This 'Pokémon GO' Player Has Nearly 45 Million XP but Is Stuck at Level 41 — What’s Going On?

The Gist:

• A new Pokémon GO player added a friend with 45 million XP and was surprised to learn they were only level 41. Only 7.5 million XP is needed to reach 42.
• Pokémon GO requires you to complete certain tasks to reach higher levels, regardless of how much XP you’ve accumulated.
• The player with 45 million XP hasn’t completed all the tasks necessary to rank up, causing them to have a surplus of XP at a lower level.

There’s a lot to love about Pokémon GO, but one of its more controversial design choices relates to its leveling process. New players may not be aware, but gaining XP isn’t enough to level up once you hit a certain threshold. In fact, it’s possible to rack up millions of experience points and not hit a new level — which can come as a shock if you’re not familiar with its mechanics.

One player figured this out the hard way, after adding a friend with nearly 45 million XP who was only level 41. For reference, you only need 7.5 million XP to hit level 42.

So, why does this Pokémon GO player have so much XP? And how does the leveling work in Pokémon GO? Here’s a closer look at what’s going on.

There’s a simple explanation for why this Pokémon GO player has so much XP yet is such a low level. Unlike most games that give you a new rank after accruing a set amount of experience points, Pokémon GO also requires you to complete specific tasks prior to ranking up.

This means hitting 7.5 million XP isn’t enough to reach level 42 — you also need to finish a series of challenging tasks. For level 42, players must perform the following:

• Evolve Eevee into all unique evolutions
• Use items to evolve 15 Pokémon
• Use 200 Berries to catch Pokémon
• Perform 3 Excellent throws

Once all the above tasks are completed (and you’ve hit the requisite XP), you’ll officially level up in Pokémon GO.

This system might not be known to new players, as it doesn’t kick in until you hit level 40. But beyond that point, you’ll need to complete strict requirements to level up. One of the most time-consuming challenges is to hit level 41, which tasks you with catching 200 Pokémon in a single day. And unless you have a lot of time on your hands, that could be incredibly difficult to accomplish.

Thankfully, XP you earn while stuck on a lower level will carry over to your next level, allowing you to continue playing the game and making progress even if you’re stumped by a troublesome task. That means the player mentioned above has enough XP to hit level 50 — all they need to do is complete their unfinished tasks.