level. Try powering up your Pokémon to see the difference! Level 40 Trainers, get ready for a whole new challenge!
Currently, Trainers can powerup Pokémon to Pokémon Levels 2 levels above their current Trainer level. In other words, a Pokémon can be maxed out to Level 40 starting from Trainer level 38.
The change after the Level Cap increase will make adjust that value from 2 to 10. Players will be able to power up Pokémon up to 10 levels above their current Trainer Level.
Some notable things:
- Level 30 Trainers can powerup Pokémon to 40 assuming they have enough Candy and Stardust
- Level 40 trainers can powerup Pokémon to 50 assuming they have enough Candy XL and Stardust
Early testing takes place in Australia
Testing report: Australian Level 40+ Test Report: Level up requirements, Platinum medals, XL Candy
Niantic is rolling out the level-cap increase to Australia tomorrow for testing before making it available to Trainers around the world. Trainers who make it to level 41 and above during the testing period will receive a survey to provide their feedback.
Level 40 Trainers who power up Pokémon past their previous CP maximum will be unable to use those Pokémon in the Master League format for the time being in order to maintain a fair competition. However, those Pokémon can still defend Gyms.
Leveling from 40 to 50
We’ve prepared a complete Level 40 to Level 50 leveling guide here: Pokémon GO Level 40 to Level 50 Guide: XP, Level up Tasks and Rewards
Leveling above Level 40 will be quite different, as it requires you to complete new Level-Up research between levels, in addition to the usual XP requirement. The Level-Up research quests are different at every level but they are concentrated around one theme.
Here’s a preview of what to expect from these quests:
- Level 41: Submit your catching skills to a test of endurance! You’ll be expected to catch a high number of Pokémon in a single day, along with other tasks, in order to reach level 41.
- Level 42: From evolving Eevee into each of its available Evolutions, to using certain Evolution items on specific Pokémon, reaching level 42 will test your knowledge of Pokémon Evolutions.
- Level 43: Show us your mastery of Gym battles and Raid Battles! You’ll also need to have earned a certain number of Platinum medals before you can advance to level 43. You might find yourself with a surprise avatar item at the end, too!
- Level 44: Battling other Trainers has been a fundamental aspect of the Pokémon RPGs since the beginning, but it’s still relatively new to Pokémon GO. Have you been developing your skills in battle? You’ll have to if you want to reach level 44!
- Level 45: You’ve battled in Gyms, raids, and the GO Battle League, but to reach level 45 you’ll need to focus your efforts on taking down those pesky Team GO Rocket villains! You might find yourself with a surprise avatar item at the end, too!
- Level 46: Get ready to explore, intrepid Trainers! To reach level 46, you’ll need to complete a number of Field Research tasks, hatch a certain number of Eggs, and document your daily adventures using GO Snapshot!
- Level 47: You may think you’ve mastered the art of battling in raids, but the requirements to reach level 47 will really test your mettle! For example, one challenge will require you to win raids with teams that meet certain qualifications—and that’s just the beginning!
- Level 48: The requirements to reach level 48 are focused on one of the most important things in all of Pokémon GO: your friendship with your Buddy Pokémon! From kilometers walked to the number of Souvenirs you’ve collected, reaching level 48 will require you and your buddy to be laser-focused on developing your friendship with one another. You might find yourself with a surprise avatar item at the end, too!
- Level 49: If there’s one thing that matches the importance of your friendship with your Buddy Pokémon, it’s your friendships with other Trainers. The people we meet on our Pokémon journeys bring so much to our lives, and cultivating those friendships is key to becoming an amazing Pokémon Trainer. Reach level 49 by sending Gifts, acquiring Lucky Pokémon through trades, and more.
- Level 50: This is it! The home stretch! To reach the highest available level in Pokémon GO, you must master all aspects of the game. Some examples include making Excellent Throws, catching Legendary Pokémon, and defeating Team GO Rocket Leaders with Pokémon under 1,500 CP, so you can tell this will be the ultimate test of whether you’re ready to stand among the most accomplished Trainers in Pokémon GO. And, of course, you might also find yourself with a surprise avatar item at the end!
Candy XL
Related guide: XL Candy Guide: How to get, Power Up Costs and Mechanics
Pokémon GO will also be introducing Candy XL. These Candies will be required to power up Pokémon to even higher CP than was previously possible, and can be acquired either by catching Pokémon or by converting and combining Candy into Candy XL. There will also be other ways to obtain Candy XL, so stay tuned!
Seasons
Every three months, Trainers can expect to see a new season with major changes and new Pokémon. In-game events will continue to run within each season, but may be more heavily tied to the season itself. In addition to regular changes at the start of each season, Trainers can also expect to see mega updates to Mega Evolution Pokémon throughout, and changes to GO Battle League format, rankings and rewards structure.
What are Pokémon GO Seasons?
Every three months, you can expect to see a new season in Pokémon GO that brings major changes, such as the following.
- Different Pokémon will be appearing more often in the wild, hatching from Eggs, and appearing in raids. Some Pokémon will be more difficult to find depending on the Season, so catch them while you can!
- Based on what hemisphere you’re in, you can find different Pokémon appearing in the wild each Season. For example, in the first Season, Pokémon related to winter will be appearing in the wild in the northern hemisphere, while Burmy, Darumaka, and other Pokémon related to summer will be appearing in the wild in the southern hemisphere. You might notice other differences in the Pokémon you can find in the wild, too.
- In addition, different forms of Deerling will be appearing in the wild depending on which hemisphere you’re in, so keep a lookout!
- In-game events will be themed based on the Season they occur in!
- Seasons will be continually updated with more features and content.
Seasonal Mega changes are coming
With each new Season, Trainers can also expect to see updates to Mega-Evolved Pokémon.
- Different New Mega-Evolved Pokémon will be appearing in raids each Season!
- Certain Mega-Evolved Pokémon will have limited periods where they will have increased total CP and Trainers will have more opportunities to use these Mega-Evolved Pokémon more easily!
GO Battle League changes once Seasons start
The introduction of Seasons also brings exciting changes to the GO Battle League! The GO Battle League will expand from 10 to 24 ranks, and the top four ranks will have all-new names and corresponding badges. The expanded ranks will be accompanied by a totally new reward structure, which gives Trainers more opportunities to earn exclusive rewards through ranking up. You can expect the GO Battle League rewards to be tied to the theme of the current Season, too!
GO Battle League seasons will occur in tandem with the overarching Seasons and will rotate formats on the same three-month schedule.
GO Battle League Season 6 starts on Monday, November 30, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT −8).
First Season: Season of Celebration
Starting on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. local time, the first Season will begin—the Season of Celebration! Pokémon originally discovered in the Kalos region will be appearing in Pokémon GO. To celebrate their arrival and the new year, Professor Willow is embarking on a quest to research the different regions of the Pokémon world, and he needs your help!
During this Season, Trainers will be able to participate in a series of in-game events featuring Pokémon first discovered in different regions. Whether you’re a fan of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, or Kalos, Pokémon originally discovered in each of these regions will be appearing as Professor Willow looks to discover and celebrate their rich histories.
At the end of the Season of Celebration, we’ll be introducing a brand-new global event experience. Stay tuned for more details!
Pokémon from the Kalos region are coming
Related guide: A Beginners Guide to the Kalos Region
Starting December 2, Pokémon originally discovered in the Kalos region will start appearing in Pokémon GO, including: Chespin, Fennekin, Pyroar, Froakie, Fletchling, and more.
There will be a number of related events Trainers can look forward to, including the Special Celebration Event from Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday December 8, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. local time and the Mysterious Raid Egg where a mysterious Pokémon will be hatching from a one-star Raid Egg.
Pokémon originally discovered in the Kalos region are coming!
Pokémon such as Chepsin, Fennekin, Froakie, Fletchling, and their Evolutions will be coming to Pokémon GO—including the highly anticipated Greninja and Talonflame! Pyroar will also be available in both of its forms.
Here’s a list of many of the Pokémon you can expect to encounter either in the wild, through Evolution, or by hatching Eggs starting on December 2, 2020.
Chespin | Quilladin | Chesnaught |
Fennekin | Braixen | Delphox |
Froakie | Frogadier | Greninja |
Bunnelby | Diggersby | Fletchling |
Fletchinder | Talonflame | Litleo |
Pyroar | Klefki |
Celebrate the arrival of new Pokémon with a special event!
From Wednesday, December 2, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday December 8, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. local time, Pokémon originally discovered in the Kalos region will be appearing more often in the wild! More details to come soon.
A mysterious Raid Egg?
There seems to be a mysterious Pokémon preparing to hatch from a one-star Raid Egg soon! We’re tracking the progress of this Egg on our social channels, and we might need your help to get it to hatch sooner!
Quality of Life Improvements
Updates to encountering and catching Pokémon, Adventure Sync, Buddy Adventure, Field Research, Gifts, and more are also part of the GO Beyond update.
More details coming soon.