Trainer battles are now available in Pokemon GO (for players level 10 and higher) and Niantic has released a little tutorial video on the Pokemon GO YouTube page that goes in-depth on how exactly these trainer battles work.
If you’ve been looking into the app and having trouble starting battles with your close friends or random trainers around you, then be sure to watch the overview video below; it will show you how to commence battles and will also give you super-helpful tips and tricks on how to defeat your buddies in battle.
Niantic has commented on the inclusion of this new feature and is very ecstatic to see how the Pokemon GO community will grow thanks to this update:
“…We’re happy to say that Trainer Battles build upon Pokémon GO’s emphasis on encouraging in-person social interaction, with only Ultra Friends and Best Friends having the ability to battle remotely. We hope that Trainers will be able to construct their own competitions, based on their local metagame and play patterns, to suit their needs.
We can’t wait to see the stories from local groups, meet Ace Trainers and Veterans, and see how the feature grows within the community. After all, the ideal meta gameplay will be discovered by the players, not by us. We’ll be keeping an eye on the game balance as well!”
In other Pokemon GO-related news, Niantic is hosting a special holiday season-themed event that makes Ice-type Pokemon appear more frequently in-game. The event will be kicking off on Dec 18 and will run until Jan 2, 2019. If you’re looking for Pokemon like Snover, Delibird, Jynx or Sneasel, then make sure to check into the app and go catch ’em all.
Meanwhile, make sure to look into our expansive Pokemon GO wiki guide that has tons of info on battling, catching, and overall tips for Niantic’s mobile game.