As of Nov. 21, there’s no free way to earn a Master Ball in Pokémon Go anymore. Instead, Niantic has released a set of paid Special Research that will let players complete a set of tasks to get another copy of the ultimate capture device.
Launched as a companion piece to the Party Up event on Nov. 22, the Special Research: Master Ball ticket costs $7.99 and is only available until Nov. 28. This is a pricey piece of premium content that mostly rewards players with a single Master Ball and tons of XP as you grind through its pages.
The research tasks themselves are, predictably, going to take some time to complete even though there are only three pages. But is a Master Ball worth paying for at all, especially when you have to work hard for the item? Here’s a breakdown of everything involved with this Special Research: Master Ball ticket and what you need to know before you buy.
Is the Pokémon Go Special Research: Master Ball ticket worth buying?
Ticketed research in Pokémon Go is something that fluctuates in quality depending on the event and content it is released around. In this case, the Special Research: Master Ball ticket serves one purpose—to give players a chance to collect another Master Ball.
For $7.99, you get a three-page selection of Special Research tasks themed around capturing Pokémon in various ways. At the end of your quest, you will have another Master Ball to guarantee yourself a catch for rare encounters—or to potentially replace one that was wasted.
Unlike other Special Research, this ticket will only reward you with XP until the very end. In total, completing this research will net you 100,000 XP, 3,000 Stardust, and a Master Ball. So if you are looking for another Master Ball or need a reason to pop a few Lucky Eggs while grinding your Trainer level, this is probably worth the buy. Otherwise, save your money and skip the grind, Niantic will probably bring the legendary capture device back again shortly—potentially for free around Go Tour in February.
All Special Research: Master Ball tasks and rewards in Pokémon Go
If you are going to purchase the Special Research: Master Ball ticket, here are all of the research tasks and rewards you will see while completing it. You can also give these research pages a read alongside the other Party Up event content, which includes its own research too.
Full Special Research: Master Ball tasks and rewards page one
- 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
Total Reward: 7,500 XP
Full Special Research: Master Ball tasks and rewards page two
- Catch 500 Pokémon
- 6,000 XP
- Hatch 30 Eggs
- 6,000 XP
- Make 100 Excellent Throws
- 6,000 XP
Total Reward: 7,500 XP
Full Special Research: Master Ball tasks and rewards page three
- 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
Total Reward: One Master Ball, 25,000 XP, and 3,000 Stardust
