Get ready, Trainers! The GO Battle League: Delightful Days season kicks off on June 3, 2025, bringing a fresh wave of competitive excitement, exclusive avatar rewards, and a revamped battle schedule that lets you play up to 100 battles per day during special events. From quadruple Stardust bonuses to unique Pokémon encounters and free battle-themed Timed Research, this season promises thrilling battles and valuable rewards for every rank climbed.
Rewards, meanwhile, including possible encounters with Jangmo-o and Frigibax, and for those who reach the dizzy heights of Legend Rank, yet another opportunity to catch Pikachu Libre.
This Pokémon Go guide features the full schedule for the “Max Out” season, as well as all possible rewards as you climb the ranks.
Go Battle League Season 20 start date and time
Go Battle League Season 20, also known as “Max Out,” started on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. PDT for the West Coast of North America. The start times varied globally, including 4:00 p.m. EDT for the East Coast, 9:00 p.m. BST for the UK, 10:00 p.m. CEST for Western Europe, and early morning hours on September 4 for regions like Japan and Australia. This season ran until December 3, 2024, featuring various cups and balance updates that impacted battle mechanics and move effectiveness.
Unlike most events in Pokémon Go, which roll out according to the player’s local time, every new season of Go Battle League begins at the same fixed time for all players around the world.
Go Battle League “Max Out” / Season 20 will start on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at the following times:
- 1 p.m. PDT for the west coast of North America
- 4 p.m. EDT for the east coast of North America
- 9 p.m. BST for the U.K.
- 10 p.m. CEST for western Europe/Paris
- 5 a.m. JSTon Sept. 4 for Japan/Tokyo
- 6 a.m. AEST on Sept. 4 for Australia/Sydney
’Max Out’ Go Battle League schedule
The “Max Out” GO Battle League season in Pokémon GO runs from September 3 to December 3, 2024, featuring a dynamic schedule of leagues and cups including the Great League, Ultra League, Master League, and several themed cups such as the Galar Cup and Halloween Cup. Battles start weekly on Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. PDT, with special events like the GO Battle Weekend on November 2-3 offering bonuses such as 4× Stardust from wins and increased battle sets per day. Players can earn exclusive rewards and encounter special Pokémon like Jangmo-o, Frigibax, and Pikachu Libre at higher ranks throughout the season.
Go Battle League seasons will highlight at least two Leagues or Cups at any given time. The standard competitions are composed of the Great League (capped at 1,500 CP), Ultra League (capped at 2,500 CP), and the Master League (no CP), while Cups come with their own unique restrictions, such as specific spooky Pokémon during the Halloween Cup, or Gen 8 Pokémon in the Galar Cup.
The full Go Battle League schedule is as follows, all starting and ending at 1 p.m. PDT /
- Sept. 3 to Sept. 10: Great League, Galar Cup: Little Edition
- Sept. 10 to Sept. 17: Ultra League, Galar Cup: Little Edition
- Sept. 17 to Sept. 24: Master League, Psychic Cup: Great League Edition
- Sept. 24 to Oct. 1: Great League, Ultra League, Master League
- Oct. 1 to Oct. 8: Great League, Galar Cup: Great League Edition
- Oct. 8 to Oct. 15: Ultra League, Sunshine Cup
- Oct. 15 to Oct. 22: Master League, Halloween Cup: Little Edition
- Oct. 22 to Oct. 29: Great League Remix, Halloween Cup: Great League Edition
- Oct. 29 to Nov. 5: Great League, Ultra League, Master League; Go Battle Weekend (Nov. 2 to Nov. 3)
- Nov. 5 to Nov. 12: Great League, Master Premier
- Nov. 12 to Nov. 19: Ultra League, Willpower Cup
- Nov. 19 to Nov. 26: Master League, Retro Cup
- Nov. 26 to Dec. 3: Great League, Ultra League, Master League, Catch Cup: Great League Edition
’Max Out’ Go Battle League rewards
The “Max Out” season of the GO Battle League in Pokémon GO offers a robust set of rewards for players as they progress through ranks. Starting September 3, 2024, trainers can earn guaranteed Pokémon encounters at specific ranks, such as Galarian Yamask at Rank 1, Haunter at Rank 6, and exclusive Pokémon like Jangmo-o at Ace Rank and Pikachu Libre at Legend Rank. Standard encounter rewards also vary by rank, featuring a range of Pokémon from different regions. The season includes special bonuses during GO Battle Week, such as increased Stardust rewards, more daily battle sets, and avatar items inspired by Allister, including shoes, masks, outfits, and poses. Additionally, a battle-themed Timed Research pass is available, granting valuable items like Rare Candies, Stardust, and Elite TMs for dedicated players. This season combines competitive play with enticing rewards to maximize the GO Battle League experience.
There are two types of encounter rewards in Go Battle League – guaranteed (which you’ll always encounter when you hit a certain rank) and standard (there being a chance you’ll encounter it upon winning once you past a certain rank).
Guaranteed encounters
- Rank 1 encounter: Galarian Yamask
- Rank 6 encounter: Haunter
- Ace Rank encounter: Jangmo-o
- Veteran Rank encounter: Dragonite
- Expert Rank encounter: Frigibax
- Legend Rank encounter: Pikachu Libre
Standard encounters
- Rank 1 encounters: Machop, Wobbuffet, Mienfoo, Skwovet, Wooloo
- Rank 6 encounters: Frillish, Carbink
- Rank 11 encounters: Scraggy, Galarian Stunfisk, Phantump, Falinks
- Rank 16 encounters: Hisuian Sneasel, Cranidos, Shieldon, Morpeko
- Rank 20 encounter: Active five-star boss in the raid schedule
- Ace Rank encounter: Jangmo-o
- Veteran Rank encounter: Dratini
- Expert Rank encounter: Frigibax
How will the Delightful Days update change my Pokémon Go Battle League experience
The Delightful Days update will significantly enhance your Pokémon GO Battle League experience by increasing the maximum number of sets you can play per day from 5 to 20, allowing up to 100 battles daily from midnight to 11:59 p.m. local time, giving you far more opportunities to climb ranks and earn rewards. The season also resets your Battle League rank for a fresh start while keeping rank-up requirements unchanged, ensuring a balanced competitive environment. During the special GO Battle Weekend event, you’ll enjoy 4× Stardust from win rewards and free battle-themed Timed Research with exclusive avatar items inspired by iconic battlers. Additionally, Pokémon encountered as rewards will have a wider variance in stats, adding fresh strategic depth to your encounters. New cups such as the Sunshine Cup, Fossil Cup, and Hisui Cup introduce exciting meta shifts and variety to battles throughout the season. Overall, Delightful Days offers more battles, richer rewards, new competitive formats, and engaging events to elevate your PvP gameplay.
How will the increased daily battle limit affect my overall GBL strategy
The increased daily battle limit in GO Battle League-from 5 sets (25 battles) to 20 sets (100 battles)-will significantly impact your overall strategy by allowing much more flexibility and faster progression. With more battles available each day, you can:
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Grind ranks more quickly by playing multiple sets without waiting for the next day, accelerating your climb to higher ranks and rewards.
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Adapt your win-loss strategy more dynamically; for example, you can aim to win 3 out of 5 battles per set to efficiently farm encounters while forfeiting others to manage your rating, or adjust your win ratio based on current goals like rare candy or specific Pokémon encounters.
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Spread your playtime according to your schedule, playing many battles when you have time or fewer when busy, reducing the pressure of “missing out” on daily caps.
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Experiment with different teams and cups (like the new Sunshine, Fossil, and Hisui Cups) more extensively within a single day, improving your skills and meta knowledge faster.
However, some players feel that the daily limit, even increased, still imposes psychological pressure to grind daily, and a weekly limit might better suit varied play schedules. Overall, the expanded limit encourages more continuous engagement, faster rank advancement, and more strategic flexibility in managing wins, losses, and rating for optimal rewards.
