5 biggest winners from the Pokemon GO Battle League Season 20 balance updates

Pokemon GO is receiving a new set of balance changes for Season 20 of GO Battle League PvP, and this was announced at the conclusion of the 2024 Pokemon World Championships' Grand Finals bouts. In addition to the damage and energy being altered for many moves, some moves became more accessible to Pokemon or they received extra effects to improve their PvP viability.

This collection of changes for Season 20 Pokemon GO PvP has benefitted some Pokemon more than others, and it isn't a bad idea to take a look at some of the biggest winners of these move changes before Season 20 PvP begins on September 3, 2024.

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Five of the biggest winners of Pokemon GO's GBL Season 20 balance changes

1) Bellibolt

Iono's Bellibolt in Pokemon Horizons: The Series (Image via The Pokemon Company)

While Bellibolt isn't a world-beater in Pokemon GO PvP at the moment, it does have some applications in the Ultra League thanks in part to its durability. However, thanks to the Season 20 balance changes, Bellibolt may figure into the Ultra League meta more than before thanks to the alterations made to its Charged Move Parabolic Charge.

Parabolic Charge had its damage output increased from 65 to 70, had its energy cost decreased, and now has a chance to increase the user's Defense stat. This would effectively make Bellibolt an even more capable tank/defender in PvP than before, all while dealing more damage and spending less energy in the process.

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2) Shadow Sableye

Shadow Sableye's Great League viability should increase more in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Shadow Sableye was already one of Pokemon GO's better Great League picks, and it got a little more help thanks to the Season 20 balance changes. Power Gem is one of Shadow Sableye's best Charged Moves to ensure it has quality type coverage beyond what its Dark/Ghost-type moves can accomplish, and Power Gem got even better in Season 20.

Specifically, Power Gem received a damage buff from 80 to 85 while also having its energy cost reduced, meaning Shadow Sableye can fire off this Rock-type Charged Attack a few more times during battles, improving Shadow Sableye's viability in the Great League even further.

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3) Galarian Slowbro

Galarian Slowbro in Pokemon Sword and Shield (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Galarian Slowbro is a solid pick in both the Great and Ultra Leagues in Pokemon GO, but it has a considerable weakness to Ghost-type opponents/moves that hampers its capabilities somewhat, especially because it lacks a Charged Move that can deal with pure Ghost-types. Fortunately, this is changing in Season 20 now that Galarian Slowbro will be able to learn Brutal Swing.

Brutal Swing is already one of the best Dark-type Charged Moves in Pokemon GO, and giving it to Galarian Slowbro finally gives it a way to respond against meta Ghost-types like Giratina, Skeledirge, Cofagrigus, and Shadow Gengar, all while providing Galarian Slowbro extra utility against Psychic-type foes as well.

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4) Charizard

Charizard's main Fast Move just got better in Pokemon GO PvP (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Fire Spin is Charizard's Fast Attack of choice in Pokemon GO PvP, particularly in the Great League and the Ultra League thanks to its rapid-fire capability and solid damage output and energy generation. On top of it all, Season 20 is increasing the damage of Fire Spin from a base output of 10 to 11, which may not seem like much, but that extra point of damage can add up in a flash.

Put plainly, Charizard with Fire Spin was already very good in PvP, and adding even a little damage to Fire Spin just makes this pick even better in Season 20.

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5) Excadrill

Excadrill got a little boost from the improvement of one of its Fast Moves in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)

For quite some time, when creating a moveset for Excadrill, Mud Shot was always the preferable option to Mud-Slap, though that appears to have been thrown into flux thanks to the Season 20 balance changes. Mud-Slap's damage output was increased to 12 from 11, and its energy generation has been improved even more, making the move much more viable overall.

This may cause Mud-Slap to be the preferred Fast Move for Excadrill going forward in PvP, or at least shorten the gulf between it and Mud Shot in general.