How to get the Master Ball in Pokemon Go

The Master Ball has arrived in Pokemon Go, but you’ll need to complete a specific Special Research quest if you want to get your hands on it. Here’s everything you need to know.

After years of rumors, Niantic has finally added the iconic Master Ball to Pokemon Go – meaning you’ll be able to get a single guaranteed catch for any Pokemon you encounter.

This is great news for anyone who’s managed to defeat their favorite Legendary Pokemon or find one of those elusive Galarian Legendary Birds, as you won’t need to worry about them running away anymore.

As you might have guessed, Master Balls aren’t easy to obtain, so we’ve put together a guide to help you get one of these rare items in Pokemon Go.

Niantic

How to get the Master Ball in Pokemon Go

The only way to get a Master Ball in Pokemon Go right now is to complete Step 5 of the Let’s Go! Special Research quest.

You can check if you’ve got access to the Let’s Go! Special Research quest by tapping the binoculars at the bottom right corner of the overworld map in Pokemon Go and then scrolling across to the ‘Special Research’ tab.

The Let’s Go! Special Research quest was only available to claim by logging in to Pokemon Go during the Season of Rising Heroes, which ended on June 1, 2023. This means if you don’t already have this quest, you’re out of luck – at least for now.

Niantic / Dexerto

Will there be more Master Balls in the future?

The good news is that there will be more than one opportunity to get a Master Ball in Pokemon Go.

This has been confirmed by Niantic, who urged fans to “think wisely about how you’ll use it, and keep a lookout for future opportunities in Pokemon Go to acquire more”.

While the prospect of more Master Balls is exciting, we don’t know how – or when – you’ll be able to get one again in the future. There could be another Special Research quest or they could appear in the shop.

Considering how rare Master Balls are in other Pokemon games, they probably won’t be very common, so we’d recommend getting one by completing the free Let’s Go! Special Research quest if you can.

We’ve also got a guide on the best Pokemon to catch with your Master Ball if you’re scared of wasting it.

That’s everything you need to know about the Master Ball! While you’re here, check out some more Pokemon Go guides below:

Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go | All upcoming Spotlight Hours | Current Raid bosses | Arlo counters guide | Cliff counters guide | Giovanni counters guide | Sierra counters guide | Grunt counters guide | How to catch a Ditto | What are Strange Eggs? | How to get Remote Raid Passes | Fastest way to get Best Buddy status | Pokemon Go catching tips