Posted in: Games, Mobile Games, Niantic, Pokémon GO | Tagged: Go Battle League, Niantic, Niantic Labs, pokemon, pokemon go

Pokémon GO's Best & Worst Of 2020: Best New Features

The year 2020 is wrapping up, and it has been a year of major change in Pokémon GO. Trainers have seen the game add both new features and new species, all the while adjusting to the ever-changing situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that followed. Now, let's take a look back at what has been a defining year for Niantic's worldwide mega-hit game and determine the Best and Worst of 2020 in every aspect of Pokémon GO. This time… we're talking about the best new features of 2020. Let's go!

5. GO Battle League

Yes, GO Battle League has problems. Yes, it was plagued with hacks and glitches for quite some time. Yes, sometimes it has been hit or miss. Yes, the Catch Cup was perhaps the worst idea ever floated in Pokémon GO. Still, GO Battle League revolutionized the idea of what it means to PVP in Pokémon GO, introducing new and interesting metas which made hunting Pokémon with different IV spreads more nuanced. There's a lot that must still be improved in GO Battle League, but Niantic's adjustments have already been impressive. It's hard to believe that this feature has only been around for one year, but it has become an integral aspect of the game.

4. Shadow Bonus

Raiders, rejoice. In a year that seemed skewed more toward helping PVP players rather than raiders, the Shadow Bonus (or, Shadow Boost) made Shadow Pokémon viable by increasing their base stats by a whopping 20%. This enriched both Team GO Rocket battles and Shadow collecting, and completely changed the raid meta. Now, Shadow Pokémon dominate the top counters for virtually every raid boss, but the huge Stardust investment of powering up Shadows makes doing so a fun and lofty goal to which trainers can aspire. Shadow Bonus enriches Pokémon GO on multiple levels.

3. Level Requirements

Many trainers who grinded XP after hitting Level 40 in Pokémon GO assumed that, when the level cap was raised, they'd instantly hit the new maximum. However, Niantic had a fair solution with Level Requirements. Now, in addition to XP earned, trainers must complete ten sets of Level Requirements to get to Level 50 which tasks players with mastering every aspect of the game. With this addition, leveling up was made more fun than ever.

2. Buddy Adventure

This feature may seem simple but it is an adjustment that follows through on the initial promise of Pokémon GO: to bring the Pokémon experience to the real world. Now, trainers can walk with their buddies, see them on the map, feed and pet them like Tamagotchis, and even get souvenirs from them. Bonding with Pokémon is an underrated aspect of Pokémon GO that, with Buddy Adventure, was taken to a new level in 2020.

1. Remote Raids

What else could it have been? Niantic adjusted with precision and speed to the lockdown, implementing Remote Raids and then, Remote Raid Invites. Starting 2020, who could have imagined we'd be raiding every member of the Lake Trio in a single day, coordinating online with international players? Raiding was made much easier and, thankfully, this incredible change which allows trainers to access any raid they see on their screen and accept invites to any raid in the world… is permanent.

NEXT: The Worst Events of 2020

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