Ahead of the upcoming Pokémon Go Tour: Unova event, Niantic has announced a new way for players to earn rewards: the Tour Pass. The Tour Pass is a limited-time reward ticket that grants rewards to those who play the game for a set time through a free or premium version that is available.
The Tour Pass goes out to all Pokémon Go players participating in the global Unova Tour event. As players play, they’ll earn Tour Points that unlock rewards and increase their rank through the Tour Pass. Increasing rank grants them additional rewards and bonuses throughout the event as they participate. For those who want additional rewards and plan to play longer, there’s the option to upgrade it to the Tour Pass Deluxe, which also comes with a Victini. Although it’s only live for a short time, this could be Pokémon Go‘s version of a battle pass, and it might be something we see moving forward.
The Tour Pass goes live on Feb. 24 at 10am in players’ local time zone. All players can level it up by collecting Tour Points, which they earn by completing various activities in the game, such as catching Pokémon, completing raids, or hatching eggs. Another way to earn Tour Points is by completing Pass Tasks, which are similar to Field Research tasks but are event-themed tasks that they have to complete. Players can receive a limited number of Pass Tasks, and they refresh daily from Feb. 24 to 28 and every hour during the Unova Global event weekend.
As players rank up the Tour Pass, they’ll complete Minor and Major Milestones that offer rewards large rewards, with smaller gifts provided along the way, such as Pokémon encounters, Candy, Poké Balls, and other items. Players who hit a Major Milestone in the Tour Pass receive an event bonus that grants them additional Catch XP during the Pokémon Go Tour: Unova event.
For those who purchase the upgraded version of the Tour Pass, they’ll receive a guaranteed encounter with the Mythical Pokémon Victini. Encountering Mythical Pokémon has always been a rare experience, as they’re offered for a limited time or through exclusive research. Depending on how players receive the Tour Pass, this might be one of the methods we can expect to see future Mythical Pokémon as they get introduced to the mobile game.
In addition to the Victini encounter, Tour Pass Deluxe owners also receive a new item: a Lucky Trinket. It’s a one-time use item that turns one friend on a player’s friend list into a Lucky Friend, even if they haven’t reached the Best Friend status yet. Pokémon Go players who want to reap the rewards of trading with a Lucky Friend to get a Lucky Pokémon could be an excellent way to ensure this happens, especially if the two of you have been waiting for a moment like this. Hopefully, we see future events and rewards where more players can access Lucky Trinkets.
The Tour Pass goes live on Feb. 24 for all players, and those who want to upgrade it can choose to purchase the Deluxe Version. The Tour Pass is set to disappear on March 2, but you can redeem any rewards you’ve earned by playing until March 9. The Pokémon Go Tour: Unova Global event happens from March 1 to March 2, which means you have a full week to rush through the Tour Pass to prepare for the upcoming rewards.
