For the feature called "Challenges" before version 44.0, see Mushroom battle.
The screen that displays a party's progress on their weekly challenge.
The weekly challenge progress screen.

Weekly challenges are a feature of Pikmin Bloom, introduced in version 44.0. Each week, a certain challenge (such as walking some number of steps) is set for all players, and players can work together with up to 4 friends to complete the challenge as a group. Completing a challenge before the deadline gives rewards to each player in the group.

Process

 
Two groups completing weekly challenges.

To begin a weekly challenge a player needs to open the challenge list menu and select a challenge. A menu displaying groups participating in the selected challenge will be presented. These groups are comprised of the player's friends, as well as friends of friends, with a final option featuring only the player, should they choose to begin a new challenge themselves. After selecting a group, the player will be asked to confirm their choice. If a player so wishes, they may invite friends to any open slots within the challenge before or after choosing to initiate.

While a challenge is active its display in the challenge list changes to display the challenge's progress and its participants. Tapping on the challenge will bring the player to a screen showing all participants jogging together, each alongside the first five Pikmin in their active squad, according to their most recently-chosen sorting order. This screen features various elements, such as each player's step or flower total, the total step or flower goal and how many days remain to achieve it, the date the group began the challenge, a breakdown of each player's contribution towards the goal, their profile images and names, as well as a random quote.

Upon completing a challenge, whether by reaching either the goal or the expiration date, the player is brought to a screen displaying the group and their progress. A star-rating from 1-3 is awarded based on how much of the goal was achieved. Each player's Mii will then take turns jogging to the fore, as their contributions are displayed and celebrated by the the other Miis and Pikmin in the group.

If the player leaves a challenge before it is completed, their progress in the challenge will be removed, and they'll be able to join another challenge. If they rejoin, their previous progress does not get added.

The challenge ends at Monday midnight in the timezone of the user who created the group.

Types of challenges

There are currently 3 kinds of weekly challenges, and more may be added in the future. Challenges of different types can be done at the same time, but challenges of the same type cannot be attempted concurrently.

Step challenges

  These challenge players to walk some number of steps in the week. At the current time, two options are offered each week – one completed after 30,000 steps, and another requiring 100,000 steps to complete.

Flower planting challenges

 
The flower planting challenge tab, displayed in the challenge list.

  These challenge players to plant some number of flowers in the week. When one player in the team plants 1000 flowers, other players in the team get a small number of petals as a reward. On the screen where participants are shown walking, decorative flowers of different types appear on the ground.

From, June 2023 to July 2023, two options were available each week for flower planting challenges, one for planting 20,000 flowers and one for planting 30,000 flowers, with each giving different types of petals as a reward.

Star challenges

These are a special kind of challenge that run on a specific date. Unlike the first two types of challenge, these do not consume Weekly Challenge Tickets and do not offer any reward for their completion. Additionally, these challenges have a host appointed by Niantic.

The first Star challenge was hosted by ジョーさん (Mr. Joe) and ran from October 22nd to October 29th, 2023 [1]. To join users had to follow a link provided by the challenge's host or scan a QR code. Once the challenge started, players could create groups of 4 people (either randomly or by inviting people from the friends list) to join ジョーさん in walking 150,000 steps.

Weekly challenge tickets

 
A weekly challenge ticket, as displayed in the shop before its name was changed.

Weekly challenge tickets are a freemium item that allow a player to initiate additional weekly challenges. A weekly challenge ticket may be used to replay a week's step challenge or flower planting challenge. It is consumed regardless of whether the player starts a new challenge.

Weekly challenge tickets may be purchased from the shop for 200 coins each.

History

Since their introduction on April 28th, 2022, there has been at least 1 weekly challenge each week, with all challenges running from Monday to Sunday (except the first). Initially, there was just one challenge each week, a step challenge. On May 16th, a second step challenge option was added, where players could choose whether to do the easy option (most often 20,000 steps) or the hard option (most often 100,000 steps). Completing an easy step challenges usually gives 20 white nectar, 20 yellow nectar, 20 red nectar, and 10 blue nectar. Completing a hard step challenge usually gives 40 white nectar, 40 yellow nectar, 40 red nectar, 20 blue nectar, and 1 special nectar.

On July 11th, 2022, flower planting challenges were introduced. These usually give white petals, yellow petals, red petals, a single-use slot, and some other kind of petal when completed, though this has varied over time. Initially there were 2 levels of flower planting challenges, similar to step challenges, but from September 26th there was only 1 type of flower planting challenge each week. Since July 3rd, 2023 there have now been 2 types of flower planting challenges again.

On May 23rd, 2023, the Challenge Recharge Ticket was renamed to the Weekly Challenge Ticket.

Events often add temporary extra rewards for completing weekly challenges, such as a Golden Seedling or a Mii costume. These rewards are usually obtained no matter the score the player gets on the weekly challenge.

See also

  1. ^ Tweet on ジョーさん's Twitter account, published on October 20th, 2023, retrieved on November 11th, 2023