Pokémon Go Level Revamp Raises Cap in Rebalance

• Pokémon Go's level cap is increasing from 50 to 80 this October
• This is a system-wide rebalance, not simply adding thirty new levels
• Players can look forward to new rewards and more frequent level progression

Next year marks Pokémon Go's tenth anniversary—a remarkable milestone in mobile gaming. Its lasting appeal stems from continuous, smart additions that keep the experience fresh. Sometimes, however, refining existing systems is just as crucial. Niantic recognizes this, as shown by its newly announced Level Revamp update.

Scheduled for October 15th, this Leveling Update will raise the maximum level from 50 to 80. The goal is to let players enjoy leveling up more often than the current pace allows—a change many will welcome. Having recently reached level 42 myself, I had accepted that hitting level 43 would take a considerable amount of time under the old system.

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As you might have guessed, the existing level structure from 1 to 50 is being recalibrated for a new 1 to 80 range, rather than just stacking 30 extra levels on top. This rebalance includes removing Level-Up Research tasks for levels 41–50 and reassigning them to levels 71–80. Additionally, upon reaching level 70 and beyond, players will have a higher chance of becoming Lucky Friends with other Trainers.

Rewards aren't limited to those at level 70 and above. The update also brings increased storage for Pokémon, Items, and Gifts. Starting at level 25, players can unlock extra avatar items—great news for anyone who likes to customize their look. I've been fond of my Gengar t-shirt and Sandygast hat for a while and don't plan to change soon… unless some appealing Chandelure gear arrives.

You might wonder, “If I'm level 46 now, will this new system put me at a higher level?” The answer is yes—come October 15th, you will be. Better yet, you'll receive all the rewards for every level you skip past, so there's no need to worry about missing out. The exact amount each player will advance is expected to be announced in early October.

Pokémon Go will also honor players' past achievements with a special medal displaying the highest level reached by October 14th. Furthermore, anyone who has attained—or reaches—the impressive height of level 50 will receive an exclusive avatar pose. On the other hand, some legacy rewards are being retired; the Level 50 Jacket will no longer be available after the update. If you've already earned it, however, you get to keep it.

There's still time to add that jacket to your collection, as Niantic is running an event to help players reach level 50. Starting today at 9 PM BST, the XP Celebration event begins, running through October 14th. During this period, you can earn more XP than usual, with bonuses from other active events stacking on top. The specific boosts include:

• Double Catch XP for Nice, Great, and Excellent throws
• An extra 3,000 XP for winning Raids
• An extra 3,000 XP for winning Max Battles

In addition, the current Level-Up Research for level 47 requires walking 25 km in a week, eight separate times. Starting today, that requirement is reduced to completing it just twice over a two-week period, helping players clear this potential hurdle more easily.

Want to maximize this XP opportunity? Check out this month's Pokémon Go Raid schedule!

To further assist players, a special Timed Research will run concurrently with the XP Celebration. It offers substantial challenges and will take some time to finish. Completing it rewards a massive 7 million XP. The only precondition is that you must be at least level 5 to participate—which shouldn't deter newcomers, as reaching level 5 doesn't take long.

Pokémon Go is available for free on the App Store and Google Play, with optional in-app purchases. You can download it for your preferred platform using the links below.