Primeape Pokemon GO PvP and PvE guide: Best moveset, counters, and more

With the Mankey Spotlight Hour in Pokemon GO just hours away, players will soon find themselves with access to the creature and its evolution, Primeape. While many trainers will just be happy with having this line of species in their collection for the sake of Pokedex completion, others may want to know if Primeape has any relevance in the game's competitive and raiding scene.

However, determining whether or not a creature is viable in Niantic's mobile title is not easy. There are a lot of details that players must keep in mind, depending on their playstyle and what they want to use Primeape for. So, what should trainers know about this competitive pick if they want to make use of it?

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Everything to know about Primeape in Pokemon GO

Primeape as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Before getting into Primeape's performance in Pokemon GO, it is important to know some general information about it.

Primeape is a pure Fighting-type creature, which means it is weak against Psychic, Flying, and Fairy-type attacks. It also resists Dark, Bug, and Rock-type attacks.

Primeape is an offense-oriented creature, with its highest stat being its attack of 207. Though its other stats are lower, this does not necessarily make it a glass cannon.

With its second highest stat being its stamina of 163, Primeape serves best as a creature that can snowball weaker teams rather than compete with stronger, more bulky ones.

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Is Primeape good in Pokemon GO PvP?

Though it performs favorably in special cups in Pokemon GO, Primeape leaves a lot to be desired. The two best fighters in Great League are Scrafty and Medicham, two picks with secondary typings and access to Power-up Punch. This means they are perfect for playing the long game, which is how Great League functions, thanks to all of the Steel tanks.

This holds true for the Ultra League, with Primeape really only being held back by its dated moveset. Primeape is outclassed by Power-up Punchers in the Great League while being gatekept from Ultra League relevance due to Machamp simply being better, thanks to its access to Rock Slide, a much stronger coverage option.

Though not bad, Primeape is simply outclassed by other choices in these tiers of competitive play. For those wanting to use Primeape, a moveset of Counter, Cross Chop, and Night Slash is preferred for coverage. However, exchanging Night Slash for Close Combat is ideal for nuclear damage.

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Is Primeape good for Pokemon GO PvE?

Unfortunately, Primeape is incredibly lackluster in Pokemon GO's PvE scene. A majority of Primeape's failure in the raiding scene can be attributed to Machamp's existence.

With players being able to choose what raids they want to partake in, Primeape is still usable, just in weaker Three-Star raids compared to Five-Star Raids.

For the undeterred, a good Primeape build for raiding should utilize Counter and Close Combat. The charged attack should be swapped between Close Combat, Ice Punch, and Night Slash, depending on the boss players want to fight.