Pokémon Masters evolves into Masters EX today

Pokémon Masters has officially evolved into Pokémon Masters EX to mark the first anniversary of the mobile game, which lets players battle as – and against – some of the most recognisable trainers and gym leaders from across the Pokémon games.

The name change is intended to signify just how much Pokémon Masters has changed and developed over the year since its launch, and there’s a fair bit more on the way.

The biggest new addition is the Champion Stadium, in which players can now battle against the Kanto Elite Four and Champion, Blue (with other regions on the way down the line). You’ll have to defeat them all consecutively without reusing any Sync Pairs, which is where the real challenge lies, and you’ll have to have made it at least as far as Chapter 10 of the main story to unlock it.

Sygna Suits are also arriving in full. These special outfits can be worn while on the island of Pasio, and are only available for specific sync pairs: Red & Charizard, Blue & Blastoise, and Leaf & Venusaur. Two of those are new, while Red’s Sygna Suit is making a return after appearing in the game briefly for the six-month celebration.

We’ve got an exclusive screenshot of Red’s return to the game right here:

The new Sygna Suit pairings will be available to add to players’ teams via their own character-specific sync pair scouts, available from now until 28 September at 7am. Each of them can mega-evolve their Pokémon – a feature that’s also just arrived in Pokémon Go – and reach 6★ EX Potential, a new feature limited to the Sygna Suits and Rosa & Snivy.

Sygna Suit Red isn’t the only return from the six-month event either. Professor Oak & Mew are also returning as a playable pair, back for good after a limited run earlier this year.

In the short-term, anyone signing into the game between now and 14 September will get 3,000 Gems straight away, with an extra 3,000 up for grabs depending on how many days you sign in over that period.

Then from 3 September to 17 September, the Grass, Fire, and Water-Type Egg event will give you the chance to earn eggs that can be hatched into Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle so that you can get the two you’ve missed. Let’s just hope it’s less obnoxious than Animal Crossing’s infamous egg-fest this Easter.

And in a final fun twist that sits outside of the game, new Instagram and Facebook filters will let you transform yourself into one of the game’s trainers – complete with Pokémon pairing.