How To Get A Master Ball In Pokémon GO

Seven years following its global release on mobile devices, developer Niantic has long last answered Trainers’ request to bring the powerful Master Ball in-game. Many have heard tales of the legendary Master Ball, but no Trainer has seen or known of its existence until now.

With plenty of Poké Ball types available for you to collect from Raids, Research tasks, and spinning Photo Discs, you can start earning your first Poké Ball for a limited time. This guide details what to know about the mysterious Master Ball, including how to get one in Pokémon GO.

What Is The Master Ball In Pokémon GO

The Master Ball is one of a few Poké Balls types available to collect or earn from various activities in Pokémon GO. However, the Master Ball hasn’t been available for Trainers to earn as of 2016 when the game was released right before Niantic teased a new Poké Ball on social media just a day before the announcement.

The Master Ball is considered the best performing Poké Ball when equipped, as it guarantees a 100% catch rate, making it as valuable as a Golden Lure Module or a rare Vivillon pattern. As for acquiring the Master Ball, it currently doesn’t have any unlock requirements, but there’s only one method for you to earn a Master Ball in-game.

How to Get a Master Ball with Paid Research Tasks in Pokémon GO

11th January 2024 Note - At the time of writing there is no active paid research tasks that allow players to obtain a Master Ball at this time. We will update this page once we know more. The original article continues below.

Players of Pokemon GO can buy a pass for $7.99 from the shop which rewards them with plenty of XP and a Master Ball upon completion.

This pass was introduced during the "Party Up" event in November 2023 and will be available to purchase until November 28, 2023. However, it's only available for players who haven't completed the season-long Master Ball Timed Research. Although the steps for this paid research are quite time-consuming, you have an unlimited amount of time to complete it.

The steps to complete the paid research tasks can be found below.

STEP 1

• Catch 300 Pokémon (6,000 XP)
• Use 180 berries to help catch Pokémon (6,000 XP)
• Catch 60 Pokémon in a single day (6,000 XP)

Reward: 7,500 XP

STEP 2

• Catch 500 Pokémon (6,000 XP)
• Hatch 30 eggs (6,000 XP)
• Make 100 excellent throws (6,000 XP)

Rewards: 7,500 XP

STEP 3

• Catch 150 Pokémon in Poké Balls (6,000 XP)
• Catch 150 Pokémon in Great Balls (6,000 XP)
• Catch 150 Pokémon in Ultra Balls (6,000 XP)
• Catch 150 different species of Pokémon (6,000 XP)

Rewards: 25,000 XP, 3,000 Stardust, 1 Master Ball

How to Get a Master Ball with Timed Research in Pokémon GO

Note -The timed research task 'A Timed Investigation: Master Ball' finished on November 21, 2023 and is no longer available.

According to the official Pokémon GO website, Trainers will have the opportunity to earn a Master Ball during the Season of Adventures Abound starting from 1st September 2023 at 10 am local time. This can be achieved by completing the story event, A Timed Investigation: Master Ball, for which they have until 21st November 2023 at 8 pm local time to finish the challenges to receive the Master Ball as one of the rewards.

Let's take a look at all the challenges provided by notable Pokémon GO source, Leek Duck required to be completed for the A Timed Investigation: Master Ball event in Pokémon GO:

• Catch 100 different Pokémon species: 8,000 XP
• Catch 1,000 Pokémon: 8,000 XP
• Complete 150 Field Research Tasks: 8,000 XP
• Earn 100,000 Stardust: 8,000 XP
• Earn 100,000 XP: 8,000 XP
• Explore 50 km: 8,000 XP
• Hatch 30 Eggs: 8,000 XP
• Make 120 Excellent Throws: 8,000 XP
• Spin 300 PokéStops: 8,000 XP
• Win 60 Raids: 8,000 XP
• Rewards: 3,000 Stardust, 200,000 XP, and a Master Ball

As stated before, Trainers have until 21st November 2023 at 8 pm local time to complete these challenges and earn the Master Ball. If they don't manage to complete the A Timed Investigation: Master Ball story event in time, a Special Research ticket will be made available to them, and completing it awards them the Master Ball.

How To Get A Master Ball In Pokémon GO FAQ

What Is The Master Ball In Pokémon?

The Silph Co. developed the Master Ball, but the project had to be halted due to Team Rocket's invasion of their labs. Consequently, there are only a limited number of Master Balls available in the world of Pokémon. It is a Poké Ball type that has the ability to catch any Pokémon without fail.

How to get the Master Ball in Pokemon GO?

The only way to get a Master Ball in Pokemon Go will be to complete the Let’s Go! Special Research quest once the final tasks are released on May 22, 2023. The Master Ball will be one of the featured rewards available.

Is the Master Ball free in Pokemon Go?

Yes! Obtaining the Master Ball in Pokemon GO is completely free of charge, as it is a reward for completing a Special Research task during the event mentioned previously.

Can you get more than one Master Ball in Pokemon GO?

To the best of our knowledge players will not be able to claim a second Master Ball in Pokemon GO. However, there is a possibility of them being released during future events, with Niantic teasing that fans should "keep a lookout for future opportunities in Pokémon GO to acquire more!"