What is Party Play in Pokémon Go? Release date, co-op bonuses explained

Party Play This feature allows trainers to work together and receive unique bonuses. Pokémon Go.

It’s the first time that you can see your friends on the map as they explore the globe.

You can also earn rewards for completing challenges and boost raid damage by participating with a group.

Pokémon Go Party Play release date: When does Party Play arrive in Pokémon Go?

This Halloween, the Party Play app will be debuting along with the first Halloween event. Thursday, Oct. 19At the following times,.

• 9 am PDTWest Coast of North America
• 12:00 p.m.The East Coast of North America
• 5 p.m. British Summer TimeThe U.K.
• The time is 6 pm CESTFor West Mainland Europe
• One a.m.On Friday, October 20th in Japan

As for requirements, Party Play has a trainer level requirement of 15, and those you party with do not need to be in-game friends – so feel free to team up with new players if you prefer.

What is Party Play in Pokémon Go?

Image: Niantic / The Pokémon Company

You can create teams of two, three or four players from your locality. You will receive the following advantages:

• The chance to see your party member’s avatars explore the map around you.
• Everyone can contribute to a rolling series of Party Challenges — such as catching Pokémon under certain conditions, or spinning a set number of PokéStops — which will reward items based on their difficulty, such as Poké Balls, Berries and Mega Energy.
• You can earn new avatars by completing challenges in Party Player. This includes the Eevee shirt tease.
• Party members have access to a Party Tab to show on-going stats from the session (such as Pokémon caught) which can then be shared as a visual recap once the Party disbands.
• The other party members are automatically invited to join a raid if one of them enters it.
• Party members are able to utilize the Party Power feature during the raid. The Party Power gauge increases with each damage done by the Raid boss. Once filled, the next Charged attack’s damage will be doubled.

Let’s look closer into perhaps the most practical feature Party Play has to offer: the Party Power damage boost.

What are the benefits of Party Power?

Image: Niantic / The Pokémon Company

By filling the Party Power mechanic in a raid battle — a gauge which you collectively increase by attacking the boss before tapping when full — your next Charged move’s damage will be doubled.

For players keen to min-max their raid strategies and take down powerful bosses with fewer players, it’s a tantalizing new feature. In a pre-launch preview of the feature, they used the example of three players working together to take down a Mega Pokémon, which ordinarily would require more raid participants.

However, ahead of launch, exactly how powerful this will be in practice is unknown: it’s confirmed that the bigger your party, the faster the gauge will fill, meaning a larger Party size will be able to strengthen their attacks more often. How fast is the gauge filled? Does everyone get the doubled charge attack or just those who use it first? We’ll know more when the feature launches later this week.

Finally, know that Party Power works in raids of all difficulties, including — and likely the most beneficial for — Shadow Legendary raids, which by their nature are local-only.

What else do we know about Party Play in Pokémon Go?

Party Play will be launched in the coming weeks.

• Four people is the maximum number of guests that can be invited to a party. If the Party is not full, then any player — not just the host — may invite new members to the group while the session is ongoing.
• In order to get started, you can either scan a QR-code or enter a code.

Image: Niantic / The Pokémon Company

• While using Party Play, players must stay within a certain distance of each other (the exact range is unknown). A warning is issued to those who stray. (And if it isn’t clear — Party Player is local only, so no remote sessions!)
• Even if your party is the same, you will still not have access to their stats in future games.

Image: Niantic / The Pokémon Company

• Party Challenges offer players the option to select from one of three goals at any time. A new Challenge is offered after the first one has been successfully completed. The reward is the same for everyone on your team.
• Beyond the tease of a Party Play-exclusive Eevee avatar item from completing Party Challenges, there are no sign of other rewards (such as the chance to find exclusive Pokémon) being tied to the feature.