Niantic will raise Pokémon Go‘s level cap from 50 to 80 on October 15, and anyone who reaches level 50 before the update will get legacy cosmetic rewards. This changes how XP translates into levels and hands out more small rewards along the way, which matters for long-term players and casuals alike.
What’s changing
The update will rebalance the leveling curve so players level up more often and receive improved rewards during progression, the studio says. The level cap will increase from 50 to 80 on October 15 – the most significant cap jump so far for the game.
Level-Up Research tasks that used to cover 41 through 50 will be replaced by a new set of functions for levels 71 through 80. Some players may find they jump up a bit in level right when the update lands, based on accumulated XP. New rewards will appear across the new tiers, including increased storage capacity for Pokémon, items, and Gifts.
Levels 41 through 50 will grant cosmetic bonuses now, including a jacket and an avatar pose at level 50. Those cosmetics will be available to anyone who reaches the appropriate level before October 15, so there is a short window to lock in those legacy rewards.
Short-term XP boosts and events
To help players move through the current levels, a set of XP bonuses starts August 26. Players will get double XP from nice, great, and excellent throws, plus 3,000 bonus XP for winning raids or Max Battles. New Timed Research will also provide a total bonus of 7 million XP.
Maybe the rebalanced curve will make the added 30 levels feel less brutal. Maybe not. Either way, if you care about in-game cosmetics or want the legacy stamp for hitting 50, you’ve got under two months to do it.
How I feel now after the announcement
byu/Yavandor inpokemongo
You can read the full rebalance post on the official site for developer details.
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