"[Megathread] PvP Information is Here: What we know so far! Plus, announcing a sister subreddit: /r/TheSilphArena"

#PokemonGO: It's a glorious day, travelers.Today, Niantic has finally shared an official blog post with screenshots and details about the next major mechanic coming to Pokemon GO: Player vs Player Battling!First we'll summarize the mechanics revealed in today's PvP post and screenshots:PvP: The Breakdown!First off, the Silph Road team got our hands on all the official press screenshots. They're gorgeous. Take a look, travelers!https://ift.tt/2rjV3WR for the breakdown:Who can fight?In-person: Anyone. Friends or strangers via a "Battle Code" (QR Code)Remote:* Ultra or Best FriendsWere combat mechanics changed?YES! A second charge move is unlockable for Stardust and Candy cost (Woot!)The second charge move is permanent, once acquired, and can be used in Gym battles as well as PvPReal-Time Shielding:: It looks like at least one mini-game has been added during combat itself. It appears you can deploy a Protect Shield if a Charge Move is in-coming to prevent damage (though you have a limited # of shields).Charge Move Boosting?: Screenshots show something interesting, travelers. The charge move 'buttons' appear to have a changed size - particularly in this shot: https://ift.tt/2FYDF4j. This suggests there may be something going on with the way attacks are fired off. We'll need more information to confirm or rule this out.Additionally notable, battle parties are teams of 3 in PvP, and all the info shared previously about the three Leagues and their CP caps are shown in the latest screenshots as well.Are there awards?Yep! For both winner and loser.Includes Sinnoh stone! (Confirmed in press screenshot)PvP battles only payout awards 3x a day - so no infinite battle-farming.Also, the Ace Trainer medal is back!What about NPCs or AI Battles?Yep! They added those too! It looks like we'll be able to battle the team leaders at least once a day.Once per day training (battling) with team leaders will award stardust and other rewards as well.Announcing: The Silph League Arena & /r/TheSilphArenaNow, we have some other exciting news to share...These mechanics look more than sufficient to open up a fun tournament scene at local meetups (like Community Days) - but many on the Road are craving a little more competition. So the Silph Road team is hard at work creating something we've wanted in this game for a long time: the Silph League Arena!The Silph Arena is a global tournament system designed to help local communities participate in a global player ranking system - for extra fun and pressure!When playing in ranked tournaments (adjudicated by local Silph League community leaders) your wins help increase your player tier and your global rank.You can check out more information about this upcoming competitive League here:https://Silph.ggFollow the Twitter for official updates on the Arena: https://twitter.com/silphGGAnd finally, we've created a sister subreddit called /r/TheSilphArena for those interested in being the very best - like no one ever was. Come on over, share your ideas, and help us foster and build an awesome competitive scene in Pokemon GO!Can't wait to see you all on the global Arena leaderboards, travelers.Travel safe,- Executive Dronpes - via /r/TheSilphRoad https://ift.tt/2UdooQ6