Showcase Feature Beta Test in New Zealand is Completed

The teased ‘Showcase’ feature has had a recent 24 hour beta test in New Zealand, with Fomantis as the designated ‘Showcase’ Pokémon. It looks like it was a fairly successful beta test, with some incredible rewards, so let’s take a look!

What is a Showcase?

A Showcase is a new way to compete against fellow trainers with your Pokémon. Currently it seems they are focused around XXL and XXS Pokémon. When you approach a PokéStop hosting a Showcase, you will see an option to “Enter nearby PokéStop Showcase.” From there, you can choose one of your eligible Pokémon to participate. Remember, each Showcase may have specific entry requirements, so make sure to read the “Showcase Details” before entering.

Showcases offer various rewards for participants, including bragging rights, in-game items, and other exciting prizes. As you participate in more Showcases and earn more victories, you’ll receive badges to commemorate your achievements, like the “Showcase Star” and “Showcases Won” badges.

Keep in mind that there are some restrictions and limitations when entering a Showcase:

1. If your Pokémon has recently won a Showcase, they will be ineligible to participate for a certain period.
2. Recently traded Pokémon cannot enter Showcases.
3. You must claim rewards from previous Showcases before entering a new one.

Throughout the contest, players can view the leaderboard, which shows the current leader and other participants’ ranks. Once the contest is over, players can see their results, claim their rewards, and share their achievements with friends.

How Does a Showcase Work?

During the beta test it appears that when you try to join a Showcase, that the game automatically picks your ‘best’ Pokémon for it, so in the beta test, it picked out your largest XXL Fomantis to enter for you. If you caught an eligible Pokémon whilst near a Showcase Pokéstop, a button appeared to invite you to enter it.

Showcase Screenshots kindly provided by Pokémon Nanoblock

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A Pokémon in your storage entered in a Showcase has no special markings at present, and can be transferred. This does not appear to impact on your ability to win the Showcase. This may change with the wider release.

There were reports of 150 trainers entering one Showcase in Wellington, so at present it doesn’t appear there is a maximum entrant limit, but we suspect one may be introduced if that continues. Rural trainers reported having 3 entrants and the Showcase still working the same. This could be a big deal for rural trainers as it could be a good way to gain some premium items as rewards (discussed below) without having to compete with many trainers.

Big thanks to Pokémon Nanoblock for the screenshots of their participation in the beta test. They described the submission process as ‘very sleek’ which is good to hear, 

Showcase Medal

There is a new Showcase Medal to work towards, and from the information shared during the beta, it appears you need to win first prize in the showcase in order to work towards this medal.

• Bronze Medal = 1 First Place
• Silver Medal = 10 First Place
• Gold Medal = 50 First Place
• Platinum Medal = 100 First Place

Reported Rewards

The reported rewards from the players who did the beta test sound awesome! Some really great premium items, and a good mixture of different items. Fingers crossed these remain the same for the general release. Here are some of the reported rewards:

Conclusion

In terms of reported errors during the beta test, some trainers experiencing soft bans after accidentally transferring Pokémon that were entered in Showcases. Fingers crossed Niantic will mark them like Pokémon in gyms are, to prevent this issue in the future. There were also some Pokémon that simply couldn’t be entered in Showcases marked with red font, that the players weren’t sure why they couldn’t submit. A few trainers also reported general issues with not being able to enter the Showcase at all. It was a beta test so a level of errors is to be expected, and hopefully Niantic will work to ensure these bugs are smoothed out before it is launched in game properly.

The potential reward pool looks incredible! This could be a fun new addition to the game, and hopefully the rewards won’t be nerfed too heavily on general release.

What do you think of this feature? Let us know in the comments below!