Pokemon GO Battle League Season 8: Everything You Need to Know

Niantic Labs has announced the start of Pokemon GO Battle League Season 8 at the very end of May.

GO Battle League Season 8 will kick off on May 31 at 4 p.m. ET. As always, rewards from the previous season will be available on the Battle screen, including special bonuses such as an Elite Fast TM for trainers who reached Rank 19 and above. At the start of Season 8, all ratings will be reset, meaning trainers will have to climb their way back up to glory once again.

We've compiled a short list of all the important events and notable rewards awaiting GO Battle trainers this season.

Pokemon GO Battle League Season 8 Guide

Each of the individual tiered leagues will run at their own separate times in ascending order. All start and end times are identical: 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).

• Great League—Monday, May 31 to Monday, June 14
• Ultra League and Ultra League Premier Cup—Monday, June 14 to Monday, June 28
• Master League (+Classic) and Element Cup—Monday, June 28 to Monday, July 12
• Great League (+Remix)—Monday, July 12 to Monday, July 26
• Ultra League (+Remix)—Monday, July 26 to Monday, Aug. 9
• Master League (+Classic) and Ultra League Premier Cup—Monday, Aug. 9 to Monday, Aug. 23

All three leagues will run concurrently from Monday, Aug. 23 through to Monday, Aug. 30. Based on this date, we predict Season 8 will wrap up around the end of August 2021.

Trainers who participate in the league from June 28 to July 12 and Aug. 9 to Aug. 23 will earn "twice the Stardust from win rewards and end-of-set rewards."

Major Changes

There have been quite a few GO Battle League move changes in Season 8.

• Rock-type "Weather Ball" and "Feather Dance" are being added into the game.
• Ariados can learn the bug-type charged move "Lunge."
• Crobat can learn the poison-type charged move "Cross Poison."
• Crobat and Nidoqueen can learn the poison-type charged move "Poison Fang."

A total of seven moves have been updated for use in Season 8:

• Acid Spray—requires less energy
  
• Poison Jab—deals more damage
  
• Poison Sting—generates more energy.
  
• Cross Poison—deals more damage and has a higher chance of increasing attack
  
• Poison Fang—has a 100% chance to decrease the opponent's defense
  
• Dragon Tail—deals more damage, but generates less energy
  
• Focus Blast—deals more damage

Go Battle Nights

Go Battle Nights are making a return in Season 8. Trainers will receive three times the Stardust for completing the following actions:

• Winning a battle
• Completing a set of battles
• Ranking up

Trainers can complete full sets of 20—as opposed to the previous five—for a total of 100 battles on GO Battle Nights. Each night begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m., local time. The dates for these nights are:

• Thursday, June 3
• Sunday, July 11
• Thursday, August 26

Rank Rewards

Rank-up requirements have been adjusted this season so trainers can reach the peak more easily. For clarity, we've split the announced rewards up according to the rank trainers can achieve them at:

• Rank 1—Guaranteed Machamp encounter
• Rank +1—Encounters with Machoke, Ariados, Sableye, Snover, and more
• Rank 5—Guaranteed Meinfoo encounter, Pikachu Libre avatar items
• Rank +5—Meinfoo joins the random encounter pool
• Rank +10—Toxicroak, Stunfisk, and male Frillish join the random encounter pool
• Rank +15—Skarmory, Scraggy, and Rufflet join the random encounter pool
• Rank +20—Current legendary five-star raid bosses join the random encounter pool
• Ace—Korrina-Style Gloves avatar item
• Veteran—Guaranteed Gible encounter, Korrina-Style Shoes avatar item
• +Veteran—Gible joins the random encounter pool
• Expert—Guaranteed Deino encounter, Korrina-Style Outfit, Pants, and Top avatar items
• +Expert—Deino joins the random encounter pool
• Legend—Guaranteed encounter with Pikachu Libre, Korrina Pose

Season 8 Cups

Element Cup is open exclusively to fire, water, and grass-types under 500 CP who can evolve but are the first in their evolutionary line. Dual-type Pokemon are allowed as long as one of their types is fire, water, or grass.

Great League Remix puts a limit on Pokemon allowed according to the top 20 choices of Ace-ranked trainers. There are 20 banned combatants:

• Venusaur
  
• Alolan Ninetales
  
• Alolan Marowak
  
• Meganium
  
• Azumarill
  
• Politoed
  
• Umbreon
  
• Skarmory
  
• Swampert
  
• Pelipper
  
• Vigoroth
  
• Medicham
  
• Altaria
  
• Defense Forme Deoxys
  
• Bastiodon
  
• Toxicroak
  
• Scrafty
  
• Galvantula
  
• Galarian Stunfisk
  
• Talonflame

Ultra League Remix follows suit with the Great League Remix, also featuring 20 banned combatants within the same vein:

• Venusaur
  
• Charizard
  
• Clefable
  
• Poliwrath
  
• Alolan Muk
  
• Gyarados
  
• Lapras
  
• Articuno
  
• Umbreon
  
• Scizor
  
• Swampert
  
• Registeel
  
• Empoleon
  
• Togekiss
  
• Altered Forme Giratina
  
• Cresselia
  
• Escavalier
  
• Talonflame
  
• Melmetal
  
• Obstagoon

More information about Pokemon GO Battle League Season 8 can be found on the official Pokemon GO news blog.