'Pokemon Go' To Add Player-Versus-Player Battles Soon

One of the most anticipated features in “Pokemon Go” might finally make its way to the popular mobile game soon. Developer Niantic spent Friday morning gradually teasing the feature on Twitter, before outright confirming it in a late morning tweet.

Niantic did not give a specific release date for player battles.

Linking with other players, either to exchange captured Pokemon or to prove supremacy in one-on-one battles, has long been a key component of the franchise’s video games. However, “Pokemon Go” launched in 2016 without the ability to do either. Niantic kept promising the features were coming, but it took a while; trading only became possible earlier this year.

Competitive battles would help “Pokemon Go” finally fulfill its potential for longtime fans of the franchise who have spent the past two and a half years collecting and leveling up Pokemon. “Pokemon Go” is no longer the zeitgeist it once was, but the game still pulls in a massive player count and a large amount of revenue, per Eurogamer.