Pokémon Global Link service to end in February

After almost a decade of operation, it’s finally time to say goodbye to the Pokémon Global Link.

The Pokémon Company announced today that the Pokémon Global Link will be shutting down at 11:59 pm UTC on the 24th of February, 2020. The Global Link, which has served many purposes over the years, was first introduced alongside Pokémon Black and White, and initially allowed players to catch special Pokémon not native to the Unova region in the Dream World. Since then, the service has been updated with each new generation, facilitating various online features in generations 6 and 7.

After more than nine years of operation, the Pokémon Global Link (PGL) service will be retired on February 24, 2020, at 23:59 UTC. After PGL service has ended, you will no longer be able to use any gameplay features that require a connection to the PGL on your Pokémon Ultra Sun, Pokémon Ultra Moon, Pokémon Sun, or Pokémon Moon games. You will still be able to use other online functionality apart from the PGL.

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield will provide services similar to the PGL’s Rating Battles and Online Competitions features and will be available to play via Nintendo Switch.

Thank you for using the PGL, and we hope you will continue to enjoy using the PGL until the service ends.

– Pokémon Global Link website

When it shuts down, Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon will no longer have access to any online features that connect to the Global Link. This includes Rating Battles on Battle Spot, QR Rental Teams, and Friendly Competitions. These features are available natively in Pokémon Sword and Shield without the need for an external website.

As a final send-off to the service, players who log into the PGL will receive a special gift Pokémon, a Munna with the trainer ID and OT of Professor Fennel, the researcher from Black and White who first launched the Dream World.