Pokémon GO is testing the feature of recruiting and inviting friends for the first time. Testers in Australia can already invite friends to the game. If a friend is successfully recruited, there are rewards in the game.
This is the new friends feature: Niantic announced it a few days ago and has now implemented it – first trainers can recruit acquaintances and friends for Pokémon GO. If these friends then download the app or log in for the first time after 90 days and enter the code from the other player, the active trainer receives rewards when their friend plays.
The friends feature has launched in Australia and is currently being tested there. Only there can players recruit other friends. However, this already provides a good overview of the bonuses that await us later in the game.
Rewards for New and Active Trainers
Here are the rewards: If you have successfully recruited a friend, they must complete some tasks for you to receive rewards. For example, this looks like:
- Your friend catches 1,000 Pokémon and you receive 3 incense as a reward
- Your friend defeats 3 Rocket Grunts and you receive one Pokémon as a reward
- Your friend wins 20 raids and you receive 5 Super Incubators
- Your friend earns 50 candies while walking with their buddy and you receive 30 Rare Candies as a reward
You can find more rewards in the video by ZoëTwoDots. The Australian can already test the feature:
But your friend should also be rewarded. They start their journey in the game with 100 Poké Balls, while previously players began with only a few items.
Additionally, there is a new medal. It counts how many friends you have successfully recruited. You receive the silver medal for recruiting 10 friends.
Is the system worth it? If you already have friends that you want to convince to play, you can connect that with the new feature. This way, the new trainer benefits, but so do you.
Items like incense or Super Incubators usually cost money, so you are getting strong items for free without doing anything in return.
Currently, friends are the best way to quickly gain experience points in Pokémon GO. Nowhere else will you gain so many XP so quickly. A single friend can provide over 300,000 XP if you become their best friend and simultaneously use a Lucky Egg at each level up.
When will the feature come to Germany? This cannot be said yet. Typically, such tests take several weeks, so one can expect the feature to arrive in Germany in the coming months. However, if the tests go smoothly, the recruitment of friends could soon be available worldwide.
However, many other things are currently active in Germany. For example, the Electric Event is ongoing, which brings you many rewards and even new Pokémon. You can find an overview of quests, raids, and spawns here:
Pokémon GO: Quests, Raids, and a surprise for the Electric Event
