Pokémon TCG Pocket players may want to check their Solo Battles sooner rather than later. As part of the major update planned for late October 2026, the current Step-Up Battle system will be replaced — and any remaining rewards tied to the existing battles will no longer be obtainable once the change takes effect. That means players who still have unfinished battles or incomplete Battle Tasks could currently be sitting on valuable free resources without realizing it.
Current Step-Up Battles Are Being Removed
Pokémon officially announced that changes to Solo Battles are coming toward the end of October 2026. The current Step-Up Battles will be replaced by a new system featuring battles that gradually increase in difficulty. However, there is an important detail players should not overlook: the existing Step-Up Battles themselves will no longer be available after the update. Pokémon specifically states that players will no longer be able to obtain first-time rewards or Battle Task rewards from those battles once they are removed. This makes the weeks leading up to the update an important opportunity to go back through your Solo Battles and finish anything you may have skipped.
You May Have More Unclaimed Rewards Than You Think
Even long-time Pokémon TCG Pocket players may still have unfinished Step-Up Battle content. Each difficulty contains numerous battles and additional Battle Tasks, meaning it is easy to complete the main battle while leaving some of its optional objectives unfinished. Depending on the battle, these rewards can include useful resources such as Pack Hourglasses, Shop Tickets, Shinedust, EXP and other items. The important point is that completing a battle does not necessarily mean you have collected everything available from it.
Don't Forget the Battle Tasks
This is probably the easiest part of the current system to overlook. Step-Up Battles can contain additional Battle Tasks that require specific conditions to be met. For example, a task may ask you to defeat an opponent's Active Pokémon with an attack from a particular Pokémon type or complete the battle under another restriction. You may therefore have already cleared a battle while still having one or more rewards left to earn.
What Rewards Could You Miss?
The exact rewards still available will depend on which battles and tasks you have already completed. Players should therefore check their own account rather than assuming that finishing most Solo Battles means everything has already been claimed. - Pack Hourglasses - Shop Tickets - Shinedust - EXP - Battle-specific rewards - Rewards from unfinished Battle Tasks
Check Every Difficulty Level
The safest approach is to work through the entire current Step-Up Battle menu and check each difficulty individually. As shown in the battle overview, it is possible to have dozens of completed objectives while still having many remaining. Players who have been playing since launch may be especially likely to have skipped certain Battle Tasks while progressing through newer content. - Check every available Step-Up Battle difficulty. - Look for battles you have never completed. - Open completed battles and check their individual Battle Tasks. - Complete objectives with rewards you still want to collect. - Repeat the process for newer Step-Up Battles released before the October update.
Don't Forget the New Deluxe Pack: Mega Battles
There is another reason not to treat this as a cleanup job for old content only. Deluxe Pack: Mega also introduces additional Step-Up Battle content. Players should therefore keep checking newly added Solo Battles during the final weeks of the current system rather than only clearing battles from older expansions. If new Step-Up Battles contain rewards you want, completing them before the system changes is the safest option.
Is Pokémon TCG Pocket Removing Solo Battles?
o. Solo Battles themselves are not simply disappearing. Pokémon has announced that the current Step-Up Battle format will be replaced by a new system in which players face progressively more difficult battles. The new system will also provide rewards, including resources such as Pack Hourglasses and Wonder Hourglasses. The important distinction is that the rewards attached to the current Step-Up Battles will not carry over as claimable rewards once those battles are removed. In other words, this is not the end of free Solo Battle rewards — it is a deadline for earning rewards from the current version of the mode.
When Will the Current Step-Up Battles Disappear?
Pokémon has currently described the Solo Battle changes as arriving toward the end of October 2026. Because an exact shutdown time for the current battles should not be assumed until Pokémon confirms it, players should avoid waiting until the final day to complete their remaining objectives. If you have unfinished Step-Up Battles, the safest approach is simply to start clearing them now.
