Tuesday, September 2, 2025

An Important Transformation: A New Level Cap

Before proceeding to discuss other transformations in this season slated to be full of them, I thought I'd bring up a rather important one. I had said I'd bring it up when it becomes relevant (or brings about a lack thereof), but the "wheels" for this transformation have been set into motion, and therefore it's just as relevant to bring it up now as it is to bring it up later. The former also works out to give sufficient notice and warning in advance of the expected transformation, so there is another good reason.

That transformation is of course yet another increase of the level cap, this time by a whopping 30 levels to Level 80, which will be put in place on October 15. Even so, this change is only relevant for Trainer levels, and Pokémon will still only top out at Level 50, so there is no worry about power shifts in both casual and competitive battles. The rationale for this is to provide a greater balance and smoother progression for Trainers in leveling up - perhaps as to what it should have been since the start of the game when there were only 40 levels.

With this transformation, the level-up tasks that are ascribed to Levels 41-50 will be removed and new tasks will be ascribed to the future Levels 71-80. Those who reach this point are also more likely to become Lucky Friends with other Trainers, which is likely a bonus ascribed to something else that may be related yet is not pertinent to this discussion. Certainly, Trainers with enough XP will also automatically gain levels when the new cap is put in place, and they'll also need to complete the tasks when presented.

Yet unfortunately, there are a few caveats. The avatar items offered as level-up rewards for Levels 41-50 can no longer be gotten after the new level cap is introduced, but those who have gotten them will keep them, making them "legacy" items. Meanwhile, there will be a "legacy" pose and another level medal similar to the one for when the level cap was first raised, and all of these become incentives for Trainers to reach Level 50 soon.

For that, an event called XP Celebration started on August 25 and will continue up to the day the new level cap is introduced. It features double XP for throws, extra XP from raids and Max Battles, and a Timed Research set rewarding millions of XP. The "explore 25 km" task at Level 47 has been shortened from eight times to just twice as well, which allows a fighting chance to get to Level 50 before the day of the new level cap.

Considering all that happens in Pokémon Go, there is really no way to go but "up", and so it is that the level cap has to be increased - and it is going to, in about one and a half months. Aside from transformations involving Pokémon and the possibility of varied forms that they may have, this may be considered the most important transformation yet of this season, and highlighting that in preparation for it is no less important than all the Pokémon.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Monday, September 1, 2025

The Season of Tales of Transformation

So, for those who read my end-of-season post yesterday, the operative word that serves as the teaser for the next Pokémon Go season is "change". That's because this season is titled "Tales of Transformation", a rather long title for one. In that lengthy stretch, there is the indication that a lot has to be interpreted about it; fortunately, some of that comes easily with what is expected from Pokémon Go and Pokémon in general, while others need a bit of deeper digging to uncover the tales they may have to tell.

The most important part of those tales, the one that concerns the game furnishing the season title, is the one that needs to be told first. This season will definitely see some Pokémon that are able to access some very different forms - certainly including Mega Evolution and the Max forms, which by now have a foothold in the game. In fact, this could be wildly different, which becomes an indication of what to expect with an event that returns from last year around this seasonal time of the year, to be explained in due time.

Meanwhile, at least a little bit of the efforts of transformation may be driven by a new and very important Pokémon game that is also due out within the period of the season. In turn, this might also become key to other displays of transformation beyond Pokémon Go and the new game as hinted above. These additional transformations might likely take time to be able to be manifested in one Pokémon realm or another (if at all), but if that happens, they'll surely reflect the current states of transformation, both past and present.

It may also be possible to look into the season image for insights. The season image as the representative of the season has an art deco style to it, which makes it "retro" even with the new developments that this season may just promise. It's also mostly black with streaks of color throughout, which might indicate how subtle and/or amazing the transformations will be. The approach might be considered "classy", and that can be carried over to all the Pokémon that might be featured accordingly.

Overall, this season seems to promise to be one of the most dynamic, if not the most yet as such. As stated, transformation or change is a commonly recognized aspect of Pokémon, and having a Pokémon Go season that honors that aspect keeps it commonly recognized and further affirms its constant relevance. The elements that are expected for it - both directly and indirectly related to Pokémon Go - will tell all the tales; perhaps it could be one by one, or all at once with an amazing(ly titled) season.

One year ago: The Season of Max Out
Three years ago: The Season of Light
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)