Pokemon Go's PvP Trainer Battles Now Live For Most Players

Following their announcement earlier this month, PvP battles have finally come to Pokemon Go. The long-awaited Trainer Battle system is now live for players who have reached level 10 and above, and it gives them the ability to challenge other players directly to three-on-three Pokemon battles.

Once users reach the requisite level, they'll be able to face off against other players, either locally or remotely. You can battle any other trainer you meet in-person, whether or not they're registered on your friends list, simply by scanning a QR code in a new battle menu. However, you'll need to be Ultra friends with another player in order to challenge them remotely.

Trainer Battles are separated into three different Leagues to make the feature accessible to players of all levels: Great, Ultra, and Master. Each League enforces a different Combat Power limit for your Pokemon: in the Great League, each monster can have a maximum of 1,500 CP; Ultra League's limited is 2,500 CP per Pokemon; and Master League has no CP restriction.

Whether you win or lose, you'll receive rewards for taking part in Trainer Battles, including a chance to get the new Sinnoh Stone, which is needed to evolve certain Gen 4 Pokemon. You can also challenge the leaders of Pokemon Go's three major teams--Valor, Mystic, and Instinct--to practice NPC battles. You can read more about how the feature works in our Pokemon Go PvP guide.

Trainer Battles are just the latest in a long line of new features that Niantic has rolled out for Pokemon Go this past year, making 2018 a big year for the mobile title. The developer has also recently increased the effects of the Mystery Box, making it easier to find Meltan in the wild. Meanwhile, the game's latest Legendary Pokemon, Cresselia, is scheduled to leave Raid Battles on December 18.