These days, whenever Niantic announces a new ticket or pass in Pokemon GO, many players’ first question is “How much does it cost?” So, many fans were surprised to learn that the new Pokemon GO Tour Pass is a free feature – but what is it, really?
What Is a Tour Pass in Pokemon GO?
The Tour Pass is brand new starting with the Global event for Pokemon GO Tour: Unova. The pass will involve completing various tasks to obtain Tour Points, which can be used to unlock rewards, increase rank, and improve event bonuses during GO Tour Unova.
The Tour Pass itself is free and players will automatically get one when the Pokemon GO Tour: Unova event begins on February 24 at 10 AM local time. Naturally, there is also a paid version of the Tour Pass, called Tour Pass Deluxe. This includes an instant encounter with Victini, as well as “upgraded rewards and faster progression” through the Tour Pass levels. The Tour Pass Deluxe costs $14.99 USD or local equivalent.
How Do You Earn Tour Points & What Do They Do?
Points are earned through activities in-game, similar to the research tasks we’ve been doing for years. These include catching Pokemon, doing raids, and hatching eggs. There will also be Pass Tasks that players can complete to earn more points. These special tasks refresh each day during GO Tour.
Earning these Tour Points lets players collect rewards, unlocking items and increasing their rank in the Tour Pass tiers system. Ranking up means unlocking various rewards, including Pokemon encounters, candy, Poke Balls, and more.
Ranking up will also increase the Catch XP bonus during Pokemon GO Tour: Unova. The bonuses are:
- 1.5× Catch XP upon reaching Tier 2
- 2× Catch XP upon reaching Tier 3
- 3× Catch XP upon reaching Tier 4
Because this is a GO Tour event, Niantic hasn’t shared all of the rewards that will be available for earning Tour Points and increasing your rank. They’re hitting us with the “stay tuned for more details,” which means there may be more bonuses or rewards included in the free Pokemon GO Tour Pass.
For now, we know that the highest reward tier in the free Tour Pass will lead to a Zorua encounter with a special background. The paid Tour Pass Deluxe will have a different final reward – a new item called a Lucky Trinket.
What Is a Lucky Trinket?
Those who opt for the Tour Pass Deluxe will have a chance to earn a new item in Pokemon GO, the Lucky Trinket. This is the final reward in the deluxe path, so only those who spend a good bit of time playing during the GO Tour Global event will be able to obtain one.
So, what does the Lucky Trinket do? Apparently, it’s a one-time-use item that will let you magically transform one of your friends into a Lucky Friend. That means that you can trade with them to get a Lucky Pokemon, without having to be Best Friends. You do, however, need to be at least Great Friends to use the item.
Lucky Trinkets obtained during GO Tour: Unova will expire on March 9, 2025, so it will only be available to use for a limited time.
Pokemon GO is available to play now.
Published: Jan 17, 2025 09:18 am