Mega Evolution is officially rolling out for Pokemon GO on August 27, 2020. It’s probably fair to expect some technical hurdles right off the bat, but once everything is set, you’ll be able to Mega Evolve four different Pokemon to start with. But based on the data the community found earlier in the week, and the fact that Mega Evolution is such a strange mechanic to begin with, you may be wondering how it’s actually going to work in Pokemon GO.
How Mega Evolution Works in Pokemon GO
Niantic has done a bit of a press tour ahead of tomorrow’s update, so we have a good idea of the general gameplay loop for Mega Evolution. We don’t have the specific numbers yet, but we’ll all know once the new feature is live. In the meantime, what we do know is that Mega Evolution will be a temporary transformation, fueled by a collectible resource called Mega Energy.
While the datamine leak suggested it could be universal, Niantic has confirmed that Mega Energy will be Pokemon-specific. For example, when you go through the tutorial research quests tomorrow, you’ll receive Mega Energy for Beedrill, one of the four included in the initial roll out. Once you collect enough Mega Energy, you’ll be able to check out what Mega Beedrill is capable of. But you won’t have to grind the same amount every time. After the initial Mega Evolution, which will be more demanding, the requirement for subsequent transformations will drop significantly. The main hurdle will be getting to the first time, and getting the Pokemon added to the Mega Evolution Pokedex.
Related: Pokemon GO: The First Four Mega Evolutions
To get Mega Energy otherwise, you’re going to need to participate in Mega Raids. These are a separate tier from the other Raids, and will still give you an opportunity to catch the (non-Mega) Pokemon you defeat. Additionally the Raid reward system is changing a bit starting tomorrow, with rewards pivoting to being based on speed. So the faster your crew wins a Raid, the more Mega Energy you earn.
Once you do reach the requirement to Mega Evolve, you can only have one active at a time. So if you’re rolling with Mega Blastoise but want to try Venusaur out, you’ll want to wait for the former to run out. Otherwise Venusaur will take over and all the time you have left over for Blastoise goes away.
When it comes to using Mega Pokemon in battle, there are restrictions. You can’t use Mega Pokemon to defend a Gym, and they also won’t be eligible for use in the Pokemon GO Battle League (although it seems that might change down the line). You’ll be able to use them to attack Gyms, as well as in Trainer Battles. You can also use Mega Pokemon in Raids, and using them will provide your teammates with bonuses.
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That’s all for now! We’ll certainly have updates here on the site when we learn things like stat boosts, Mega Energy requirements, and additional Mega Pokemon being added to the pool. For now, feel free to let us know what you think about this initial feature launch over at the Prima Games Facebook and Twitter channels!
